Henike Contracting is a fully insured renovation and construction company serving Ottawa and the communities around it.

Aerial view of a stone and white-siding bungalow with a curved paver walkway and landing at the front steps

The part you see and appreciate goes down last. Under every patio, driveway and interlock installation is a whole that was dug, inspected and properly backfilled and compacted before the first paver was ever set.

Interlock and landscaping

We lay pathways, patios, raised gardens, bar tops and fireplaces in interlock stone.

How a patio goes together

  1. 1Excavation. The soil comes out to a depth that leaves room for every layer under the pavers.
  2. 2Geotextile. A fabric that keeps the gravel from sinking into the clay.
  3. 3Granular base. Crushed stone laid in lifts and compacted, graded so water runs away from the house.
  4. 4Bedding layer. A thin bed of sand screeded flat for the pavers to sit on.
  5. 5Pavers. Laid in the pattern you chose, cut to meet the house, the border and any curve.
  6. 6Edge restraint. Fixed along every open edge so the field cannot spread.
  7. 7Joint sand. Swept into the joints and compacted, which locks the pavers to each other.
Grey paver patio with a dark border and outdoor sofas below a cedar deck with black railings and wide steps, gravel along the edge
  1. 1A darker border frames the patio
  2. 2A gravel strip keeps water off the foundation
  3. 3Cedar steps come down onto the pavers
Close-up of a darker paver border following the curve of a new driveway
The border on the curve of a driveway
Close-up of pavers cut to meet the border beside the house
Pavers cut to meet the border
Close-up of flowering shrubs and gravel against the edge of a paver walkway
Planting against the edge of a front walkway
Close-up of water spilling over the top of a stone-faced wall into a pool
Water falling over a stone-faced wall
Curved stone seating wall and paver patio with wide steps up to a landing flanked by stone pillars and lion statues
A curved seating wall, wide steps and a patio in matching stone

Ask about a patio or walkway

Decks

We build floating decks and decks set on concrete footings.

Deck frame of joists on posts above bare ground behind a bungalow, with a wheelbarrow beside it
The frame before the deck boards go on
Small cedar deck with wide steps and black balusters at a sliding door, set on a paver landing
Cedar steps with black balusters at the sliding door

How a deck goes together

  1. 1Footings. Concrete footings below the frost line, or blocks at grade for a floating deck.
  2. 2Posts. Carry the frame and take its weight down to the footings.
  3. 3Beams. Bolted to the posts, they carry the joists.
  4. 4Joists. Set at regular spacing, they are the floor the boards sit on.
  5. 5Decking. Screwed to the joists with a gap between boards so water drains.
  6. 6Railing. Posts and balusters fixed to the frame, wherever the deck's height calls for one.
Patio seating under a white pergola with lattice panels, striped armchairs and a blue loveseat around a glass-top table
Patio seating under a white pergola with lattice panels

Ask about a deck

Cedar privacy fences

We build cedar privacy fences, with lattice tops if you want them.

How a fence goes together

  1. 1Post holes. Dug below the frost line, with the posts set in concrete so they do not heave.
  2. 2Posts. Cedar posts at even spacing, plumb and lined up on a string.
  3. 3Rails. Horizontal rails between the posts, which the boards are fastened to.
  4. 4Boards. Cedar boards nailed to the rails, butted tight or spaced.
  5. 5Cap and lattice. A top rail, with lattice above it if you want the height without a solid wall.
  6. 6Gate. A braced frame on heavy hinges, so it does not sag.
Cedar privacy fence along a lawn with a lattice gate framed by black brackets
Cedar privacy fence with a framed gate, a round black medallion and stepping stones over gravel leading to it
A framed gate with a round medallion

Ask about a fence

Renovations

Flooring, trim, painting, basements and general renovation.

How a renovation runs

  1. 1Strip out. The old finishes come out, down to the framing.
  2. 2Framing. New walls go up square and plumb, checked against a laser line.
  3. 3Drywall. Hung, taped and sanded.
  4. 4Tile and flooring. Tile in the bathroom, flooring everywhere else.
  5. 5Trim and paint. Baseboards, casings and paint give the room its finish.
  6. 6Fixtures. Vanities, mirrors, lights and hardware go in last.
Bathroom with a wood vanity, a backlit mirror, wall sconces and a glass shower with a black frame
A bathroom with a wood vanity, a backlit mirror and a glass shower
Close-up of a herringbone-pattern tile niche with a black hand shower beside it
A herringbone niche in a tiled shower
Close-up of a tall black faucet over a white undermount sink
A tall black faucet on a white counter
Close-up of a white clawfoot tub below a bathroom window
A clawfoot tub under the window
Close-up of mixed-width dark and weathered wood planks on a bedroom wall
An accent wall of reclaimed wood

Ask about a renovation

Where we work

Gloucester and Orleans, and south through Winchester, Kemptville, Embrun, Casselman, Vars, Greely and Findlay Creek.

Henike Contracting is fully insured.

Deck permits in Ottawa

An attached deck needs a building permit when its walking surface is more than 600 mm (24 in.) above grade, whatever its area. A freestanding deck needs one when it is over 10 m² and more than 600 mm above grade. The details are on the City of Ottawa's deck permit page.

Planning something

Tell us what you have in mind.

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