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.