Few things are more frustrating than watching a deck you paid good money for start to sag and rot years before it should. Usually, the boards aren't what failed. Nine times out of ten, the frame and footings hiding underneath gave out first. At Decks by Lee, we build 50-year decks in and around Middletown, PA, and we match every layer of the build so your deck actually lasts as long as those premium boards promise.
Lee Dickerson founded Decks by Lee in 2008, and today the custom deck building company operates out of Middletown, PA. Serving the Greater Harrisburg Area, including the East Shore and West Shore, our company specializes in long-life deck construction. Our builds combine helical pile footings, Owens Corning fiberglass-reinforced structural framing, TimberTech AZEK PVC (polyvinyl chloride) decking, and Keylink aluminum railings. Lee oversees every project personally, while his in-house crew handles everything from design and demolition to the final installation.
Plenty of homeowners around Central PA do everything right on the surface. They pick out premium boards and add nice railings, only to find soft spots and wobbly posts showing up 15 or 20 years later.
The culprit is almost always the frame. Most decks still sit on pressure-treated lumber and basic footings, and those wear out long before today's 50-year boards and rails do. Picture pairing 10,000-mile oil with a 5,000-mile filter. You'd still be back at the shop at 5,000 miles, and a deck works the same way, wearing out right when its weakest part gives up.
Our fix is simple: build every layer to the same standard. Helical piles anchor the deck below the frost line, and Owens Corning framing replaces rot-prone wood. PVC boards and Keylink railings finish off the top layer. Lee sketches your design, and our crew installs each piece correctly, so your deck never has a weak link.
What you get is one of the 50-year decks we're proud to put our name on. It shrugs off Pennsylvania winters and skips the usual rebuild cycle, leaving you with decades of cookouts and zero worry about what's happening underneath.
Here's a closer look at every piece that goes into our long-lasting decks, along with the services that come with them.
Adding new boards to an old frame rarely gets you the lifespan you're paying for. Before any upgrade, we'll take a close look at your current deck and give you an honest answer about whether the frame can handle new materials or a full rebuild makes more sense.
Every project starts with Lee sketching your deck on paper so you can see the plan before we build a thing. For bigger or more involved projects, we bring in an architect and a structural engineer. You won't find any cookie-cutter templates here, since we design each deck around your home and how you plan to use it.
Our crew always tears down and hauls away your old deck. We'll also clear out any trees, shrubs, sheds, or fences standing in the way. Since we handle everything in-house, you won't have to juggle multiple contractors.
Instead of standard concrete footings, we install helical piles, which are steel shafts that screw deep into the ground below the frost line. These keep your deck steady through Central PA's freeze-thaw cycles, and you'll see much less digging in your yard than with traditional footings.
Owens Corning's fiberglass-reinforced framing is the backbone of every 50-year deck we build. Rot, rust, and hungry bugs can't touch it, so your joists, beams, and ledger board finally keep pace with your boards and railings. Better yet, prices have dropped since it launched a couple of years ago, which puts it within reach for more homeowners.
Up top, TimberTech AZEK PVC decking provides a wood-free surface that won't develop mold or turn green over the years. The boards stay cooler under bare feet and paws, and a little soap and water keep them looking sharp.
Our go-to railing is Keylink aluminum. Keylink makes it in the USA and coats it with a tough powder finish that laughs off sun and rain. You'll never need to paint or stain it, and you can pick from a bunch of colors and styles to match your home.
Since 2008, Lee has sketched every deck we build by hand, so your design fits your yard instead of coming from a template. Our deck building service covers everything from tearing out the old deck to driving the final screw. You'll work with our own crew the whole way, with no subcontractors.
About 90% of the decks we build use PVC, and you'll see why the first time you walk barefoot across one. For our PVC decks, we typically install TimberTech AZEK boards that won't mold or turn green, and they stay cooler under your feet (and your dog's paws). PVC doesn't split, which lets us get creative with intricate patterns and borders, and the boards carry a 50-year fade and stain warranty.
