Distinctive Decks

We interviewed three decking contractors - John of Distinctive Decks was the only contractor that gave us a full range of options - he was prompt, courteous and extremely professional - he was very attentive to local building codes and was a perfectionist. He was quick to provide a copy of his license and certificates of insurance.  We are more than happy with the work John did.  The prior contractor that installed the decking improperly, left us in a precarious financial situation.  John of Distinctive Decks was very empathetic of our situation, he even offered options as to how to sell the prior decking that was not damaged.  We would certainly use his company again.

John and Jaime worked diligently and with great detail to complete a great job.  John promised us from the beginning that he would treat our deck replacement as if it was his own home's and he did not let us down.  We are very particular about the quality and look of the work and John made sure the installation was as close to perfect as possible.  Aside from a minor hiccup with a lawn pipe, the job was finished in beautiful fashion and the porch looks awesome.  It is solid, level, and looks amazing.  We are very happy with the result and job. I would absolutely hire him again for another job and definitely recommend his services.  The price was very competitive as well and the entire process was pretty much stress free.

John did a fantastic job through the entire process.  He was the one who went through the design of the new deck with my fiance and myself, kept in good contact while the material was ordered and kept me appraised of when the project would be able to start, and it was him there every day for the mere week it took to get the fairly large two tier deck completely done.  I was very impressed with the hours they put in each day and how well the finished product came out.  The only hiccup was when a part of the ordered material that was sent ended up being wrong, but he quickly re ordered the piece, restructured the payment schedule, and took care of it quickly and easily.  One of the best experiences I've had with a contractor, would definitely use again.

Everything was performed, very professionally, by Mr. Byrnes and an assistant. We were fortunate in that we had three continuous days of fantastic weather, that was more than what was needed to complete the job as projected (job was completed in two and half days). My wife and I are very  happy in having a beautiful deck. We would highly recommend the workmanship of DISTINCTIVE DECKS.

John Brynes of Distinctive Decks delivered exactly as promised.   No hidden costs, timely, professional and great attention to detail.   John is professional and responsive, his craftsmanship is impeccable and you can tell he takes great pride in his work.  I contacted John in June for an estimate to reface an existing wood porch on the front of my house which was in need of repair.  Even though I called during the height of the busy season, John called me later that day and scheduled an appointment to come to my house for an estimate.    The estimate came in at where I wanted to be so I decided to have John do the job.   
He told me at that point that I was 3 weeks out in his schedule and in exactly 3 weeks he called to tell me he was ready to start the job.  John and his crew worked tirelessly on if not the hottest, but one of the hottest days of the season to get the job done
on schedule. John was extremely helpful during the process as well in regard to offering suggestions and advising on what he thought was the best way to handle certain issues, he even did extra work for me at no extra charge by moving the water hook up for the hose which was under my current structure.  
In less than 1 month I have received countless compliments on the new porch in front and couldn?t be happier. I will be contacting Distinctive Decks in the future to work on additional projects for me and would recommend them without hesitation.

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After receiving a very fair estimate and us agreeing to have him do the job, John said he would fit us in when they had room in the schedule. We called once a week after that and was told he was still trying to fit us in. After 4 weeks, he did not answer or return our calls. We used another contractor.

John's pricing was very competitive compared to other quotes yet I felt like he was going to do a better job than some of the other people I had spoken to. So I decided to go with him. I happen to be right in this case. He showed up when he said he would and worked throughout each day in order to get the house ready for my daughter's birthday party. He helped me with planning out the materials and was very good about trying to reduce waste since the decking/rails I selected on my own was a higher-end expensive product. More importantly we are restoring a house over 90 years old and nothing is straight or perfect yet John took the time to make sure the end result of the porch looked brand new. Every miter is perfect and everything looks finished even upon close inspection. I have attached a before and after photo which I think speaks for itself. I recommend Distinctive Decks without reservation which is rare when it comes to the many contractors that I have had work on my house so far. You won't regret the decision.

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John did an amazing job constructing my new deck!  He was up front and courteous about everything right from providing the initial quote to the job's completion.  He was able to provide some good advice during the planning phase of the project, not just to make a buck, but because he cared about his work and took a great deal of pride in what he was doing. He cared for my project as if it was his own house.  That's the sign of true professionalism. He was punctual and got the job done in the timeframe he promised.  He and his helper Jaime worked quickly and neatly. They even paid attention to a couple of details that I wasn't expecting which really made their work stand out demonstrating a superior level of craftsmanship. I've received countless complements on my beautiful new deck and I couldn't be happier. I look forward to hiring Distinctive Decks again for my next project. 

