Custom Decks

Is Your Deck Design Right?

February 28, 2016 By Custom Decks

Adding a deck is a great way to expand your home’s usable floor space. But it’s so much more than that as well. The right deck will allow you to extend and even enhance the design of your home while adding dimensions of functionality, style and luxury. The right deck will create social opportunities, add to the quality of life of everyone in the home and truly unite the home with the rest of the property for perhaps the first time.

Toronto Custom Decks Design Your Dreams

Just tacking any old deck to your home won’t necessarily provide you the benefits you’re looking for. In this post we’ll cover some of the things you’ll want to consider before you dig any foundation posts or buy any planks.

What is the purpose of your deck? – Are you building a deck to host keggers every weekend or do you primarily want a quiet place to enjoy the view of the lake? Maybe you intend to integrate the decks design with a backyard kitchen and pool to create the ultimate outdoor entertainment area. Different uses require different designs.
Can you build the deck you want? – Homeowners often forget about a little thing called building codes that will dictate in large part what can and can’t be built. Before you start designing find out what’s allowed and what isn’t. The last thing you want is to complete your deck and then have the city issue a takedown order.
Which design is right for you? – Now that you know what you’re allowed to build it’s time to decide on the decks design. These are the most common:

Platform deck: Platform decks are built at ground level and as such railings aren’t necessary. A pergola over a platform deck can provide shade and visual interest.
Raised deck: The most popular style of backyard deck. You’ll need railings and stairs and you’ll have a large space under the deck to do with as you wish.
Two-storey deck: The two-storey deck has an old world charm that’s hard to beat. You can hold large gatherings without overloading a single platform.
Split level deck: Split level decks are a series of stepped platforms that can hug the terrain or allow for a gradual drop to ground level. Great for outdoor kitchens.
Freestanding deck: A freestanding deck is separated from the house and standing by itself. Freestanding decks create a contemplative space within the yard.

Other Considerations

Materials – Today’s decks design functionality and easy maintenance right into the structure. You’ll have your choice of pressure treated lumber, composite planking that won’t crack or rot, PVC planking that’s ultra moisture resistant, redwood which looks fantastic and also provides natural insect resistance and long-lasting tropical hardwoods like Ipe-wood.
Safety – If you plan on hosting large crowds make sure your deck is built to handle it. Most deck collapses occur due to overloading. Also make sure you have adequate railings and banisters and that these are at a comfortable level.
Extras – You may want to go all out and include a retractable cover for your deck. You may also want to include an outdoor kitchen on your split level deck. Also, don’t forget to consider a built-in lighting scheme for atmosphere as well as safety.

Toronto Custom Decks design state-of-the-art backyard additions that fulfill the wishes of our clients while adding significant market value to their home. Our deck experts will work closely with you to ensure you get the deck you’ve always wanted at a price that won’t send you to the poor house. Call today and learn more about what we can do to bring you deck dreams to dazzling life.

Outdoor Kitchen Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

February 14, 2016 By Custom Decks

Outdoor kitchens can trace their origin to the humble weekend barbeque. In recent years that simple idea of grilling on the patio has blossomed into a fully fledged rethinking of the way we use our yards. The outdoor kitchen has become a way to tie indoors and outdoors together like never before and outdoor kitchens today are high-tech, high-style statements that bring the family together and serve as the backdrop for unforgettable good times.

Building the Perfect Outdoor Kitchen

While the outdoor or “backyard” kitchen has renewed many a homeowner’s love affair with their house there are nonetheless a number of potential pitfalls involved in building one that could derail the good times if you’re not careful. In this post we’ll look at 6 of those potential mistakes.

