When anyone begins planning to build a custom deck, most often they are motivated by thoughts of endless summer days spent lounging lazily under another beautiful decks Toronto sky, friends and family around and perhaps even a few mid-afternoon cocktails if that’s your thing. And while these are the days when your deck can seem like heaven on earth, it is absolutely vital that you take some steps during your planning process to ensure your custom deck not only makes you smile on sunny days, but also on those days in which the elements seem to have picked a fight with your deck. For when the first Toronto snow storm hits, you want to make sure your deck is ready.
Lucky for you, we have compiled a list of some key features that you can implement during your custom decks planning stages to make sure your deck design is ready for anything Mother Nature has in store.
Choose Your Wood Wisely for all weather Custom Decks
While there exists no wood that is completely immune to rot and decay from the elements, there is definitely a lot to be said about equipping your deck with a solid wood to stand up better against adverse weather. There are in fact, certain woods that are inherently more resistant than others. So rather than going against the grain, why not get on nature’s side from the beginning and equip your custom deck with naturally more resistant wood. Some of the most commonly used woods with the greatest resistance to the elements include black locust, teak, ipe, and California Redwood. These woods are used not only because of their toughness, but that they also look great even as they age.
Don’t Skimp On Deck Furniture
As your deck will be the place for many gatherings, you will want to surely have enough furniture to keep everyone comfortable. But to make the most out of your furniture, we recommend you invest in higher quality furniture at the beginning so you won’t be needing to replace it after every season. For wooden tables and chairs, refer to the list of resistant woods above to make sure they are ready for the seasons. Another good option would be to invest in cast iron furniture and you will have it for many years to come. And once the frost has officially set in and your last official dinner on the deck has come and gone, be sure to bring your deck furniture in for storage. Storing it during the cold seasons will help increase its overall longevity, and save you money. Cha Ching!
Don’t Screw Your all weather Custom Decks
Many people think that when building a new custom deck the wood is the only thing that will determine its longevity, however, this is far from true. In fact, what leads to the demise of most decks is not the actual wood itself, but the screws that hold it together. Cheap screws will rust and deteriorate very quickly in the vicious Toronto elements. Therefore, to ensure a long life you should invest in stainless-steel screws. It is a simple fix, but one that many people unfortunately forget and try to save a few extra dollars on cheaper screws. Long story short, do not go the cheap route when designing your deck’s very foundation – you will be very happy you didn’t in the long run!
Natives and newcomers to Toronto alike know very well that the seasons in this city are no joke. Its ruthless winters and harsh climate can test the spirit of just about anyone, and leave you daydreaming of those summer days spent outside. But while you’re cooped up inside daydreaming, your deck is still out there fighting off the relentless elements. So be sure to begin your deck on the right foot, and plan with longevity in mind.