The job went very well. Before the job, John gave us the names of some nearby customers that he worked with, which we visited. John and his crew was great to work with. They were punctual, dependable, and were attentive to details. He helped us design an attractive and functional deck and he even engaged our dogs in the yard. We would definitely hire John again.

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John was professional and timely in responding to our request for an estimate in the early spring/busy season and also working with a new driveway paving schedule at the same time.  He was patient and took the time to let us map out our thoughts within budget and we also were counting on him to help us make our ideas come to reality.  We went through at least two iterations of ideas for the back deck from a design perspective and are so pleased with the final product.  Distinctive Decks also rebuilt our front porch with trex base and updated colonial columns (upgrading from the wood spindles which are hard to maintain and out of date).  We refinished and upgraded our back deck area, expanding the size by SF and also adding wide stairs to the side and upper yards.  John is a master craftsman and cares greatly about his work and finished product.  He treats your projects like they are his own and takes great pride in his work.  For that reason, we relied on his judgement and design decisions.  We trusted him implicitly throughout the decision making process.  In just a few short weeks, we went from bid to final product.  We were on an expedite schedule with the summer upon long island and it is a joy to look out the kitchen each morning as we have our coffee and admire the craftsmanship and high quality of our new deck.  Neighbors are giving thumbs up and compliments to the beauty of the finished front porch as well.  We are certain John's efforts have added value to our home for years to come.  We would not hesitate to recommend Distinctive Decks to friends/neighbors.  It is a pleasure to hire someone who takes such pride in his projects.  His work ethic is appreciated in a fast paced world where things come and go quickly.   We feel blessed to have a John Byrnes Distinctive Deck!  Thank you, John!!  Great job, good luck and continued success!!!

If you are looking for deck work, look no further than John Byrnes at Distinctive Decks.  I signed up for Angie's List specifically to find someone to replace all of the railings, stairs, and lattice and install lighting on our deck.  The previous owners of the house replaced all of the decking but not the railings or stairs.  We wanted to clean it up and go with a no maintenance vinyl set up.  We got prices from a couple places and they all came in around the same price.  We immediately liked John when we met him and decided to go with him.  SO GLAD WE DID!!
The work he does and his work ethic is second to none.  We had an idea of what we wanted to do and John worked with us to provide the best way to go about it to get the desired look/affect.   He went above and beyond even what we expected.  At the start he sent me pictures of additional support beams he put under the deck since it had a slight dip in it.  I would never have expected anyone to check that out and take the initiative to do something about it.  He told us that he treats his jobs as if they were his own deck and he wasn't lying!
All through the process John provided updates and kept us informed as to the progress.  He was extremely easy to work with and very personable.  The materials that he used for the railings are Eastern Vinyl...the quality is fantastic and the look is as well.  He also did the stairs and trim in the same Ipe wood that we have on the deck so that it all ties in seamlessly.
By far the biggest impact came from the lights John installed on the posts and stairs.  We wanted to do some sort of low lighting around the decks and on the stairs.  John suggested the eyebrow lights on the posts and other lights recessed into the stairs.  It looks amazing!!
We were so pleased with John's work that we are actually using him again to put in a vinyl fence around our back yard, using the same great Eastern Vinyl products.  As with the deck, fence pricing came in about the same through various companies, but given the work John does and his attention to detail, I know we will get an amazing fence with him and would without reservation recommend him to anyone.

