Marietta-based Decks & More has won three regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) awards for outdoor living spaces created in Marietta/East Cobb, Smyrna and Woodstock. The winning projects competed against submissions from nine Southeastern states, plus Washington, DC to take home the honors from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). The three winning Decks & More projects will now be entered in NARI’s national CotY awards.

“Our firm specializes in creating custom-designed outdoor living spaces,” said Frank Pologruto, president of Decks & More. “We take great pride in our work, and it’s always rewarding to receive recognition from our peers. Each of these winning projects presented design and execution challenges which required creative solutions, so it’s especially gratifying to see them honored with regional CotY awards.”

The winning projects are:

New porch and deck in Woodstock-- Award for Residential Exterior Under $100,000 -- The home had an existing deck, which was re-purposed as a partial footprint for the new porch. The homeowner wanted integrated indoor and outdoor living space that connected the home’s interior to the backyard, two stories below. Decks & More built a porch with a hand-chiseled Ashlar stone fireplace as the focal point and a beautiful tongue and groove ceiling. The flooring is custom tile with a custom border. The cedar mantle was hand-crafted onsite out of wood from a fallen cedar tree. The porch is wrapped by Brazilian Ipe decking leading to a curved radius staircase with cedar handrails, shaped onsite using an old steam box.

Outdoor Kitchen and Patio in Smyrna – Award for Outdoor Living Space $60,000 and Over – The homeowner wanted an outdoor entertainment space that reflected the natural surroundings. Decks & More created a rustic retreat with a wood-and-stone outdoor kitchen adjacent to a 640-square-foot patio. The new space is connected to an existing patio through the same Belgard stone floor pattern. The kitchen includes a custom-built barbeque grill, a hammered copper sink with running water and a curved, seamless Shirestone countertop. The kitchen is covered by a tongue and groove ceiling of southern yellow pine, topped with cedar shakes on the roof. Special details include hand-chiseled stacked stone with flagstone caps, specialty lighting and landscaping. Custom outdoor furniture was hand-crafted from old tree roots. In addition, the home’s exterior was given a complete makeover with new siding, roofing, portico, craftsman-style windows, lighting and custom iron balusters for the portico steps.

New Deck and Underdeck in Marietta/East Cobb – Award for Outdoor Living Space Under $60,000 – this Marietta Home had a large, heavy-looking deck with thick railings that obscured the view of the backyard’s new landscaping. Decks and More removed the old deck and replaced it with a new deck created from Brazilian Ipe decking. Cable rails and a light oil stain finish brightened the look and opened up the view. The old staircase down to the backyard was also removed, allowing the underdeck area to be waterproofed and remodeled into a beautiful flagstone entertainment space. Access is achieved via a beautiful curving staircase to the side of the deck. The underneath space was constructed with a clear span installment to eliminate the need for middle support columns. The entire front opening is protected by a motorized screen which can be lowered at the touch of a button when insects are a nuisance.

About Decks and More

Decks and More is a metro Atlanta-based remodeling company founded in 2001 by Frank Pologruto. The award-winning business specializes in creating outdoor living spaces, including custom-designed home additions, porches, decks and patios. Pologruto, who learned the remodeling business first-hand from his father and uncle prior to his formal training during his tenure with the U.S. Army, employees a team of skilled craftsmen and uses only the highest quality materials in each of his firm’s remodeling projects. Among the numerous awards won by Decks and More over the years are National Contractor of the Year Awards from NARI (National Association for the Remodeling Industry), a Best Wood Deck Award from the North American Deck and Railing Association, a Super Service Award from Angie’s List and Consumer’s Choice Award in the category of Patio and Deck Builders. Decks and More is a member of NARI and a charter member of the North American Deck and Railing Association. www.decksandmore.biz.