Homeowners who love the look of real wood grain usually lean toward our composite decks, which come in colors and styles you won't find in PVC. We install TimberTech and Fiberon boards that contain recycled materials. They tend to cost a bit less than PVC and still skip the yearly staining routine.
Pressure-treated lumber is still the most budget-friendly way to get a new deck, and nothing beats that fresh-cut wood smell on a summer afternoon. Our wood decks cost less up front than PVC or composite, and routine care is easy to learn with a quick online search.
Rain doesn't have to cancel your cookout when you've got a roof overhead. We frame our covered decks with sturdy wood, finish the ceilings with vinyl soffits, and top them with shingled roofs and gutters that match your home.
Pavers make up most of our patio installation work. We rely on trusted brands like EP Henry, Armortec, and Cambridge because their pavers withstand Pennsylvania winters. Our crew handles the full job, including tearing out old patios, clearing trees and shrubs, and taking down fences in the way.
A pergola gives your backyard a cozy, defined space for relaxing or entertaining without closing it in. We build our pergolas in low-maintenance vinyl or classic wood and design each one to match your home's style and the layout of your deck or patio.
Wobbly steps, soft boards, and tired support posts are all part of the deck repair work we handle regularly. Lee inspects your deck personally and gives you an honest take on whether a repair makes sense. If the damage runs deeper, we can take care of the demolition and rebuild too.
Homeowners around the Greater Harrisburg Area trust us with decks they plan to enjoy for a lifetime, and here's why.
Your PVC and composite materials come with their manufacturer warranties, and our own one-year workmanship guarantee covers the work on top of that.
Lee personally runs each project, from the first handshake to the final walk-through, so you'll always know exactly who's building your deck.
Building and repairing decks across Central PA since 2008 has taught our team how to handle just about any project you can dream up.
s: You'll get a free, no-pressure estimate with clear pricing and straight answers before we ever pick up a tool.
Most decks in Middletown, PA, require a building permit, especially when they're attached to the house or sit more than about 30 inches off the ground. Pennsylvania follows the Uniform Construction Code, and your borough or township (or the inspection agency it works with) reviews the plans and signs off on the work. An experienced local deck builder usually pulls the permit for you and schedules the inspections, so you don't have to wade through the paperwork.
Water in Pennsylvania soil freezes and expands every winter, and that expansion can shove shallow footings upward in a process called frost heave. Over time, the movement leaves decks uneven and puts extra stress on the frame. Footings that extend below the frost line, such as helical piles or concrete piers set deep enough, keep a deck steady year after year.
Most long-lasting decks take about one to three weeks of on-site work, with bigger or taller designs landing on the longer end. Before the build starts, you'll also want to allow time for permits, material orders, and the removal of any old deck. Pennsylvania weather likes to have its say, too, since heavy rain or frozen ground can delay footing work.
Usually not, since a new surface can't outlast the frame holding it up. Pressure-treated frames often begin to break down after 15–25 years, so pairing them with 50-year boards shortens the deck's lifespan. A deck builder can inspect the joists, beams, ledger board, and footings to tell you whether the frame has enough life left or needs to be replaced.
A deck lasts 50 years when every layer can go the distance, from the footings to the railings. That typically means footings below the frost line, rot-resistant framing like fiberglass-reinforced composite lumber, PVC decking, and aluminum railings. Proper installation matters just as much, because even the best materials fail early when someone builds them wrong.
FAQs reviewed by Lee Dickerson, owner of Decks by Lee, a local deck builder.
Call Decks by Lee at 717-557-6064 or schedule your free estimate online, and Lee will come out to plan a deck that'll last from the footings up. Your future self (and your backyard) will thank you.
Address: Middletown, PA, 17057
Phone: 717-557-6064
Business Hours:
Mon - Fri: 07:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Sat-Sun: Closed
