Weatherguard Construction

Cottage Grove's Premier Composite & PVC Deck Builder

Custom-designed, low-maintenance composite and PVC decks for Cottage Grove, Minnesota homeowners. Certified Trex and TimberTech AZEK installer. Free on-site estimates.

When Cottage Grove homeowners search for a deck contractor they can trust, Weatherguard Construction rises to the top — and not just because of our five-star reviews and manufacturer certifications. We've earned our reputation by building decks that are structurally superior from the ground up, starting with Owens Corning structural lumber for every ledger board, post, and stair stringer we install.

Why does structural lumber matter? Because Minnesota's freeze-thaw cycles — where temperatures can swing 60 degrees in a single week — put extraordinary stress on outdoor structures. Standard pressure-treated lumber absorbs moisture, swells, shrinks, and eventually rots — especially at the ledger connection and ground-contact points. OC Lumber is rotproof, rustproof, and rated for underwater contact — engineered to protect against what wood and steel simply cannot.

We pair that engineered foundation with premium composite and PVC decking from Wolf, TimberTech AZEK, and Trex — 89 authentic colors across 20 collections that resist fading, staining, scratching, and mold without annual sealing or staining. For homeowners who want the ultimate structural package, we offer a full OC Lumber frame upgrade — every joist, beam, rim board, and blocking piece in Owens Corning structural lumber. Ready to transform your Cottage Grove backyard? Contact Weatherguard today for a free, no-obligation estimate.

Built for Minnesota Weather: How Our Decks Handle Minnesota's Extreme Climate

With average winter lows dipping below -10°F and summer highs regularly exceeding 90°F, Minnesota decking materials must withstand a temperature range of over 100 degrees annually. Add heavy snow loads, spring ice melt, and summer storm damage to the equation, and it becomes clear why material selection matters more here than almost anywhere else in the country.

Here is how the materials we install are specifically engineered to handle these challenges:

Understanding Deck Warranties: What Cottage Grove Homeowners Should Know

Not all deck warranties are created equal, and understanding the differences can save you thousands of dollars and decades of frustration. Here is a breakdown of the warranty coverage available through Weatherguard's manufacturer partnerships:

Structural Warranties

These cover the core integrity of the decking board — resistance to splitting, cracking, rotting, and structural failure under normal use. Premium products like TimberTech AZEK and Trex Transcend carry Limited Lifetime structural warranties, meaning the boards are warranted against structural defects for as long as you own your home.

Fade and Stain Warranties

This is where cheap decking gets exposed. Budget products may carry a 10-year fade warranty, but premium lines from TimberTech AZEK provide a 50-year fade and stain warranty — guaranteeing your deck's color and finish will remain vibrant for half a century. Trex Transcend products also carry a 50-year warranty against fading and food stains.

Labor and Workmanship Warranties

Materials are only part of the equation. A poorly installed deck will fail regardless of board quality. Weatherguard's craftsmanship warranty covers our installation work — including joist connections, fastener patterns, railing attachments, and structural connections — giving you complete peace of mind.

Our Cottage Grove design consultants walk you through every warranty detail during your estimate appointment so you understand exactly what protection your investment carries before you commit.

Deck Enhancements That Elevate Your Cottage Grove Outdoor Living

A great deck is more than boards and railings — it is a complete outdoor living environment. Weatherguard offers a full suite of enhancements that transform a simple deck into the centerpiece of your Cottage Grove home:

Premium Railing Systems

Your railing choice dramatically impacts both safety and style. We install railing systems from the industry's top manufacturers, including:

Integrated Deck Lighting

Professional LED lighting extends your deck's usable hours well into the evening while creating inviting ambiance. We install recessed post cap lights, stair riser lights, under-rail accent strips, and perimeter landscape lighting — all on low-voltage LED systems that cost pennies per day to operate and last for years without bulb changes.

Privacy Walls and Wind Screens

Custom-designed horizontal slat privacy walls, louvered screens, and lattice panels provide seclusion from neighbors without sacrificing airflow or natural light. Available in matching composite, cedar, and aluminum materials.

Deck Skirting and Fascia

Finished skirting conceals the underside of raised decks, blocking debris buildup and pest access while creating a clean, polished appearance from every angle. We use color-matched composite fascia boards and ventilated lattice to ensure proper airflow beneath your deck structure.

Underdeck Drainage Systems

For raised decks, a ceiling-mounted drainage system captures rainwater running between deck boards and channels it away from the space below, creating a dry, usable patio area underneath your elevated deck — effectively doubling your outdoor living square footage.

Pergolas and Shade Structures

Freestanding or attached pergolas add architectural drama and provide adjustable shade coverage over your deck. We build with composite, cedar, and aluminum materials, including motorized louvered pergola systems that open and close at the touch of a button.

