The backyard deck is not only the most popular type of addition people will make to their home, it’s also one many homeowners mistake for a nice DIY project. With countless websites and TV programs promoting this idea it’s no surprise that people would take backyard deck design into their own hands. But they shouldn’t. People die in deck collapses on an all-too-frequent basis and almost all decks that collapse were either designed and/or built by non-professionals.
Backyard Decks: Design Professionals are Crucial to Long Term Reliability
There are a lot of things that can go wrong with decks. Design is where most of those problems begin. You increase the risk of experiencing problems if you take things into your own hands. Here are some of the most common mistakes DIY deck designers make.
- Poorly attaching the deck to the house – The ledger board through which the deck is attached to the house needs to be firmly bolted in place; never nailed. It will have to support the weight of people, furniture, planters, a grill and more. Failure to design and implement a proper method to secure the deck to the house is the most common cause of deck collapses.
- Designing a deck that’s not up to code – There are some folks who don’t see the value in checking in with City Hall before they design their new deck. Many of them are unpleasantly surprised when the inspector drops by on a neighbor’s tip and discovers a slew of code violations. You may be given a chance to fix them or you may be told to demolish the deck.
- Designing an ugly deck – Let’s be honest: most DIY decks are ugly. There’s a reason (lots of them actually) why people go to school to study design. It’s not easy to do it well. Why risk having the new addition to your house be as plain as white bread or a complete aesthetic mismatch? Let the professionals handle it and wind up with a deck you’ll be proud of.
- Designing a deck that busts the budget – Folks staying up late working on their dream decks design typically aren’t aware what materials cost. As a result their plans will call for top-shelf materials when middle shelf would have better suited their needs. Professional designers know the price of things and won’t set you up for a budgetary meltdown.
The Real Value of Professional Deck Design
Sometimes for relatively short money you can enlist a professional who will design a deck for you that will look great, satisfy all building codes and adhere to your budget. If you enlist a contractor to build your deck that same contractor may design the deck for free or at a greatly reduced rate as part of a package. Whichever path you choose a professional designer will typically provide you with:
- An overhead elevation of the property showing the massing and position of the deck.
- Detailed plans of all vital connections and components like stairs, railings and more.
- Several detailed renderings showing what the finished deck will look like.
- A list of all necessary materials.
- An estimated build time.
Toronto Custom Decks design backyard solutions that you can use with total confidence for as long as you own your home. DIY designers sometimes forget that when it comes to backyard decks design – especially elevated platforms – lives are at stake. That’s something we don’t ever lose sight of. If this is the year you’ve decided you’re going to take the plunge and add a deck to your house, call the trusted professionals at Toronto Custom Decks. You won’t be sorry.