A Yard That Stopped at the Door
The Dawsons had a yard that they looked at more than they lived in. No defined space. No reason to stay outside. A door that opened onto a back lot with nowhere to land.
The ask was straightforward: build something permanent. Not a wooden platform that would need replacing in a decade, but a structure built the way the house was built, from the skeleton outward.
Built Once, Built Right
Solid Ground designed a 512-square-foot composite deck built on a 14-gauge New Castle Steel frame, set on American Ground Screws, and finished with a hidden-fastener system.
Every material decision answered the same question: what performs best here, long term?
How It Came Together
Most decks begin with wood framing because it is familiar and low-cost. The problems come later: rot, seasonal shifting, fasteners that back out. Solid Ground starts with steel for the same reason a builder pours a concrete foundation rather than stacking cinder blocks.
Why New Castle Steel:
- Does not absorb water or host mold
- Does not shift during Missouri’s freeze-and-thaw cycles
- Carries a 50-year structural warranty
- Eliminates the bounce common in wood-framed platforms
Setting the foundation
Rather than poured concrete footings, the frame rests on American Ground Screws driven below the frost line. No cure time, no seasonal heaving, no uneven settling.
The composite surface.
A 512 sq ft composite deck goes down over the steel frame. Composite does not fade, splinter, or require annual sealing. Once it is down, it stays down.
Finishing without a trace.
- CAMO Wedge Metal hidden fasteners lock every board in place with no visible screws on the surface
- Starborn color-matched screws and plugs produce invisible connections where decking meets hardware
- Simpson, Starborn, and Fastenmaster connectors tie the frame together as a single structural unit
A Deck That Disappears into Daily Life
A 512 square foot deck that the Dawsons can step onto without thinking about it. No seasonal maintenance checklist, no refinishing, no structural concerns. The steel frame and composite surface do their jobs quietly, which is exactly the point.
Technical Specifications
| Frame Warranty | 50-Year New Castle Steel |
| Fasteners | CAMO Wedge Metal Hidden Fastening System |
| Surface Hardware | Starborn Color-Match Screws & Plugs |
| Structural Connectors | Simpson, Starborn & Fastenmaster |
Soil to Surface. Nothing Left Undone.
Solid Ground built the Dawson deck from soil to surface, starting with a steel frame rated for 50 years and finishing with a composite surface that asks nothing of the homeowner. A backyard that once stopped at the door now has a reason to draw people out.
If your property is sitting on unused potential, let’s take a look at what the right structure could do for it.
Award-Winning Industry Leaders:
- NADRA 2025 Deck Safety Ambassador
- Winner of the National Deck 2025 Competition
- BBB Accredited Business
Elite Partners: Deckorators, TimberTech Platinum & Armadillo Composite Decking