Deck Styles and Configurations for Every Cottage Grove Property

No two Cottage Grove backyards are identical, and neither should their decks be. Weatherguard designs and builds custom deck configurations tailored to your property's topography, your home's architecture, and the way your family actually uses outdoor space. Here are the most popular deck styles we build across Minnesota:

Composite vs. PVC Decking: Choosing the Right Material for Your Cottage Grove Deck

Both composite and PVC deliver far superior performance to wood, but they have distinct characteristics that make each better suited to different situations. Here is an honest comparison to help you decide:

FeatureComposite DeckingPVC Decking
CompositionWood fibers + recycled plastic100% engineered polymer
Moisture ResistanceExcellent (capped shell protection)Superior (zero moisture absorption)
WeightHeavier (similar to wood)Lighter (easier to handle)
Heat RetentionModerate (can get warm in direct sun)Lower (stays cooler underfoot)
Scratch ResistanceVery goodExcellent
Price Range$$ to $$$$$$ to $$$$
Best Warranty25-year to Limited LifetimeLimited Lifetime + 50-year fade/stain
Ideal ForBudget-conscious upgrades, ground-level decksHigh-traffic areas, pool decks, maximum longevity

Our recommendation? If your budget allows, PVC decking provides the ultimate in low-maintenance performance and longevity. If you want an exceptional deck at a lower investment, composite delivers outstanding value and will dramatically outperform any wood deck. Either way, you are making a smart upgrade over traditional lumber.

Why Cottage Grove Homeowners Choose Weatherguard for Deck Construction

Building a deck is a significant investment — one that should enhance your daily life for decades. Here is why Cottage Grove families consistently choose Weatherguard Construction over the competition:

Structural Integrity: Why Most Cottage Grove Decks Fail — And How We Prevent It

The most expensive part of your deck isn't the surface boards — it's the structural framing underneath. And it's the part that most contractors cut corners on. Standard pressure-treated lumber starts absorbing moisture and deteriorating the moment it's installed. In Minnesota, where sub-zero temperatures, heavy snowfall, and persistent ice accumulation create relentless freeze-thaw cycles, that process accelerates dramatically. Within 10–15 years, the ledger board, posts, and stair stringers on a typical Cottage Grove deck are soft, splitting, and structurally compromised.

The Three Points of Failure — And How OC Lumber Solves Them

Why Owens Corning Structural Lumber?

OC Lumber is engineered to protect against what wood and steel simply cannot. Rotproof, rustproof, and rated for underwater contact in both fresh and salt water. Designed to install like the lumber you use every day — same tools, same trade, same practices. Made to last. We don't offer this as an upgrade or an add-on — it's our standard for every ledger board, post, and stair stringer we install in Cottage Grove and across Minnesota.

Optional Upgrade: Full OC Lumber Framing

For homeowners who want the ultimate structural package, Weatherguard offers a full OC Lumber frame upgrade — every joist, beam, rim board, and blocking piece in Owens Corning structural lumber. While our standard build uses OC Lumber for the three components that fail first, a full OC Lumber frame means every piece of structural wood in your deck is rotproof, rustproof, and rated for underwater contact. Combined with properly engineered frost-depth footings and code-compliant ledger connections, our structural approach gives you a deck that will perform for decades, not just years.

PVC Decking: Ultimate Durability for Minnesota Weather

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) decking represents the pinnacle of low-maintenance outdoor living technology. Unlike composite — which contains wood fibers — PVC boards are made entirely from engineered polymer, making them completely impervious to moisture absorption. For Cottage Grove homes subjected to sub-zero temperatures, heavy snowfall, and persistent ice accumulation, PVC decking eliminates any risk of swelling, warping, or rot caused by trapped moisture freezing inside the board.

TimberTech AZEK — The Industry's Gold Standard in PVC

Weatherguard is a certified TimberTech installer, giving Cottage Grove homeowners access to the complete AZEK Advanced PVC lineup with enhanced warranty coverage:

All TimberTech AZEK boards are manufactured from recycled materials in the USA, carry a Limited Lifetime structural warranty, and feature Alloy Armour Technology that resists scratching, staining, and UV fading far beyond what composite materials can achieve.

Wolf Decking — Engineered for Extreme Conditions

Wolf Home Products offers PVC and composite decking lines specifically engineered for harsh climates like Minnesota's:

Composite Decking: The Smart Choice for Cottage Grove Homeowners

Composite decking blends recycled wood fibers with high-density polyethylene plastic, creating a board that mimics the warmth of natural hardwood while resisting the rot, insects, and weather damage that destroy traditional lumber. For Cottage Grove homes facing sub-zero temperatures, heavy snowfall, and persistent ice accumulation, composite decking delivers decades of reliable performance without the annual chore of sanding, staining, or sealing.