Forgetting a proper grill jacket – Outdoor grills get hot. If you don’t install an insulated jacket around your grill you may wind up having Toronto fire-fighters over for dinner instead of your expected guests. The insulated grill jacket protects combustible materials near the grill from catching fire. It also has the added benefit of protecting your grill from corrosion.
Putting indoor appliances outdoors – Not all appliances designed for the indoor kitchen are up to the challenge of the outdoor environment. You’ll save a lot of time, headaches and, most importantly, money by making sure the appliances you purchase for your new kitchen are rated for the outdoors.
Creating cut-outs before selecting appliances – If you design and build your outdoor kitchen before you’ve selected your appliances there’s a good chance the cut-outs you created for them won’t be exact fits. Make sure you know the exact dimensions of your new appliances before the construction process starts.
Not leaving enough counter space – Some homeowners will get so caught up in making space for all the latest appliances that they forget to allow adequate counter space for food prep, cooking and entertaining. When designing your new backyard kitchen use your indoor kitchen as a starting point for how much counter space will work for you.
Installing hot and cold side by side – It’s not uncommon for folks to place the grill right next to the refrigerator. It’s also not uncommon to see these same folks tearing things apart later on to create separation between the two. The heat given off by the grill can overwhelm the refrigerator’s ability to keep up. Leave a generous space between the two and fill it with some of that counter space we mentioned above.
Expecting to use space under the sink or grill – All too often an outdoor kitchen design calls for cabinets beneath the grill or sink. What’s forgotten is that the sink requires plumbing and a gas grill will require gas lines coming up from the ground. These supply lines are not compatible with standard cabinet design and you may have to either rethink and rebuild the cabinets to fit the smaller space or abandon those cabinets altogether.

If there’s one mantra that should be on the minds of everyone designing a backyard kitchen it’s this: “Think it through”. The outdoor kitchen makes unique demands on appliances and materials so what worked indoors may very well fail outdoors. Careful planning, thoughtful selection of appliances and materials and an emphasis on safety are the things that should guide the design process.

There are few other projects our designers and craftsmen get as excited about as the chance to create a beautiful new outdoor kitchen environment for our clients. Don’t let your backyard kitchen fall victim to poor planning or construction, call the company more Toronto homeowners trust for all their landscaping, renovation and home addition needs; Toronto Custom Decks.

Our Deck Builders Talk You Through a Few Decking Trends for 2016

January 28, 2016 By Custom Decks

Building a deck is a smart move no matter how you look at it. From a purely practical standpoint you’re adding perhaps as much as 20% more usable floor space to your home. From a social standpoint you’re announcing your arrival as a serious entertainment destination and from an economic standpoint a deck addition will return a higher percentage of your investment than just about any other home improvement project.

What Our Deck Builders See in Their Crystal Ball for the Coming Year

If you’re contemplating adding a deck to your Toronto area home you’ll want to know what’s going on in the industry these days that could influence the look and feel of your new deck. Here are some of the top trends our deck builders see on the horizon.

The deck oasis – Built-in planters of all shapes and sizes will find their way into deck design in the coming year as deck owners look to more fully integrate their decks into the surrounding environment. Long planters will be used to delineate different areas of the deck while plant boxes will add lively accents to corners and stairways. Large, free-standing plants will also be used as a compliment to the fixed planters and will be moved about to create different looks.
The multi-level deck – Our deck builders have seen this trend picking up steam in recent years and expect it to become a full-fledged movement in 2016. Multi-level decks break up the tyranny of the large flat space and allow you to handle each area as a separate ‘room’ with its own focal points, layout and uses. One level may contain an outdoor kitchen while another will be heavy on comfortable chairs for relaxed conversation.
Curves are in – As deck designs have become more sophisticated the rectangle has fallen out of favor. In 2016 we expect to see more designs that incorporate curved or circular elements and it won’t matter if the deck is small or a multi-level, large scale affair. Homeowners today expect their deck to be more than just a platform where folks stand around with a brew and a burger. They want their deck to wow visitors and curves are a sure-fire way to do that.
High-end lighting – Outdoor lighting has moved past the tiki torch and come of age in the past decade. As a result the trend of bringing state of the art area and mood lighting to the deck will reach a fever pitch in 2016. Our deck builders anticipate lessons learned from lighting pool areas, ground level patios and outdoor kitchens will be applied to the deck in 2016 with stunning effect.
Composites – People are seeking long-term value from their decks these days and they’re finding it in composite decking materials. Composites are far less susceptible to splintering or cracking than natural wood and never have to be painted or stained. They’ll cost a little more but they’ll last longer and require only a fraction of the maintenance. In the coming year we expect to see a surge in decks being built from composites.

