Building Up: A Custom Elevated Deck Over a Sloped Marlboro Backyard

Location:
Marlboro, NJ
Materials Used:
  • Trex Transcends decking in Lava Rock
  • Trex Transcends Vintage Lantern decking (border and fascia)
  • Trex Signature black aluminum railing
  • Trex Transcends Vintage Lantern posts
  • Low-voltage post cap lights
  • Step riser lighting
Price Range:
$40,000 - $50,000
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A large, elevated deck attached to the side of a house. The deck and its stairs are constructed primarily with dark brown, composite-like material. The railings on the deck and stairs are black metal with dark brown posts. The deck is quite high, and the area underneath is visible, supported by large, lighter-colored (possibly wood) posts.
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A corner of an outdoor deck made of brown composite or wood-look material, with a railing system. The deck boards are laid in a diagonal pattern in the corner. The railing features thick, dark brown posts with black caps and black metal balusters and top rails. A set of stairs descends from the main deck level and is enclosed by the same railing.
a close-up view of a composite deck and a set of stairs leading down to a grassy yard and a covered swimming pool. The deck boards have a light brown, wood-grain appearance. The deck railing system features dark brown posts and handrails with black vertical balusters.
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An exterior view of a brown wooden deck attached to a light-colored house. The deck has black metal railings and two sets of stairs leading down to a dirt-and-sand area. The deck is elevated and supported by wooden posts.
An exterior view of a house with a raised, multi-level deck and stairs leading down to the ground. The deck and stairs are constructed from dark brown material, possibly composite or stained wood, and have black metal railings and balusters. The deck is supported by light-colored wooden posts. The area beneath the deck is exposed, with a dirt or sand surface visible,

Where the Rim Does as Much Work as the Floor

The back of this Marlboro home sits well above grade, with the pool and yard dropping down behind it. Absolute Decks built an elevated Trex deck with a custom triple-tier fascia and two stair runs reaching down to ground level.

Why Tall Decks Live or Die at the Edge 

  • A foundation visible from anywhere in the yard. Tall 6×6 posts and a long skirt had to be planned with the same care as the deck above them.
  • A perimeter band that can be read from a distance. At this height, a single fascia board disappears into the shadow line. The edge needed depth, not a flat strip.
  • Two stair runs, two grades. The front stair is the everyday route off the house; the side stair has to reach the pool gate at a steeper drop without feeling like a fire exit.

What Got Built

Rob and his son Dylan planned the framing and trim package before a board went down:

  • Two-tone surface. A Vintage Lantern picture frame border outlines a deep Lava Rock field.
  • Custom triple-tier fascia. Three stacked horizontal bands wrap the perimeter, giving the rim the depth of a built-up cornice instead of a flat board.
  • Trex Signature railing with Vintage Lantern posts. Thin black aluminum balusters keep the sight line open to the yard and pool.
  • Two stair runs sized for the slope. Wide front stairs off the rear, plus a side run with a landing and a built-in gate at the bottom.
  • Lighting baked into the structure. Low-voltage cap lights on every post and riser lights down both stair runs, wired during framing.

Lessons Worth Stealing for Your Own Build

On an elevated deck, the rim is half of what people see from the yard, so the fascia is not the place to cut corners. A custom triple-tier band only works if the accent color is locked in early, since the border, fascia, posts, and risers all have to share that tone.

Lighting follows the same rule: post cap and riser lights need their runs roughed in during framing, or retrofitting means cutting into finished material. And on a sloped lot, two stair runs beat one, since each set can land at the right grade for where it’s going.

Planning an Elevated Deck of Your Own?

Absolute Decks & Basements Contracting designs and builds custom decks, covered pavilions, pool decks, and resurfacing projects across Marlboro, Freehold, Monroe Township, Manalapan, and the rest of Middlesex and Monmouth County, NJ. 

Request a consultation online to schedule an on-site estimate today!

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Every project we finish gives homeowners a new reason to fall in love with the outdoors. We can’t wait to do the same for you.

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