Trex — America's Most Trusted Composite Brand

As a certified Trex installer, Weatherguard offers the full Trex lineup to Cottage Grove homeowners:

Every Trex board is manufactured from 95% recycled materials — including reclaimed wood and polyethylene film — making it one of the most environmentally responsible decking choices available. Trex boards will never need sanding, staining, or painting, and they resist fading, staining, scratching, and mold better than any wood species on the market.

Fiberon — Performance Meets Sustainability

Fiberon composite decking combines sustainability with striking aesthetics. Their capped composite technology wraps each board in a protective polymer shell that locks out moisture and resists fading, staining, and scratches. Popular collections include:

Fiberon boards are manufactured in the USA using up to 94% recycled content and carry a 25-year structural warranty along with comprehensive fade and stain coverage.

Browse 89 Deck Board Colors — Visual Color Swatch Gallery

Choosing the right deck color is one of the most exciting parts of your Cottage Grove deck project. Weatherguard offers 89 premium deck board colors across 20 collections from TimberTech AZEK Advanced PVC (Vintage, Landmark, Harvest+, Harvest), TimberTech Composite (Legacy, Reserve, Terrain+, Terrain, Prime+, Premier+, Premier), Trex (Signature, Transcend Lineage, Transcend, Select, Enhance, Refuge), and Wolf (Serenity, Haven, Perspective). Scroll through our interactive color swatch gallery above — with authentic product photos from all three manufacturers — to explore every option, from the luxury of Trex Signature Whidbey to the heat-mitigating Trex Transcend Lineage Biscayne, the ultra-premium warmth of TimberTech AZEK Vintage Dark Hickory, the hand-scraped artistry of Legacy Tigerwood, the bold Wolf Serenity Onyx, or the budget-friendly Trex Enhance Foggy Wharf. Every color is available for your custom Cottage Grove deck project, and we encourage you to request free physical samples to compare in your home's lighting and alongside your siding, trim, and landscape.

Our Cottage Grove design consultants will bring color samples to your property so you can see exactly how each board looks against your home's exterior. Popular color pairings include warm-toned boards (Mahogany, English Walnut, Wolf Serenity Amberwood, Reserve Antique Leather) with black aluminum railing for a classic contrast, or cool-toned boards (Coastline, Harbor Grey, Island Mist, Wolf Serenity Driftwood Grey) with white composite railing for a coastal aesthetic. Wolf's Perspective line — made from 94% recycled content — is an eco-conscious choice with industry-leading strength, while TimberTech's Terrain and Prime+ lines deliver authentic wood aesthetics with 25-year warranties at price points accessible to most budgets.

Frequently Asked Questions About Decks in Cottage Grove, Minnesota

Why does Weatherguard use Owens Corning structural lumber for deck framing?

The #1 cause of deck failure in Minnesota is structural rot in the ledger board, posts, and stair stringers — the critical components that hold your entire deck up. OC Lumber is rotproof, rustproof, and rated for underwater contact — engineered to protect against what wood and steel simply cannot. We use it as our standard for ledger boards, posts, and stair stringers on every deck we build in Cottage Grove. For homeowners who want the ultimate structural package, we also offer a full OC Lumber frame upgrade.

How long does it take Weatherguard to build a deck in Cottage Grove?

Most residential deck projects in Cottage Grove are completed within 3 to 10 business days of on-site construction, depending on the deck's size, complexity, and weather conditions. A straightforward platform or single-level deck can often be finished in under a week. Multi-level designs with pergolas, lighting, and custom railings may take 7 to 14 days. We provide a detailed construction timeline during your estimate appointment.

How much does a composite deck cost in Cottage Grove, Minnesota?

Composite deck costs in Cottage Grove typically range from $45 to $85 per square foot installed, depending on the material tier, deck configuration, railing selections, and site conditions. A standard 300 square foot deck generally falls between $13,500 and $25,500, while larger multi-level designs with premium features can range from $35,000 to $65,000 or more. Weatherguard provides free, itemized estimates so you see exactly where every dollar goes — no hidden fees or surprise charges.

What footings does Weatherguard use for deck construction in Cottage Grove?

We use three primary footing systems depending on your site conditions and local code requirements: poured concrete footings (the traditional standard, excavated below Minnesota's frost line), helical piers (steel screw-in piles that require no excavation and are ideal for tight-access sites), and diamond pier foundation systems (engineered precast blocks with steel pins). All footing systems are designed to prevent frost heave and provide a stable, level foundation for decades.

What railing options are available for my Cottage Grove deck?