A custom deck will enrich your domestic experience while adding long-term value to your home and Toronto Custom Decks is the GTA’s number 1 custom deck design and construction company. We use state of the art design techniques and the finest quality materials to fashion eye-opening decks that endure due to the quality of their craftsmanship. If you’re contemplating a deck addition in the coming year give us a call on 647-878-8780 and talk to one of our expert deck builders. They’ll be happy to discuss possibilities with you.

Advice from a Decks Company: Getting the Basics Right

January 14, 2016 By Custom Decks

A deck is an affordable way to add usable space to your home, integrate the home with the yard, ramp up your social life or create an island of tranquility. But before you can start inviting people over for the inaugural barbeque you have to make sure the deck you build is right for your needs. In this post our decks company pros will take a walk through the different factors that go into designing a deck.

Factors a Decks Company Weighs When Designing a Deck

Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when designing your deck.

Building codes – Two words few people want to hear but that have to be respected unless you want to find a removal order tacked to your deck one day. Building codes will lay out structural specifics and determine to some extent how big you can build. It pays to become familiar with building codes before you spend time hammering out a design with the decks company.
Size – How many people do you imagine having at a typical get together? How much space do you need to relax and enjoy the view? Once you have a size in mind go into the yard and mark it out on the ground using string. Try to keep the overall area of the deck below 20% of the interior floor space of the home or it may look unwieldy.
Placement – One thing that will become apparent when you lay out the boundaries of your proposed deck is whether the placement you have in mind will work. You might discover it infringes on the driveway or blocks the view from the kitchen, or that placing it in that area makes the house look unbalanced, which brings us to our next consideration…
Shape – Deck design has become so sophisticated that pretty much anything is on the table shape-wise. You may find that by changing from a rectangle to an L-shape your driveway will be spared and your home will look more balanced. Or that a multi-level design restores the view from the kitchen. Keep an open mind.
Cover – If you want to incorporate shaded areas into your deck there are many ways for your decks company to do that. A permanent overhead cover can be created that shades the entire deck, or a partial cover that will give people the option of sun or shade. You may want a retractable awning or a cloth canopy for an airy look.
Extras – If your budget can handle it think about dedicating part of your deck to an outdoor kitchen. Multi-level decks may be particularly suited to this. And while we’re thinking big, why not install a hot tub and make your deck a four-season addition to your home?

Our decks company pros remind you that while the deck doesn’t have to slavishly reproduce the look of the home it will seem like it belongs on the house if certain design cues are shared. For instance, if your home has rounded elements or white trim you may want to incorporate those into the deck design.

Toronto Custom Decks has been building beautiful, engaging backyard experiences for our Toronto clients for more than 10 years. Whether you need an outdoor kitchen, inground pool, patio, formal garden or backyard deck we can provide it for you at a price you can afford. Don’t let another year slip away wondering how great it would be to have a custom designed deck. Call us today and find out how to get the ball rolling. The summer of 2016 will be here before you know it.

The Outdoor Kitchen and Essential Elements that Should Be in Yours

December 24, 2015 By Custom Decks

When some folks hear the term ‘outdoor kitchen’ they think a grille and a couple of patio chairs. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when they would have been right but today outdoor kitchens have taken the whole concept of outdoor entertaining to previously unimagined levels with architects, landscape designers and even appliance manufacturers lending their skills and resources to the movement.

