4123 Old Monroe Road, Indian Trail, NC
(980) 414-0320

Category: Project of the Month

They Had an Outdoor Space That Wasn’t Working on Either Level. Here’s What We Built Instead.

Posted on by Jenn Fuller

When an outdoor space has deteriorated to the point where starting fresh makes more sense than saving what’s there, a full custom build isn’t just the better investment,  it’s often the only one that actually solves the problem. Our project in Stonehaven is a good example of what that looks like.

What they had and why starting over made sense

The house had two levels of outdoor space and neither one was being used. On the lower level, a concrete slab that had cracked and stained its way past any cosmetic fix and was chalky, tired, and collecting leaves. Above it sat a wood deck that had been through too many Charlotte summers: boards gone soft, structure questionable, a canvas awning that sagged more than it shaded. The whole thing had that feeling of a space the family had mentally checked out of.

An aging, weathered wood deck staircase and railing on a brick house in Charlotte's Stonehaven neighborhood prior to a custom composite deck replacement.
An aging wood deck and stained concrete patio on a brick home in Charlotte's Stonehaven neighborhood prior to a custom composite deck remodel.

They weren’t wrong to check out. It wasn’t working. The key decision: to patch it or build something worth having

New builds are what we do best at Carolina Decks, and this is exactly the kind of project that shows why. Patching a failing outdoor space can buy time, but it rarely gets homeowners where they actually want to go. For this family, the structure wasn’t worth saving. More importantly, they’d already spent years working around a backyard that didn’t work. The better question wasn’t “how do we fix this?” It was “what do you actually dream of being out here?”

What we built: two levels, done right

The answer turned out to be two distinct outdoor living zones built off the same structure, which is exactly what the house was always set up for but never delivered.

Up top: a new upper deck with TimberTech composite decking in Dark Roast and black Trex aluminum railing. The new deck features clean lines, stays low maintenance, and is built to hold up through Charlotte’s humid summers without the annual staining and sealing routine that wore out the old wood.

Below: the under-deck space became a proper covered patio: exposed timber framing, a rainproof ceiling system running between the joists, and a finished concrete floor that gives the lower level its own identity. When it rains, the upper deck drains away from the space below. Both levels stay usable.

An outdoor dining table and chairs set on a new elevated composite deck built with TimberTech Dark Roast decking and black Trex aluminum railings in Charlotte's Stonehaven neighborhood.
A ground-level brick patio underneath an elevated deck in Charlotte's Stonehaven neighborhood, showing support beams, outdoor furniture, and a drainage system ceiling.

The result

Two outdoor spaces where there was effectively zero before. The upper deck handles entertaining from morning coffee to evening grilling, the kind of space you actually point people toward when they come over. The covered patio below is its own space: shaded, dry, a place to sit even when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Charlotte summers being what they are, that matters more than most people expect until they have it.

Project details:

Decking: TimberTech composite

Railing: Trex black aluminum

Levels: Upper deck + covered lower patio 

Lower patio: Exposed timber framing, rainproof ceiling system between joists, concrete floor

Columns: Natural wood

Multi-level solution: Two complete outdoor living spaces from one structure 

Custom builds are what Carolina Decks is built for. If your outdoor space has reached the point where you know something needs to change, that’s the conversation we love to have. Book a free estimate or call us at (980) 414-0320 and let’s talk about what’s possible.

Built for the Lake: How a Multi-Level Deck Transformed a Sloped Lake Norman Backyard

Posted on by Jenn Fuller

When you’re on Lake Norman, you’re already somewhere worth being. But for one family on the water, the view from inside the house told a different story than the yard below. An aging deck, a steep grade, and a backyard that had never really connected to the lake. That was the starting point when they called Carolina Decks.

What came next wasn’t a patch job. It was a ground-up design built specifically for the way lake families actually live.

Lower-level covered patio with stone pavers and ceiling fans facing a Lake Norman dock.

The Problem With the Yard and the Opportunity Inside It

The lot dropped sharply from the home’s main floor toward the water, a common reality on Lake Norman’s wooded, natural shoreline. The existing deck had aged out, and the lower portion of the yard was essentially wasted space. There was no real path from the house to the dock, no place to entertain at grade, and no outdoor room that felt finished enough to match the home.

The slope looked like an obstacle. Carolina Decks saw it as a canvas.

Three Levels, Three Distinct Spaces

Interior of a screened porch with vaulted ceilings and heaters overlooking Lake Norman.

The design solution was to work with the grade rather than fight it, creating three connected outdoor spaces that step down from the house toward the water, each with its own purpose.

At the top: a fully screened porch off the main living level, with a vaulted beadboard ceiling, recessed lighting, an infrared heater, and a ceiling fan. It’s an all-season room, comfortable in July heat and October evenings alike. Composite decking and a cable rail system keep sightlines open to the trees beyond.

Below that, an open deck serves as a sun-drenched transition zone, the spot for morning coffee or an afternoon with a view. Then, stepping down to grade: a fully covered lower patio with large-format stone tile, white structural columns, ceiling fans, and a TV mount. Thanks to an under-deck drainage system with a finished ceiling, the space stays completely dry when it rains, making it genuinely usable year-round, not just on clear days. It opens directly toward the lake, framing the dock and the water like a picture window you can walk through.

Rear exterior of a home showing a stone retaining wall and multi-level deck construction.

The stone retaining wall isn’t infrastructure. It’s architecture, the element that ties three distinct levels into one cohesive outdoor living space.

Project Details

  • Location: Lake Norman, Charlotte NC area
  • Scope: Screened porch, open upper deck, covered lower patio, three connected levels
  • Decking: Composite, low-maintenance, engineered for humidity and direct sun exposure
  • Railing: Cable railing system throughout, unobstructed views, clean modern profile
  • Lower Patio: Large-format stone tile with white structural columns and beadboard ceiling
  • Features: Infrared heater, ceiling fans across multiple levels, recessed lighting, TV mounts, under-deck drainage system, stone retaining wall
  • Grade Solution: Multi-level design with integrated staircase and retaining wall. The slope becomes the asset.

If you’re on the lake or anywhere in the Charlotte area with a yard that feels too complicated to build on, that slope might be the best thing about your property. We’d love to show you what’s possible. Call us or get a free estimate.