While some people will immediately rush to the backyard and start turning over the garden, others will start a home improvement project they’ve been looking forward to all winter long, a deck is one of the most popular springtime home improvement projects. Adding a deck is also one of the most reliable investments when it comes to home resale values.
If you’re considering adding a deck to your home, you will need to answer a few basic questions to get the project started: Where will it go? How big it will be? What materials will you use? And who will do the work?
Begin by flipping through some gardening or home improvement magazines to get ideas about the look and feel you want. You should also get in touch with your local zoning board to determine what licenses and permits are required. Once that’s taken care of, the next, and most important step is to design your deck.
Deck design steps
1) Decide where the deck will be located -- attached to the back of the house, off to the side, or in an unattached location somewhere in the yard.
2) Determine how big and what shape the deck should be. The possibilities are endless here.
3) Choose materials. Not so long ago, the only choices for decking materials were pressure treated wood or more expensive cedar and redwood lumber. Today decks are also being constructed with composite materials for floors, stairs and railings.
While composite lumbers, typically made from a blend of recycled plastics and recaptured wood by-products, are gaining popularity for the decking and railing, the one common material used in the construction of any deck is pressure treated lumber for supporting trusses, stringers and post beams -- regardless of the exterior material used to complete the deck.
4) Purchase fasteners. Structural connectors must maintain their integrity to continually support the loads they are charged with carrying. If you want your deck to last, be sure to use nails, screws and other fasteners that are designed with longevity in mind.
Long ago we stopped designing boring rectangular wood decks built to fit an old picnic table and a pair of dirty boots. Today's decks are complete outdoor rooms, with imagination as the only limitation to what can be created. A quiet retreat or a comfortable place to entertain and relax outdoors is becoming a dream to pursue for many.
By asking yourself some simple questions, and working with your existing property's unique personality, plus borrowing the odd good idea from other decks, you can create the deck of your dreams.
Of primary concern to the design of your deck is the layout of the home and property. Deciding where to put your dream deck on the property is a good place to start. Is it going to be an access into and out of the home, or will it be built further away in the yard? The closer to the home, the more it will be used. Measuring the deck's distance off the ground is another early consideration. High decks require railings to meet safety standards. (At some point you will want to consult your friendly building inspector.)
Exposure to sun or shade is a major consideration in the design and placement of your deck. If you are a sun worshipper and build a deck in the shade, you probably will not be happy. Similarly, someone who prefers a little shade will want to include plans for shade if they can only build their deck with a full southern exposure.
You may have to work around some of the things already attached to your home or in your yard. An air conditioning unit can be moved, but perhaps you can work around it or build toward another area of your yard instead. The same goes for walkways, pools, patios, ponds, driveways, gardens, door exits, and windows, as well as existing trees, shrubs, grading and nice views.
The next area to consider in your design planning is the use of the new deck. A cozy spa area may be just what you had in mind for that private party, or for relaxing before bed. If you do a lot of entertaining a large sitting area will be a must. How many people live in the home, and how many people will you want to entertain on the deck? What furniture and fixtures will be on the deck and where? A table or two perhaps, and how many chairs? Will there be any loungers, a BBQ, swings, hammock, benches, planters, a spa, bars, kitchens, fireplaces, fire pit, gazebo, trellis, pergola, serving trays, or ponds? All these items take up space and need to be placed in the design for proper sizing. The most common error in deck building and designing is making the deck too small.
Remember it is much cheaper to do it right the first time than to build two or three decks over your lifetime in your home. Have fun designing your dream deck and good luck.
Both Www.renovationfinder.com & Rob Parker are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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