Making Sure Your Outdoor Kitchen is the Best it can be

Today’s outdoor kitchens are extensions of the home that bring the interior and exterior elements of your house and property together to create one seamless environment. They’re so far removed from the day of the simple backyard grille as to be from a different conceptual universe. Today you can prepare, cook and serve entire gourmet meals outdoors with a full complement of appliances to support your efforts and a full array of home entertainment devices to help create atmosphere and enhance the overall experience.

Some key elements of any successful outdoor kitchen today include:

The grille – While the old days of rolling the propane grille out of the garage twice a year are gone the grille nonetheless still occupies a central role in any outdoor kitchen design. Even if you opt to include a full gas stove/oven you’ll still want a grille as well to handle barbeque items. Before purchasing the grille for your backyard kitchen carefully consider how many people you’re likely to be entertaining so you get a grille that can handle the crush.
Refrigerator – No backyard kitchen should be without a refrigerator. The more people you intend to entertain the larger it should be so that you’re not wearing yourself out running into the house all the time for drinks and desserts. If you’ve done your food prep in the house you can transfer that to the outdoor refrigerator before everyone arrives and save yourself more trips later. And it’s always good to have a few chilled bottles of wine at hand.
Bar – The bar area is the fourth pillar of your outdoor kitchen space along with the cooking area, the main seating area and the dining table. Give the folks at the bar a lovely view of the pool or your beautifully landscaped gardens and watch them linger contentedly while you finish preparing the meal.
Sink and electricity – Don’t underestimate the value of running water in your new backyard kitchen. Not only will it make cooking easier but it will also make for a much easier cleanup at the end of the night. Likewise having electrical outlets sprinkled about the backyard kitchen area will make food prep easier and open up lighting and entertainment possibilities; all without having to run extension cords from the house.
Fireplace – More and more homeowners are opting to include a fireplace in their backyard kitchen area. As the evening wanes and folks begin to settle down after eating there’s nothing like getting a fire going to generate a cosy atmosphere.

The backyard kitchen is no longer constrained by anything other than imagination and budget. These modern entertainment plazas embody all that is best about contemporary living and their appeal transcends all boundaries of age, culture, background and taste.

Toronto Custom Decks is the area’s leading outdoor kitchen design and construction resource. With over a decade of experience in all aspects of custom deck design, landscaping and home additions as well we can create a backyard kitchen for you that will easily exceed your wildest expectations. Call us today on 647-878-8780 to learn more about outdoor kitchens and how they can elevate your Toronto home from the mundane to the spectacular.

Deck Design 101: Considerations Any Good Contractor Will Talk You Through

December 12, 2015 By Custom Decks

A beautiful backyard deck design doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of careful planning and close consultation between the homeowner and contractor. When problems arise with decks it’s almost always a function of poor planning and/or inadequate budgeting. Don’t let the deck of your dreams turn into the theater of your nightmares. Sit down with your contractor early in the process and hash out all the important points.

How to Arrive at the Best Possible Deck Design for Your Home

The planning process for your backyard deck will likely be more involved than planning a bathroom remodel or even a minor kitchen remodel. There are myriad things to consider from the practical as well as logistical side including:

How much? – Decks cost money. Sometimes a lot of money depending on what you have in mind. You’ll need to determine how much you’re willing to spend on your deck project up front as that will drive secondary considerations like size, design, materials and the like. Be realistic. While decks typically generate a handsome ROI it doesn’t make much sense to go deeply in debt to build one.
Why? – There are any number of reasons why people build decks including as a platform for serious socializing, to create a zone of privacy, as part of a backyard landscaping scheme or as a platform for a hot tub or Jacuzzi. Before you make any other decisions you’ll need to know what it is you want from your deck.
Where? – You may want an expansive, multi-level ipe-wood deck with Jacuzzi, retractable roof and integrated sound system; you may even have the money for it. But do you have the space for it? And is the available space conducive to the building of a deck? A further consideration is zoning. You may be prohibited by local codes from building as large a deck as you would like to have. You may even be prohibited from building any sort of deck.
What? – There are an array of material choices available today besides pressure treated lumber. Some will set you back handsomely, others are more affordable while still others like plastic may not appeal to you. Your budget may factor into your choice of materials as may your world-view. You may, for instance, be drawn to composites made largely of recycled materials.

