Brazilian Hardwood Deck
This one starts with string. The before photo shows the layout stage — batter boards and yellow mason's line marking the deck footprint on a bare lawn, the step every square deck depends on and the one nobody photographs. The second photo catches the pressure-treated frame going up on its footings, with the crew cutting and setting joists against the house.
The decking is Brazilian hardwood, laid tight with a picture-frame border and a breaker board where the two sections meet at the corner of the house. The wraparound corner steps are the detail worth zooming in on: full hardwood treads with mitered returns, so the grain carries around the corner instead of ending in a cut edge, landing on a concrete pad.
A platform deck this low to the ground doesn't need railings, so the material does all the talking: Brazilian hardwood, naturally resistant to rot, insects, and heavy weather.
Before
After