My wife and I are snowbirds and this past summer I decided to stay back in NY and sent my wife & son back home to Florida- so I could go to some car shows on L.I.- but my actual plan was to surprise them for Xmas with 2 new decks for our home in the Hamptons. (We flew up for the holidays)- Both my wife and son were absolutely ecstatic when I remotely turned on the Xmas lights as we pulled into the driveway. The front deck looked AWESOME! (of course so did the back deck as well!)
I had shopped around extensively for a good deck company- mostly on Angies' but I also shopped around with the idea of buying the materials myself and hiring a handyman to do the work- my advice is DONT GO THAT ROUTE!
I decided on using John " Ajax" Byrnes after interviewing 3 other pro deck companies.
All were nice and 3 out of 4 fell within my budget - but I decided to go with John for 4 main reasons:
1) He seemed the most knowledgeable between the others- giving me some ideas I had not thought of, as well as sound advice that the others did not provide
2) He does the work himself rather than subbing it all out
3) He assured me the decks would be done before I had to head back to Florida for my son's soccer tournament
So that both decks were ready for the holidays- and he kept his word on that!
4) Honesty: Not to say the others were not honest- but John proved it during the work on the decks:
At one point he knocked on the door and asked me to come look at something-
he and his helper had pulled up most of the planking on the back deck when they discovered something under the deck-
I had no idea what it was that they had pulled out of the dirt- apparently the previous owners of the house and/or the builders had "buried" a 16' hollow Perma-Cast column there- why, i have no idea!
But John could have either left it there, never mentioning it to me  or he could have told me he would take the "worthless column" away for me.... Instead he not only brought it to my attention but he informed me that it was probably worth at least $600.00 !!!! He was right- I checked on Ebay on other sites and they do range that high.
I plan on selling it next summer.  My point is that John proved his honesty by his actions regarding the column.
With all this said I have to say that the quality of both decks were exceptional and John would always involve me in any idea changes he thought might work better. In fact, I had decided on white fascia for the front deck- but after seeing it in place- I really did not like it as much as I thought i would. John came up with a solution of using excess planking from the back deck to put in place of the white fascia board. He of course had to charge me a little more for the labor on this- but it was very reasonable and he accomplished the look I wanted in one day.
Over all I and my family are extremely pleased with the work John did- especially the beautiful diamond shape design he created for the back deck.
He also did a great job on the lighting design for the deck.
I highly recommend John of Distinctive Decks for any deck or woodworking you might need.
He is a very talented and trustworthy carpenter.

John is fantastic. He has all the qualities of a great contractor. As a surgeon and hobbyist woodworker I can be pretty demanding about quality and I must say John's craftsmanship is as as good as it gets. He is truly a master craftsman! He is unobtrusive, and incredibly efficient. He is a very quick worker and puts in a long day everyday to get the job done. His pricing is fair and his joking personality makes it easy for him to get along with anyone.

I give him my highest, unequivocal recommendation!

Until I retired recently, I was an account executive for a large contractor in NYC dealing with clients in the construction of their high profile office spaces. These projects were very detailed and upscale, requiring us to use the highest level of subcontractors especially in the woodworking aspect of the project. I really was not going to be an easy person to please. 
Since we no longer wanted to get involved with the yearly cost and aggravation to power wash/repair/stain our existing cedar deck, my wife and I went to many deck material suppliers and decided that a composite material, such as Trex or Timber Tech, would be just right for our new deck.These suppliers gave us numerous cards and the hunt for a contractor began. I heard about Angie?s List on their TV commercial and thought that would a good source since I could get reviews from people who actually had work done in our area and not from a supplier who may recommend a contractor that he sold lots of material to. 
After looking at Angie?s List under the deck description, I picked a few contractors that had very good scores and reviews. The first contractor, also recommended by one of the suppliers, came to our home, gave us some good information, seemed very competent and later a price that I felt was very competitive. 

The next contractor that I met was John Byrnes, owner of Distinctive Decks. John came a day after my call and arrived promptly at the appointment time. We thought we knew a lot about composite material and the related railing systems, but John made us feel like amateurs. He gave us a detailed lesson in all materials available for the deck and railing, how to properly pick which one was best for us and a detailed explanation of how he was going to construct the deck. After John left, my wife and I looked at each other and agreed that if John was anywhere near the first quote he was the man we wanted and we wouldn?t search anymore ? he really blew us away with his knowledge of decks and railings. A few days later we got a price from John which was actually lower than the other price and we gave him a quick let?s get going.
 
A few weeks later the fun began, John was like a steam roller forging ahead with tons of energy. From the very beginning he kept us fully informed in what was going on and what to expect. All details were discussed to make sure we were getting what we wanted and would be totally satisfied. There were some instances where I told John I thought it looked okay, but he was not satisfied until it was perfect. At times I felt that I was dealing with one of my former high end woodworkers doing a tenant space for a Fortune 500 company that had to be perfect. As we neared completion John would go back to make sure everything was
perfect and that was what we got at the end. As for the material selected, without John?s assistance we probably wouldn?t have picked what was best for us. Some changes were made as we progressed and John was more than fair in the additional costs.
  
