HANSON, MA – September 02, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
EJS Deck and Home Solutions has updated the design guidance it provides to homeowners planning outdoor living projects, following a summer in which southern New England recorded some of its most sustained heat in years. The company has moved shade, orientation, and surface temperature into the earliest stage of the design process rather than treating them as considerations raised after a layout has been settled.
The change follows a July in which Boston reached 101 degrees on the second of the month, breaking a daily record that had stood since 1963. Extreme heat warnings covered nearly the entire region during a stretch that approached six days, the longest such period since July 2022. A second heat wave followed in the middle of the month, with temperatures in the upper nineties and humidity that pushed heat index values near and above 100 degrees.
Extended heat of that kind changes how an outdoor space is used. A deck that functions well in June can go unused for weeks in July if the surface holds heat through the afternoon and nothing overhead breaks the sun. The decisions that determine whether that happens are made before construction begins, and most of them cost nothing to get right at the design stage.
Board color is the factor most often chosen without regard to summer conditions. Darker surfaces absorb more solar energy than lighter ones across every decking material, and that difference becomes noticeable underfoot during long afternoons of direct exposure. Color is usually selected from a sample viewed indoors, which gives a homeowner an accurate sense of appearance and no sense at all of how the finished surface will behave in August.
Manufacturers publish heat performance information for their individual product lines. EJS Deck and Home Solutions reviews that documentation with homeowners rather than drawing general comparisons between material families, since results vary considerably by product line, color, and installation. The company builds in composite, PVC, and wood, and the updated guidance treats the color and product decision as separate from the choice of material category.
“Color gets picked indoors, usually from a sample held under showroom lighting,” said Josh Steinman, Owner of EJS Deck and Home Solutions. “Then July arrives and the homeowner finds out what that choice actually meant. It is a better conversation to have in March.”
Structures that provide overhead cover have moved to the center of the updated guidance. A pergola reduces direct exposure while leaving a space open on all sides. A covered section or a screened porch goes further, extending the hours a space stays usable during periods of high heat and humidity, and adding protection from insects during the same weeks of the year when the heat is at its most persistent.
Building these elements into the original plan is considerably more straightforward than adding them to a finished deck. Footings, framing, and post locations all have to account for the additional structure from the outset, and retrofitting a roof or a pergola onto a deck that was not designed to carry one often means opening up work that has already been completed.
Orientation matters as much as any material decision. The direction a surface faces determines how many hours of direct afternoon sun it receives, and two decks built to identical specifications on the same street can perform differently for that reason alone. Where a property allows flexibility in placement, turning a deck or shifting it along the back of the house can change the hours during which it is comfortable.
Existing features on a property are frequently underused in this respect. Mature trees and rooflines cast shade at particular times of day, and a design can be built around that shade rather than ignoring it. The company recommends that homeowners track sun exposure across a full day before finalizing a layout, noting where light falls in the morning, at midday, and through the late afternoon.
Layout choices contribute as well. Air moves beneath a raised structure in a way that it cannot under a platform built close to grade, and railing infill involves a trade-off between airflow across the surface and privacy from neighboring properties. Which of those matters more depends entirely on the property and on how the household expects to use the space.
The updated guidance applies primarily to new construction. Homeowners with existing decks can address afternoon heat through freestanding shade structures, and the same recommendation to observe sun exposure over a full day applies before any change is made. The company also notes that planning during the fall and winter allows these decisions to be worked through without the pressure of a building season already underway.
EJS Deck and Home Solutions is a family-owned deck and outdoor living contractor serving the South Shore of Massachusetts from offices in Hanson and Norwell. Founded in 2021 by Josh Steinman, who has worked in construction for more than two decades, the company builds custom decks in composite, PVC, and wood, along with porches, screened porches, pergolas, gazebos, patios, and outdoor kitchens. It is a member of the North American Deck and Railing Association.
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For more information about EJS Deck and Home Solutions, contact the company here:
EJS Deck and Home Solutions
Josh Steinman
+16173626621
josh@ejshomeimprovement.com
1000 Main St #208, Hanson, MA 02341, United States
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