Aurora, IL · DuPage · Kane · Will County
TimberTech Exclusive Dealer
4.9★ 50+ Reviews
16-Gauge Galvanized Steel · 25-Year Limited Warranty · Class A Fire Rated · Zero Maintenance
Most decks are built on wood framing that warps, rots, and fails long before the decking above it does. Your decking and railing are engineered to last 25+ years — your framing should be too. We build on Fortress Evolution steel. Every elevated project. No exceptions.
Pressure-treated lumber is the default — not because it's best, but because it's familiar. What happens beneath the surface, where nobody looks until repairs are expensive, is where most decks let their owners down. Illinois freeze-thaw cycles make every one of these issues worse:
Key specs of the Fortress Evolution system as installed on every Ace of Decks elevated project.
| Specification | Fortress Evolution Steel | Pressure-Treated Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Material | 16-Gauge Carbon Structural Steel | Pressure-Treated Lumber |
| Galvanization | G90 — Dual Industrial Layer | N/A |
| Finish | Industrial Powder Coat | None |
| Fire Rating | ✓ Class A — CAL FIRE Certified | ✕ Combustible |
| Manufacturer Warranty | ✓ 25-Year Limited | ✕ None |
| Rot / Moisture | ✓ Completely Impervious | ✕ Absorbs & Rots |
| Dimensional Stability | ✓ Stays Straight — Always | ✕ Warps Over Time |
| Illinois Winters | ✓ Unaffected by Freeze-Thaw | ✕ Expands & Deteriorates |
| Maintenance | ✓ None Required | ✕ Ongoing Inspection |
| Insects | ✓ Impervious | ✕ Susceptible |
| TimberTech Compatible | ✓ All Collections | ✓ All Collections |
The right framing foundation unlocks premium systems that simply aren't reliable on wood. These are the capabilities steel makes possible on every Ace of Decks build.
A drainage membrane needs a stable, moisture-resistant substrate to seal long-term. Steel keeps the membrane sealed, protects the structure, and creates genuinely usable space below.
PVC, cedar, or hardwood ceilings below an elevated deck stay level only when the framing does. Steel stays level — so the ceiling stays level — for the life of the project.
Louvered pergolas attached to deck structures add lateral and vertical loads the framing must handle precisely. Steel takes these loads without movement or flex.
Cable railing places significant lateral tension on corner and end posts. Steel framing provides the rigidity required for cable and glass systems to perform safely — wood flexes under this load over time.
Steel's precision-manufactured components make curved decks, multi-level transitions, and complex configurations structurally consistent in ways wood framing can't replicate.
For second-story decks and large elevated structures, steel provides the engineering documentation and load capacity needed for permit approval and long-term structural confidence.
Wood framing warps, rots, and deteriorates through Illinois freeze-thaw cycles. Fortress Evolution steel stays dimensionally stable for the life of the deck, carries a 25-year limited manufacturer warranty, and protects everything built above and below it. For the investment level our projects represent, steel is the only right answer.
Yes — typically $15,000–$30,000 more than wood framing. For homeowners investing $60,000–$300,000+ in an outdoor living space, framing is not where to compromise. Steel eliminates long-term structural maintenance and protects every other system on the project — waterproofing, railing, ceilings, and the decking surface itself.
Steel makes the most sense for elevated and second-story decks, long-span designs, projects with under-deck waterproofing or finished ceilings below, cable or glass railing systems, and any build where structural precision matters over the long term. We evaluate framing recommendations during the design phase — raise it during your paid in-person consultation ($150) and we'll give you a direct recommendation for your specific project.
Fortress Building Products covers Evolution framing with a 25-year limited manufacturer warranty on structural defects. Pressure-treated lumber carries no manufacturer warranty. View the full Fortress warranty at FortressBP.com →
Yes — completely. Fortress Evolution is compatible with all TimberTech composite and PVC collections. We install TimberTech exclusively and have combined these two systems across dozens of projects in the Chicago suburbs — they're designed to work together.
We'll walk you through whether steel framing makes sense for your specific project — the spans, loads, and systems involved. During your paid in-person consultation, we give you real framing recommendations and pricing.
Tell us about your project — we respond within 1 business day.