John is a hard worker, staying until dark some days, who takes pride in his work and feels the most important aspects of the job is to make sure his customer is 100% satisfied. It was a pleasure working with him, wish other people who did work in our home followed that path. All the good reviews/comments John has received on Angie?s List are 100% dead on.

To say we were satisfied with our new deck would be an understatement, we are ecstatic with how it came out.

We would certainly share his name with any friends and neighbors looking for quality workmanship. If we have anything new to be built, John will be our first call,

Before I meet Distinctive Deck I almost gave up on having a deck built since my husband is not all for it. Our patio is usable so why spend money? I got several quotes, I must say all of the contractor I spoke to from Angie's List & had given me quotes are all nice & professional. The quotes are too high when it comes to composite decks though. I could have gone for a pressure treated wood but that means maintenance every year will be an added expense.
Then I had a meeting with John of Distinctive Deck, he gave me a quote right away, I told him I am very interested but it's beyond my budget. I told him the amount and he said he'll do some research and will find me an alternative composite material than what he was showing me which at that time was the Tiki Torch by Trex. After 2 days he called to tell me that he found another material for me and will work with my budget. He came back later with the material to show me (Trex select saddle), I told him I like the Madiera color which I have seen on the website, so he ordered that for us. John B. is still busy with other projects but I asked him if he can squeeze us in since we'll be having a party this weekend for my mother-in-law's 90th b-day, he said no problem since ours is a small project.
John is such a decent guy, very professional and meticulous with his work. He did our deck on his own since his asst. was not available, he cleaned up, checked that everything was in order and told me that if something buckles or is off to just give him a call and he'll come check it out. We are all so very happy at home, we can't wait to show the new deck to our guests this weekend!
Too bad I can't download pics to show you how gorgeous it turned out to be.
Don't hesitate to hire this gentleman, you'll get your money's worth! With my final payment I tried to give him $100 tip but he refuse, he said he own the company and he's there to provide us quality service and that when the customer is happy, he is happy. If I really want I can give the money to charity. 
He's busy so don't give up, he'll return your phone call, one thing is certain once your project is started, he'll focus on it.

We were extremely satisfied with this project.  John is a very competent craftsman and built us a beautiful deck.  We have never seen anyone who worked harder than John and his energy level is second to none.  He went above and beyond to ensure that we were satisfied with the outcome and was very accommodating to our concerns.  John's workmanship was first-rate and he displayed a great deal of pride in his work. He used quality material and would not accept final payment until we were completely satisfied.  We would not hesitate to recommend Distinctive Decks to anyone.

When the deck was completed, the building inspector stated that it was one of the best built decks he had ever seen.

Thank you, John.  We are enjoying our beautiful deck. 

• Initially it was hard to get hold of John (he had been extremely busy giving multiple quotes/day while also working on jobs), but after our very first meeting I found it extremely easy to communicate and work with him. John listened to our concerns and needs and gave us what we needed. He was one of the first guys who I thought understood my design and vision for the deck! He was in tune with my idea so much so that he made a suggestion about the steps, which has added another dimension to the idea. Thanks John!!!!
• He did not give us the quote immediately but took couple days to do his full research and calculations. When we received the quote, it was well thought out and detailed in an email. The price that John gave us was much lower than what other contractors had quoted, and had he not received high ratings on Angie's List we might have questioned the reason for his low price and whould have been concerned about hiring him. But we made our decision based on the reviews on AL and we couldn't have been more pleased with our decision. 
• I had a concern about the railing as I didn't want a bulky looking railing on our deck. John paid attention to my continuing concern about the look of the railing and he kept suggesting different options and finally we found the one that we liked and the end result is fantastic. The fact that he kept looking for answers to my concern was HUGE!
• John worked on the project himself with Mike assisting him and both of them were extremely courteous, funny and open to questions / suggestions. They were extremely neat in their work and tidied up the area when they left in the evening.
• We continue to get many many compliments on not only the deck styling but also on the workmanship.

I highly recommend Distinctive Decks for all your decking needs.