From Football To Footings: Q&A With John “The Builder” Malecki

Why did you choose to use Trex products for this project?

From the beginning, we knew we wanted to use Trex decking for our home. We wanted to use products that we knew would last a long time. And, thinking ahead to the future, we also wanted it to be as low maintenance as possible should we ever move and decide to rent the home.

Which Trex decking and railing products did you use and why?

We chose the Spiced Rum colour from the Trex Transcend decking collection. It is beautiful and looks great with our home. We also really liked the timber grain on it. We included a picture frame in the decking layout as well as a 3-tiered fascia application for the deck skirting. We selected Winchester Grey fascia boards, which we’re also fans of because of the colour. We used Trex Signature® Railing in Charcoal Black aluminium. It looks amazing and installation was a breeze!

Did you use any of the Trex online resources or tools during your design or building process?

We used the online deck building software to help with our colour choices and layout. The program is very easy to use and was super helpful.

In addition to the deck, you installed a Trex RainEscape system as well. What made you opt for that addition?

Because we live in the city and have a small yard and home, our storage space is limited—especially for our outdoor equipment. Using the Trex® RainEscape® system allowed us to create a large area beneath the deck to keep our outdoor and lawn care equipment dry and protected from the elements.

Did this addition pose any particular challenges?

Not at all! The RainEscape system was very easy and enjoyable to work with.

What would you say are the greatest benefits of building with Trex?

Trex products are awesome! Plus, I like how Trex offers great resources on its website to learn tips, techniques and more information.

What is your favourite aspect or feature of your Trex deck?

We use our deck for spending time together as a family, relaxing and, for me, mostly cooking. I love how easy it is to clean. Get out the hose and it practically cleans itself!

Anything else “cool” or unique about this project?

My YouTube video series featuring the deck build has more than 1.4 million views!