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.