I’m proud to be a member of NADRA (North American Deck and Railing Association). In the deck world, they are our “hub” or “voice”. They’re where we come together to discuss various issues…legal, administrative, trends, etc. One of the funner aspects of the association are the annual awards for the best decks and outdoor spaces across North America. Similar to the Oscars (but without the tuxedo), a committee nominates, votes, then awards on such categories as ‘Best Porch’, ‘Best Freestanding Structure’, and ‘Best Unique Feature’. (Hey, I think they’re just as interesting as ‘Best Sound Editing’ any day! 🙂 ) We’ve been fortunate to win several of these deck awards over the handful of years since they started.

But winning isn’t the only benefit from these awards for us. We have a great time learning new ideas and ways that other top deck builders across the country work their craft. While some in the north and west generally work with different types of materials, I have used a couple of ideas along the way…and they’ve told me they’ve used some of our ideas as well. For a gallery of last year’s winners, click here.