When natural wood is the right call
Composite is our default, but it isn't the only answer. Some homeowners across the Denver and Colorado Springs areas want the warmth, grain, and scent of real wood, and a well-built hardwood or cedar deck delivers a look that composite still can't fully imitate. If you love the character of natural timber and you're willing to trade a maintenance-free surface for it, we'll build you a wood deck that's detailed to last as long as Colorado's climate allows.
The species we build with
We work primarily in three woods. Clear-grade Western Red Cedar is the classic Colorado choice — light, stable, naturally rot- and insect-resistant, and beautiful under a clear finish. Garapa, a South American hardwood, gives you a tight, honey-toned grain with far more density and dent resistance than cedar. And thermally-modified ash is wood that's been kiln-treated to remove the sugars and moisture that cause cupping and rot, leaving a dimensionally stable, dark-toned board that handles our freeze-thaw cycle better than untreated hardwood. We'll walk you through the look, cost, and upkeep of each before you commit.
Built to handle Colorado, finished to show off
Natural wood and high-altitude sun are not natural friends, so the build details matter more than they do with composite. We use hidden-fastener systems wherever the species allows, which keeps the deck face clean and eliminates the popped screws and rust streaks that ruin an older wood deck. We seal end-grain, gap boards correctly for our dry air, and flash the ledger and framing so water never gets trapped against the house. The substructure is built to the same Colorado snow-load and frost-depth standards as our composite decks — the difference is all in the surface.
The maintenance conversation, up front
We won't sell you a wood deck without being straight about upkeep. At our altitude, a natural-wood deck wants to be cleaned and re-oiled or re-sealed roughly once a year to hold its color; skip it and the wood will silver to a handsome gray, which some homeowners actually prefer. Either way, we'll show you exactly what the maintenance looks like, and we offer annual maintenance plans so you can hand the task to us and never think about it. Going in with clear expectations is the difference between loving a wood deck for fifteen years and regretting it after three.
Design, permits, and the build
Like every Haka Decks project, a hardwood or cedar build starts with a walkthrough of your yard — sun exposure, sightlines, grade, and how you want to use the space. We design the deck around those realities, prepare the permit and HOA paperwork, and handle structural engineering where it's needed. On site, most wood decks take roughly the same three-to-ten days to build as a composite deck of the same size, after the permit and material lead time.
If you want the look of real wood done properly, send us a few photos of your yard and we'll talk through species, finish, and budget.