Additional Considerations

Some other things you’ll want to consider for your new backyard deck design include:

Glass railings – If you want to retain a spectacular view of the lake while also retaining safety you may want to consider glass-panel railings.
A roof – A roof, whether fixed or retractable, will protect you and your guests from the Toronto elements and greatly expand the amount of time the deck is usable.
Custom lighting – Ramp up night time safety and create atmosphere at the same time with a custom lighting scheme built into your deck design.
Built in seating and planters – Built in bench seating can go a long way toward accommodating large crowds during those holiday parties, while built in planters allow you to introduce greenery to the deck area.

Backyard decks today fulfill a variety of functions and, if done right, are among the smartest home renovation/addition projects you can undertake. If poorly planned however, you could wind up with an expensive boondoggle that will make the local news and cost you dearly. Remember that the safety of everyone who steps onto your new deck is your responsibility. Don’t opt for a second rate deck design. Call the deck pros at Toronto Custom Decks in Toronto and get the beautiful, rock-solid deck of your dreams a price you can afford.

Deck Design Comes Down to Earth

October 31, 2015 By Custom Decks

Even if you have a single storey home you are not excluded from being able to enjoy the many benefits of having a backyard deck. That’s because, while elevated decks may be the most popular, they’re far from being the only kind of deck design available to homeowners as a new article on the forbes.com website amply demonstrates..

A deck can beautifully bridge the gap between indoors and out, providing an inviting, comfortable space from which to enjoy your backyard. And far from being a basic rectangle at the back of the house, a deck can be customized to fit your house and lifestyle to a T.

Some of their suggestions, like the corner deck (“If your home has a corner “missing” from the layout”) and the breezeway deck (“…an effective way to connect structures on the same property — or parts of one large home…” ) are clever ways to both have your cake and eat it too. They supply you the backyard deck experience you seek and help provide a degree of visual finish your home may have been missing.

Other suggestions the article makes such as the shed deck (“Give a shed the fancy treatment…“) and the destination deck (“Who says a deck has to be attached to the house? …consider placing a freestanding deck platform in your favourite spot.”) are more of a stretch but interesting ideas nonetheless.

The point is that, in most cases, if you can imagine it, you can build it. All you need is a good idea, a first rate deck design team and the best deck contractor you can find.

Deck vs. Patio

Most people contemplating a low level deck design are also kicking around the idea of perhaps creating a patio instead. After all, why suspend a platform a few inches off the ground when you can just build right into the ground and get more or less the same effect?

Essential Difference – A deck is usually built of wood or, increasingly these days, some form of composite material. A ground-level deck will be suspended just above the grade and require pilings. A patio by contrast is constructed on the surface. The ground is cleared and graded and then covered in either concrete or some type of paving stone.
Cost – A mid-sized wooden deck may typically cost you some $10,000. If you want to use more expensive composites you can expect to pay about 50% more. A comparably sized patio on the other hand may cost you only ⅓ what a deck will and will last longer. (Remember, your cost will vary depending on materials etc.)
ROI – Deck ROI can be as high as 85% and is widely considered to be one of the most cost-effective additions you can make to a home. Patios, meanwhile, can be expected to return anywhere from 30-60% of their investment (again, these numbers depend on size, materials etc).
The Site – If your plot has lots of rocks and tree roots you may want to build a wooden deck right over them to level things out. However, if your plot is fairly level and unencumbered by rocks and roots it will be easier to grade and you may want to go with a patio instead.

