Custom Decks

Getting More ‘Outdoor’ From Your Outdoor Kitchen

October 23, 2015 By Custom Decks

Outdoor kitchens have become all the rage of late, and why not? Considering how a well-designed backyard kitchen can dramatically enhance the experience and enjoyment of your home, it’s a little surprising that they took this long to move beyond the confines of their more or less agreed upon birthplace in California. As with many things however, what you get from your backyard kitchen often depends on what you put into it. An article on houzz.com offers some advice on getting more ‘outdoor’ out of your outdoor kitchen.

Have you ever found yourself running back and forth between cooking indoors and cooking outdoors on a warm afternoon? The best way to prevent this from happening is to properly design your outdoor kitchen so that it can function like your indoor kitchen…Prevent unnecessary trips inside by doing all the prep work ahead of time, and when it’s time to cook, make sure you get all your essentials together before you start — it’s easy to forget about the paper towels or the trash can until you actually need it.

Some of the articles suggestions are common sense as you can see and some make a great deal of sense though they’re not really all that common. Such as…

Placement of the Kegerator – Keep it outside so guests are encouraged to go there but place it so that people topping up don’t interfere with any natural movements you might need to make while cooking.
Having a Bar Top Near the Cooking Area – This encourages guests to settle outdoors and allows them to relax and interact with you while you’re cooking without getting in the way.
Setting Up a Satellite Kitchen – That is, set up your new kitchen adjacent to your indoor kitchen with generous passageways between the two. This way even though you’re outdoors you’re never far from anything you might need.
Creating a Focal Point – Renaissance architects learned the power of perspective lines and used them to draw the eye in. Why not do the same with your outdoor kitchen? Hey, if it’s good enough for Brunelleschi, it’s good enough for you.

Some of these suggestions will be more applicable to someone just setting out on the plein air kitchen journey. If this is you and you’re still not completely sold on the notion, here are a few more virtues of outdoor kitchens that you may or may not have considered.

Enhanced Entertainment Potential – Even if they never eat a thing, it’s probably fair to say your boss or big client will be duly impressed when you have them over to socialize.
Backyard activation – While most people’s backyards tend to sit there idle, an outdoor kitchen can bring this largest part of your property back into the family fold and make it a relevant part of your life; instead of just an afterthought you view through the window.
Increased Market Value – A backyard kitchen can be a plus when offering a home for sale. Homes with outdoor kitchens sell faster and at more attractive prices than homes without them.
Expanded Culinary Repertoire – Trying to do a rotisserie anything inside the house can be a messy affair, yet outside it can seem perfectly natural.

Choosing the Right Contractor to Build Your Outdoor Kitchen

A backyard kitchen can be a game changer when it comes to the way you, your family and your friends experience your home. Many people who’ve decided to call Toronto Custom Decks and have us design and build one for them tell us it’s like they’ve moved into an entirely different house; one where entertainment is not a chore but a joy.

No one in the GTA has more experience designing and building outdoor kitchens than the pros at Toronto Custom Decks. We take the art of design seriously and can deliver a plein air kitchen for you that will wow your friends and add immediate curb appeal and resale value to your home. If you’re interested in learning more about having an outdoor kitchen added to your home call us on 647-878-8780 and talk to one of our design specialists.

The Importance of Hiring a Professional Decking Company for Your Backyard Deck

October 13, 2015 By Custom Decks

A well designed and built deck presents one of the true joys of modern living. Integrating the indoor with the outdoor, the backyard deck expands the usable area of your home, adds bottom line value like few other things can and opens up your social life to a host of new possibilities. Decks should never be planned or implemented willy-nilly so you may want to keep the DIY impulse in check when determining who will be designing and building your backyard deck.

An article on thestar.com website helps bring the DIY issue into focus:

…if you like doing these things yourself, beware that if the deck is not properly secured to your home, it could lead to water in the basement later. In addition, improper design and construction could lead to the deck rotting out and collapsing under the weight of people on it. If it happens, you will be liable for any injuries caused to guests who may be visiting your home.

You see, a backyard deck can be an absolute liability if it’s done poorly. But it can add significant curb and resale value to your home if done properly. In fact, ROI for a deck is estimated to be nearly double that of a patio, or about 75% of the original investment. If it’s done well. Which makes the argument for using a first class decking company pretty compelling.

Besides ROI what are some of the other reasons you’ll want to consider a professional decking company over doing it yourself? Maybe a better question is why would you want to do it yourself if you don’t have the proper training? Sure you could turn to the Internet for some timely DIY advice but most of the DIY sites out there seem like something out of Monty Python. If you’ve never heard Monty Python’s famous formula for ridding the world of all known diseases it goes like this:

First become doctor and discover a marvelous cure for something. Then when the medical world really starts to take notice you can jolly-well tell them what to do and make sure they get everything right so there’ll never be diseases anymore!

