Building our Dream Home in the Adirondacks
When we’re not travelling, we are lucky enough to live on a beautiful lake in Adirondack Park in Northern NY. Greg and I built our home as a vacation place to share with friends and family. At that time, we lived in Massachusetts, were still working, and had kids in school. We would drive six hours on weekends and vacations to put in time framing, roofing, sweating and whining, and eventually loving our home on a ledge, in the trees.
Our crew of workers, diehard friends and various family members: our kids, siblings, nephews and nieces, returned again and again to help us achieve our dream. While the house was still unfinished, though livable in a rough sort of way, we turned our attention to the outdoors where we loved spending most of our time: on the water.
Creating a Waterfront Gathering Space
Putting in the dock on the water was small potatoes in comparison to building a house. Our dock site sits at the base of a very steep hill, just below the house, hence some awkward delivery methods were required: two pressure treated sections, each 8 feet wide by 15 feet long, were built on shore. Our nephew towed the sections individually by jet ski from the boat launch nearby while Greg’s brothers anchored 2x6s with crossbeams below the surface. That dock provided a place for years of partying, swimming, and cozy gathering of sunning bodies and boats. Eventually waves, weather, ice, and sun exposure caused the dock to settle, fade, and splinter, while the surface became dangerously slick from mildew.
At this point, Greg and I had retired and were living full time on the lake. Dock maintenance became onerous, using winches to lift the sunken sections out of the water, scrubbing the slick surface yearly to prevent slips and falls. Ugh. It came time to replace, and did we replace it big time! We hired a dock installation contractor, Dock Doctors, to build us a two-level dream dock and boat house. Of course, Greg, not wanting to miss out on another building opportunity, worked with Dock Doctors to leave the upper sundeck unfinished which he would then install himself.
With permits and engineering plans complete, Dock Doctors installed a series of large galvanized steel support pipes into the lake bed to form the dock and boat slip structure. The pipes were reinforced with concrete, while underwater cross bracing and metal joists were added to create a stable foundation for the dock and upper sundeck. Once this major installation was complete, it was apparent this dock was not going anywhere. And then it was Greg’s turn. What to use to surface the sundeck floor? Our requirements seemed simple: strength, low maintenance, and protection for the boat in the slip below, thus drainage required. There was only one product we found that checked all of those boxes: Craft-Bilt’s Aluminum Waterproof Decking!
Barefoot Comfort, Low-Maintenance, and Durable Boathouse Deck
What really stood out to me right away was how comfortable the surface stays, even in direct sunlight. Since our family spends a lot of time outside and barefoot, especially the kids, I wanted something that would not become unbearably hot during the summer.
I also wanted to avoid the constant maintenance that we had with our original dock. Aluminum completely eliminated those worries for us. The surface stays smooth and solid, and I do not have to think about sanding, staining, or replacing damaged boards every few years.
Strength was another major factor in our decision. We wanted a deck that felt sturdy and secure without looking bulky or industrial. The aluminum decking system feels incredibly solid underfoot while still fitting in with our Adirondack mountain aesthetic.
The waterproof design ended up being one of my favorite features. The decking boards lock together to create a watertight surface that channels water away through a built-in drainage system. That allowed us to create a dry storage area underneath the deck without needing a separate under-deck ceiling system. Instead of wasting the space below, we now have a clean, dry area that adds even more functionality to the backyard.
A Surprisingly DIY-Friendly Installation Process
One unexpected bonus was how straightforward the installation process was. The aluminum boards provide both the structure and finished deck surface, so there was no need for plywood underneath that could eventually weather or deteriorate over time. The boards clicked together easily and created built-in drainage channels that direct water off the deck and keep the area below dry. Once the joists were in place, each board was secured directly to them, and the flooring itself went down surprisingly fast, which made the DIY process feel much more manageable.
For our project, the combination of durability, low maintenance, barefoot-friendly comfort, and waterproof performance made aluminum decking the perfect fit. It gave us the modern look we wanted while also creating a deck space that feels practical and family-friendly every day.
