The original decks on this house were cantilevered out over a 20' drop down a steep hillside. The inherent weakness of that design is that water sits on top of the cantilevered joists and rots them from the outside and into the house. The solution is to support the decks from the outside and make sure that water has no way in. That is what we did here, supporting the decks on 25' tall steep posts that anchor the decks to the ground and make them impervious to the elements. And with the deep green retrofit, the parents didn't have to worry about toxic chemical off-gassing or large utility bills for as long as the live in the home. Originally built on a 35 degree hillside the deep green retrofit and rebuild because of massive water leaks and mold damage make this one of the greenest homes in California. The home scored 272pts. on the Build it Green Green Point Rated system. and would have placed it at the Platinum level of LEED for Homes, had the homeowners wanted to spend the significant cost to get it LEED rated. With Solar Electric and Solar Thermal and a super insulated shell, the house is close to Net-Zero energy.