Local Deck Builder in Boalsburg PA - Custom Decks for Historic Village Homes

Boalsburg is a village with real architectural variety. The historic core along Business Route 322 has homes built in the 1800s - stone construction, wood-frame structures with original clapboard siding, and front porches that date to the same era as the houses themselves. Building a deck on one of these properties requires a contractor who understands how to tie into aging framing, work around fieldstone foundations, and select materials that match the character of the home. Further out from the village center, Harris Township has mid-century ranch homes and split-levels from the 1950s through 1970s, and newer subdivisions from the 1990s and 2000s where vinyl siding and attached garages are the norm. The building approach is different for each, and a contractor who treats every Boalsburg job the same will miss details that matter.

The climate here creates its own demands. Central Pennsylvania averages around 40 inches of snow per year, and the valley position around Boalsburg can trap cold air and extend freeze periods. Frost depth reaches 30 inches or more in a hard winter, which means deck footings set at shallow depth will heave upward when the ground freezes and relax when it thaws - pulling the structure away from the house over several seasons. Clay-heavy soils in this area hold water, which makes drainage planning around a new deck important on lots where water does not move away quickly. Spring snowmelt from surrounding hills arrives fast in Boalsburg, and homeowners with poor grading see water problems every year.

Boalsburg is an unincorporated village in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. It sits a few miles east of State College along Route 322, making it part of the State College metro area while retaining its own distinct village identity. The core of the village is a compact historic district with stone and wood-frame homes dating to the early 1800s, small shops, and the kind of walkable neighborhood character that newer developments rarely replicate. Boalsburg is best known outside the immediate area as the place where Memorial Day is said to have originated, following a gathering in 1864 to honor Civil War soldiers - a history that locals take seriously and celebrate every year.

Beyond the historic village center, Harris Township extends into newer residential subdivisions that grew alongside Penn State University through the mid-to-late 20th century. These neighborhoods include ranch homes, split-levels, and Colonial-style houses on moderate to large lots - many of which are now 25 to 50 years old and due for deck, fence, or structural updates. Penn State faculty, staff, and long-term Centre County residents make up most of the homeowner population here, which means properties are owner-occupied, well-maintained, and worth investing in properly. Our neighbors to the southeast in Centre Hall share the same Penns Valley geography and older housing stock, while Lemont to the west sits at the base of Bald Eagle Ridge with a different set of sloped-lot conditions we also work in regularly.