| You're all comfortable in your favorite lounge chair, | | | | deck size. You should not have a small house, small |
| reading your latest novel with a cool beverage | | | | property and a very large deck. The elements should |
| nearby...the aroma of your favorite BBQ drifting from | | | | be proportional. You should not build a small deck if you |
| the grill teases everyone...catching a few rays of | | | | have a large house on large property. |
| sunshine never felt better. Warm weather calls us | | | | 5. Are you considering dividing your deck into different |
| outdoors, and what better place to enjoy life than your | | | | areas? For example, you could have an area for |
| deck! | | | | lounging, sunning or reading and another area for dining, |
| As an extension of your home, a deck can provide an | | | | entertaining and cooking. Involve your family and make |
| attractive outdoor area that you can enjoy every time | | | | a list of the activities you would like to have. You may |
| the weather allows. Whether just hanging out and | | | | want to include a section for children's games and |
| lounging, entertaining or playing with your kids or pet, a | | | | playtime. Have a good idea of how traffic will flow on |
| well-designed deck can be a favorite part of your | | | | the deck and in your backyard. Understand how family, |
| home. Understanding important deck design and | | | | friends and pets will be walking from the front of the |
| planning considerations will help your deck become a | | | | house to the backyard, from the garage to the kitchen, |
| successful project. | | | | from the greenhouse or tool shed to the garden and |
| Here are some considerations for having the deck | | | | so on. If you are going to have a deck area for |
| that's right for your home: | | | | relaxation, you don't want all the traffic coming out of |
| 1. Where should your deck be placed? A characteristic | | | | the house to merge into this area. |
| of good deck design is when the deck can merge into | | | | 6. What shape deck is best for your home? When |
| the environment of your backyard without being | | | | designing your deck, consider using a variety of |
| obtrusive and highly visible. If you're fortunate and have | | | | shapes. Keep it simple, but don't be afraid to add an |
| a great view, take advantage of the view and locate | | | | angle or two to the deck design. For example, add |
| the deck to enjoy it. If you don't have a spectacular | | | | curves or diagonal lines to connect two rectangular or |
| view, perhaps your deck could be located near a | | | | square spaces for the deck plan. Connect the |
| beautiful garden tree. Maybe you want your deck in a | | | | different sections with paths, paving surfaces, |
| shady area or with a sunny southern exposure. Is | | | | stairways, arbors, gazebos or perhaps a water pond. |
| privacy from neighbors an issue? Are you near a busy | | | | Consider using planters or flower pots with attractive |
| street and is noise a problem? If so and if your space | | | | plants, overhead structures or trellises, benches and |
| is limited, consider the use of shrubbery, walls or | | | | steps to create a transition between areas in the |
| fences to resolve the problem. | | | | backyard. If you're not a good gardener, you can still |
| 2. Will the deck be connected to your home? If you | | | | create a low maintenance landscape by using shrubs |
| are considering placing your deck near the living room, | | | | and other easy-to-care-for plants. Formal landscapes |
| doing so could be a problem if foot traffic will soil your | | | | are more symmetrical and use geometric patterns and |
| carpets and disrupt anyone that is watching TV or | | | | straight lines. Informal styles use more asymmetry and |
| talking. Placing the deck next to the kitchen will make it | | | | more curves -- wooden decks are often associated |
| easier to move food and dishes back and forth when | | | | with an informal setting. |
| eating outside on the deck. Use sliding glass doors to | | | | 7. Do you hire a deck designer, do you use deck plans |
| make the outdoors look even more inviting from the | | | | or do you design the deck yourself? Consider using |
| kitchen. Would having two doors connecting different | | | | deck plans if you can find plans that you like. One of |
| rooms to the deck be a possibility? Having two doors | | | | the best ways to simplify deck building is to use deck |
| accessing the deck will be the most efficient and best | | | | plans that have been successfully built before. If you |
| solution for easy foot traffic flow. | | | | need to make some modifications to suit your needs |
| 3. Do you want a destination deck? The deck doesn't | | | | and home, doing so will likely be cheaper than creating |
| have to be built connected to your house; it can be a | | | | deck plans from the beginning. Unless you live in a very |
| place to go all by itself. If your backyard extends to | | | | rural area, you will need to check with your local |
| woods, maybe locating the deck near some beautiful | | | | building department to find out what requirements and |
| trees makes sense. If your property fronts a pond or | | | | restrictions exist in your area, especially if you are |
| lake, what about locating your deck so that it reaches | | | | designing and building the deck yourself. If you're not |
| out into the water? If you have a flat roof, say, over a | | | | comfortable with the process, consider hiring a |
| garage -- what about a roof deck? The possibilities | | | | professional deck designer and a deck contractor. |
| are endless! | | | | Done correctly, building a deck will provide countless |
| 4. How will your deck be used? If your property is | | | | hours of enjoyment for you, your family and friends as |
| small and you're not expecting to entertain large | | | | well as increase the value of your home. After all, isn't |
| groups, you likely don't need a huge deck. Your deck | | | | enjoying our time off why we work so hard? Visit |
| should maintain a reasonable scale between your | | | | Building Wooden Decks and learn more about creating |
| home and property size, size of your family and the | | | | the perfect deck for you and your home. |