Weatherguard installs a wide range of railing systems: composite rails from Trex and TimberTech that match your deck boards, powder-coated aluminum rails from Westbury and Deckorators in black, bronze, and white, stainless steel cable rails from Viewrail for a modern open look, and tempered glass panel systems for unobstructed views. Each system meets Minnesota residential building code requirements for height, spacing, and load capacity.

Can Weatherguard remove my old wood deck before building a new one?

Absolutely. Full demo and removal of your existing deck is included as a standard part of our service. Our crew carefully dismantles old framing, decking, and railings, sorts materials for responsible disposal or recycling, and leaves your site clean and ready for new construction. If your existing substructure (joists and beams) is in solid condition, we can sometimes reuse it — saving you money on framing costs.

Does Weatherguard build decks during Minnesota winters?

Yes. Weatherguard builds decks year-round in Minnesota, including during winter months. Composite and PVC materials perform well in cold-weather installation — unlike wood, which can be brittle and difficult to fasten in freezing temperatures. Winter building often offers shorter lead times and allows you to have a brand new deck ready for spring entertaining. We take appropriate precautions for frozen ground conditions when installing footings.

Can I add lighting, privacy walls, or a pergola to my deck later?

Yes, but we strongly recommend incorporating these features during initial construction whenever possible. Adding lighting, privacy walls, pergolas, or underdeck systems during the build is significantly more cost-effective than retrofitting later, because the framing can be designed to support these additions from the start. If you are considering these features even as a future possibility, mention it during your design consultation so we can plan the structural support now.

Does Weatherguard offer financing for deck projects in Cottage Grove?

Yes. Weatherguard partners with trusted lending institutions to offer flexible financing options for Cottage Grove homeowners. We offer competitive interest rates, convenient monthly payment plans, and promotional financing options that can make your dream deck affordable on nearly any budget. Ask your project consultant about current financing promotions during your free estimate appointment.

Do I need a permit to build a deck in Cottage Grove, Minnesota?

In most cases, yes. Cottage Grove and the surrounding Minnesota municipalities require building permits for deck construction, particularly for raised decks, structures attached to your home, and any deck over a certain height or square footage. Weatherguard handles the entire permitting process — we prepare the application, submit drawings, coordinate inspections, and ensure your deck is 100% code-compliant. You never need to visit a building department.

What deck brands does Weatherguard install in Cottage Grove?

Weatherguard is a certified installer for Trex (including Signature, Transcend Lineage, Transcend, Select, Enhance, and Refuge lines), TimberTech AZEK (Vintage, Landmark, Harvest+, and Harvest Advanced PVC collections), TimberTech Composite (Legacy, Reserve, Terrain+, Terrain, Prime+, Premier+, and Premier collections), Wolf (Serenity PVC, Haven composite, and Perspective composite), Fiberon (Concordia and Good Life composite), and Deckorators. Our manufacturer certifications ensure your deck qualifies for the strongest available warranty coverage.

Is composite decking slippery when wet?

Modern composite and PVC decking products feature textured, slip-resistant surfaces that provide excellent traction even when wet. Products like Trex Transcend and TimberTech AZEK are specifically engineered with embossed grain patterns that increase grip underfoot. That said, any smooth surface can become slippery when covered in ice or algae — which is why we recommend occasional cleaning and standard winter safety practices.

How does Weatherguard handle deck demolition and rebuilding in Cottage Grove?

Our full-service approach includes careful demolition of your existing deck, responsible disposal and recycling of old materials, inspection of the house rim joist and attachment points, installation of new frost-depth footings, framing with Owens Corning structural lumber for ledger boards, posts, and stair stringers, and final installation of your chosen composite or PVC decking and railing system. We handle permitting, inspections, and cleanup — you just enjoy the finished product.

Does Weatherguard build commercial decks in Cottage Grove?

Yes. Weatherguard Construction provides commercial deck and outdoor living construction for multi-unit residential properties, HOA communities, restaurants and hospitality venues, retail spaces, and corporate campuses throughout Cottage Grove and Minnesota. Our commercial projects use the same premium materials and craftsmanship standards as our residential work, with added engineering for higher traffic loads and ADA compliance requirements.

What is the difference between composite and PVC decking?

Composite decking is made from a blend of recycled wood fibers and plastic, wrapped in a protective polymer cap. PVC decking is made entirely from engineered polymer with zero wood content. PVC offers superior moisture resistance (it absorbs literally zero water), stays cooler underfoot, and typically carries stronger warranties — including 50-year fade and stain protection from brands like TimberTech AZEK. Composite is generally more affordable and provides excellent performance for most residential applications.

Ready to Get Started with Decks in Cottage Grove, Minnesota?

Contact Weatherguard Construction today for a free, no-obligation estimate.

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