DIY decking sites are similar. In fact I got this from one of them: “If you want to join your deck to your house, be careful not to block off any air bricks or interfere with the damp-proof course.” Do you know what an air brick is? Would you know if you were interfering with a damp-proof course?

There’s another site out there that says it will show you how to build your own deck and then says the way to build your own deck is to hire their decking company to do it for you. OK. And yet another that will show you how to build a “deck” that’s little more than some boards set down over a slab of concrete. Sure it’s technically a “deck”, but is it really what you had in mind?

There are other things involved in building a deck as well. Things like building codes which if you ignore or do a poor job of adhering to will result in an order from the city to remove your DIY masterpiece.

Don’t Gamble With The Value of Your Home: Hire a Professional Decking Company

The point of all this is that there are some things lend themselves to the DIY impulse and some things – like backyard decks (and curing the world of all known diseases) – that don’t. Being able to build sound structures with engaging designs takes years of training and experience so when you hire a first class decking company like Toronto Custom Decks you know you’ll get a finished product you can be proud of.

And That’s Where Toronto Custom Decks Come In

We’ve been creating backyard experiences for the homeowners of Greater Toronto for over a decade. Our highly trained staff is composed of top pros from all relevant building trades who come together to deliver the best landscaping, fencing, custom kitchens and baths and backyard decks you can buy. Our portfolio speaks for itself but doesn’t tell the whole story because for that, you need to see our team in action. Call us today at 647-878-8780 and set up an appointment to discuss your backyard deck plans with us. We’ll help you realize your dreams and avoid the pitfalls of DIY construction.

Selecting the Right Material for Custom Decks

October 6, 2015 By Custom Decks

A backyard deck is a true difference-maker when it comes to home additions and renovations. Not only does it turn an ordinary house into a dual-environment showpiece but it’s also one of the best ways of adding significant bottom-line value to a home. A deck that is well-constructed out of high-grade materials can be expected to last 50 years or more. But just how do you determine what constitutes high-grade materials? A post on the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) website helps clarify the matter.

There are more decking choices now than ever, including mahogany, composites, and plastics. However, the overwhelmingly preferred choice, based on longevity, ease of installation, availability, natural appearance, and economy, remains pressure-treated wood.

As the article rightly points out wood is the traditional material used for custom decks and the one most people will choose by default. One reason for that, no doubt, is that there are many homeowners who want nothing to do with plastics or plasticky feeling composites as their deck material. That aside, determining which type of wood will give you the desired look, value, and longevity you’re after is key to wind up with a deck that’s affordable, great looking, and long-lasting. The NADRA article advises:

Regardless of treatment, purchasers should be aware of differences in lumber grades… The grade is marked on the wood, and usually noted on the store’s price signs. Consider the more expensive, higher grades for visible parts of the deck, and use lower cost, lower grade lumber where beauty is not critical.

That means using some lower-grade lumber for the deck’s undercarriage and reserving the best and most costly wood for the visible sections. This should not affect the overall longevity of the deck as even lower-grade pressure-treated lumber will last for decades.

The Financial Advantages of Using Wood for Your Custom Decks

When it comes to choosing the right material for your deck, wood is not only traditional but will result in significant savings as modern composites and plastic can cost as much as 50% more than the natural alternative.

Here’s a list of estimated costs per square foot for different deck materials from houzz.com, including plastic and a Brazilian hardwood called Ipe that is becoming a popular deck material.

Pressure-treated wood: $15-$25
Cedar: $24-$45
Composite: $32-$45
Redwood: $30
Top-end plastic: $48
Ipe: $55

As you can see you stand to enjoy considerable savings by opting for a traditional wood deck.

The Right Contractor is as Important as the Right Materials

The appeal of custom decks has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years and the reason why extends beyond simply adding bottom-line value to a home according to a recent article on the USNews website. The article suggests homeowners today are seeking ways to utilize their homes as an alternative to going out all the time. It also notes the psychological aspect of knowing you’ve expanded the usable area of your home without creating larger heating and air conditioning bills in the process.

But whatever the reason you want to add a backyard deck to your home, picking the right contractor for the job will be just as important as picking the right materials. In spite of what you may see on the Internet custom decks are not a D.I.Y. project, unless you want to P.A.Y. for mistakes down the road. Regardless of how easy some websites will make it look and sound there is simply no substitute for proper training and experience when it comes to building areas of decking.

We Specialize in Custom Decks: Contact Us to Learn More

At Toronto Custom Decks we’ve been designing and building beautiful backyard decks for more than a decade. Our craftsmen are some of the best in the business with years of training and practical experience and will provide you with a deck you can be proud of. Spend some time browsing through our online portfolio and then give us a call to find out what we can do for you. Your home is your largest single investment. Make sure you hire the best in the business to add your custom deck to it.