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Serving Austin, MN and surrounding areas. (507) 305-8446
Advanced Austin Decks & Fences serves Faribault homeowners with pressure-treated wood decks, composite decks, pergolas, and fencing throughout Rice County. We have been working in this area since 2018, every project is fully permitted, and we reply to estimate requests within one business day.
Faribault has a large share of homes built before 1970, and pressure-treated wood is the decking material that fits both the character of those older houses and the budget reality of a city with modest median home values. See how we approach pressure-treated wood deck construction, including how we spec the correct treatment grade for the soil conditions near the Straight River and the lake-adjacent lots that are common in this area.
Faribault homeowners who are tired of the annual staining cycle that wood requires often make the move to composite after the second or third time they skip maintenance and end up with soft boards. Composite holds its surface through Rice County winters without absorbing moisture the way untreated or poorly sealed wood does.
Faribault has a lot of homes with decks that are 20 or 30 years old, and many of those decks are at the point where repair is more cost-effective than letting another winter accelerate the deterioration. We assess whether selective board and hardware replacement makes sense or whether a full rebuild is the better investment, and we give you a straight answer.
Faribault receives around 45 inches of snow per year, and the wet soil conditions near the Straight River mean decks in parts of the city face more ambient moisture than those on higher, drier ground. Staining and sealing on a regular schedule is the most cost-effective maintenance you can do for a wood deck in this climate.
Faribault summers are warm and humid, and a pergola gives a backyard a defined covered area to use during the peak season without the full enclosure cost of a screened porch. We set pergola posts on frost-depth footings so the structure does not rock or tilt as the ground moves through the winter cycle.
Many Faribault lots are close together, especially in the older neighborhoods near the historic school campuses, and homeowners in those areas frequently use privacy fencing to create usable backyard space. We install wood privacy fences with post footings dug to frost depth to prevent the leaning and heaving that Faribault winters cause in fences set too shallow.
Faribault is a city with deep roots in Rice County, and a large portion of its housing stock dates to before 1940. Those older homes were built with wood-frame construction and original lumber that has been sitting in a cold, wet climate for many decades. When a new deck gets attached to a house like that, the rim joist and ledger connection need to be checked before any fasteners go in. A deteriorated or undersized rim joist will not support the shear load of a full deck, and a failed connection at that point is a structural risk. This is something we examine at the estimate visit on every older Faribault home.
Faribault is also surrounded by lakes, and the Straight River runs directly through the city. Properties near the water sit on wetter, more saturated soils, which means more frost movement in winter and faster wood deterioration at ground level. Ground-contact-rated pressure-treated lumber is not optional on these lots - it is the minimum standard for any structural member touching or near the soil. Rice County winters also bring freeze-thaw cycles in spring and fall that crack concrete flatwork and push fence posts out of plumb, driving regular repair work across the city each year.
Our crew works throughout Faribault regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect deck builder work here. We submit permit applications through the City of Faribault Building Department and know what plan documentation and inspection steps the city requires for residential deck projects in Rice County.
Faribault has a well-earned local identity. The Faribault Woolen Mill has operated here since 1865, and Shattuck-St. Mary's School has shaped the historic residential neighborhoods near its campus since 1858. Those older neighborhoods near the school and the mill are full of large, character-filled homes on generous lots - homes that require a contractor who understands older construction methods and materials. The neighborhoods closer to Cannon Lake and the Straight River add the moisture and drainage considerations described above.
We also serve homeowners in Northfield, MN, which is about 20 miles north of Faribault along I-35, and in Owatonna, MN to the southwest. Homeowners throughout the Rice County corridor are welcome to reach out for the same permitted, frost-depth work we do in Faribault.
Contact us by phone or through the online form and we respond within one business day. We ask about the project type and your property so we can come to the site visit prepared with the right questions.
We come to your Faribault property, assess the site conditions including drainage and soil type, check the ledger attachment point on the house, and walk through material options and cost ranges. There is no charge for this visit.
After you approve the estimate we file for a building permit with the City of Faribault. We handle all the paperwork. Permit approval typically runs one to two weeks, and we schedule the construction start to follow immediately after.
Our crew builds the project, the city inspector reviews the footings and finished work, and we walk you through everything before we leave. We clean up the site completely and leave you with maintenance guidance for Faribault seasons.
We serve Faribault and the surrounding Rice County area. Free estimates, permitted work, no hidden costs.
(507) 305-8446Faribault is a city of about 24,000 people in Rice County, roughly 50 miles south of Minneapolis. It is one of the older cities in southern Minnesota, and its character reflects that history. The neighborhoods near the Shattuck-St. Mary's campus and the older downtown core are full of large, wood-frame homes that were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Moving outward from downtown, you find postwar ranch homes and split-levels from the 1950s and 1960s, and newer subdivisions on the western and northern edges. Employers like Faribault Foods and the District One Hospital have kept the economy stable and the population steady, which is why the majority of Faribault homes are owner-occupied. For more on the city's history and character, the Faribault, Minnesota Wikipedia article is a reliable starting point.
Faribault is surrounded by water. Cannon Lake, Wells Lake, and the Straight River all shape the landscape around the city and influence the soil and drainage conditions on properties throughout the area. This is a city where the outdoor living season runs roughly May through October, and homeowners here put real thought into how they want to use their backyards when the weather cooperates. Neighboring communities like Mankato, MN to the west and Northfield to the north share similar seasonal rhythms and housing age profiles, and we serve homeowners throughout this corridor.
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Learn MoreReach out today. We serve Faribault and Rice County with permitted, inspected work and respond to every new inquiry within one business day.