Don’t Trust Deck Design to Amateurs

While a patio will be exactly what some homeowners are looking for a deck can provide the same ability to integrate your indoor and outdoor worlds while also delivering much better ROI when the day comes to sell. Also, because they are suspended you can go anywhere with a deck or even build multi-level decks if you like.

In order to ensure your deck is everything you dreamed about, make sure you enlist the services of Toronto’s premier deck company: Toronto Custom Decks. We’ll do a thorough assessment of your property then design a deck for you that will exceed your expectations without breaking the bank. Don’t trust the future value of your home to the unqualified or inexperienced. Hire the people who’ve taken deck design in the GTA to new heights. Call Toronto Custom Decks today on 647-878-8780 and have a chat with one of our friendly deck professionals.

Caring for Your Deck After the Deck Builders Leave

October 27, 2015 By Custom Decks

Once a backyard deck is finished and being enjoyed by family and friends many homeowners don’t give it a second thought. They lose sight of the fact that a deck is susceptible to the same forces the house is (wind, rain, snow, settling etc) and figure the deck will just take care of itself. A new posting on the American Society of Home Inspectors website reminds us that this is not the case. They recommend you have your deck inspected at least once a year.

Mike Beaudry, executive vice president of the Bucks County-based North American Deck and Railing Association, said deck inspections are simple to do, but often are ignored by homeowners who think decks last forever.

About 50 million decks in the United States have been built with a municipal permit, Beaudry said, and about half are older than 20 years old.

The age of those decks could point to a fairly broad possibility of trouble. More frightening, he said, is the untold number of decks that were built without permits — and often without attention to code.

Of course what applies to our friends south of the border also applies to the many decks currently gracing homes in the GTA. Especially, as the article points out, those constructed by deck builders without proper permits which were therefore never inspected during their construction. And in case you think this is little more than alarmist tongue-wagging consider these recent incidents:

In May of this year a deck in an Indiana suburb collapsed injuring a dozen people. The deck pulled away from the house while crowded with party goers and collapsed to the ground. Later reports indicated poor construction was the likely cause.
The following month an apartment balcony collapsed in Berkeley, California killing 6 young people and injuring 7 more. The balcony pulled away from the building and collapsed to the street below. City inspectors say the balcony, if built to code, should have had no problem handling the weight of the people; meaning someone cut corners somewhere.
In Sept 2013 a deck in Dartmouth NS collapsed during a party injuring 15 people. Neighbours reported hearing a “loud crack” before the deck plunged to the ground. Local building inspectors were called in to investigate.

We could go on but you get the picture. While even the best built deck will eventually succumb to the effects of age, most deck accidents result from shady deck builders circumventing the rules in order to increase profits. So if you have a deck that was constructed without permits you really need to bring in a qualified inspector to look it over, top to bottom. The alternative is to let problems fester and wait for them to turn into a newsworthy accident.

Choose the Right Deck Builders and Say Goodbye to Safety Concerns

Deck inspections are a smart way to head off potential problems with your deck regardless of the circumstances of its construction. An inspector can identify issues that may not be obvious to you but which could lead to an accident and/or injuries to you, your loved ones and friends down the road.

The best way to head off potential problems however, remains making sure your deck is built by fully licensed and insured deck builders with verifiable references and a history of success like the professional deck builders at Toronto Custom Decks. We’ve been creating beautiful, durable and safe backyard decks for our clients in the GTA for more than a decade and have a long list of satisfied customers to show for it. We never take chances with your home and make sure every aspect of your deck is built to meet or exceed local building standards. With Toronto Custom Decks on the job you’ll never need to worry about the safety and security of your loved ones on one of our backyard decks.

Dreaming of a Having a Deck? Get in Touch Today!

Call us today on 647-878-8780 for a free consultation. We’ll help you determine what type of deck will be right for your home and then set up an appointment for you to come in and discuss the matter in further detail.