Multi-Level Cedar Deck on a Sloped Lot

The brief

The lot falls away sharply behind the house. A small existing deck sat well above the yard with a single steep stair, so in practice nobody used either the deck or the garden. The owners wanted the two connected.

What we found

The existing ledger was bolted to the house with no flashing. The rim joist behind it was wet and had begun to rot along its length — invisible from either side until the deck came off. This is the most common structural failure we see in decks of this age, and it is why the rebuild was not optional.

What we did

Two levels, stepping with the grade, so the drop is broken into stairs people actually use. The new ledger is flashed properly, with the rim joist section replaced where it had gone soft.

Post bases are set to drain rather than sit in standing water, and the cut ends of every board were sealed before installation — the end grain is where water enters cedar, and it is the detail most often skipped.

The result

The garden is now part of the house rather than something viewed from above. We built the frame in February and returned in June to stain, once the wood was dry enough for the finish to actually bond.