Today’s backyard deck bears little resemblance to the rectangle-on-posts of yesterday. Advances in materials as well as lighting, furniture technology and other areas means that the sky’s the limit for homeowners looking to achieve greater integration between interior and exterior spaces. If you’re thinking of utilizing a decking company to build a deck you’d do well to invest as much as you can reasonably afford to incorporate some of those material and design advances. The result will be not only a spectacular new living space but increased curb appeal and home value along with an enhanced social life.
Follow These Decking Company Tips to Create the Perfect Deck
Regardless of what the residents of the local frat house may think a deck is more than a platform for launching keggers. It’s a home addition and should be thought of in that manner. Here are 6 essential tips to ensure your new outdoor room lives up to its potential.
- Get up to speed on building codes before you start: Any decking company will tell you the time to find out whether you can actually build the deck you want is before you start buying materials. The last thing you want is for the building inspector to show up and slap a cease and desist order on the fledgling deck because it violates some local code or another.
- Incorporate railings for looks and safety: When designing the deck don’t neglect the handrails and bannisters. While in the past railings were typically handled in a perfunctory manner today you have myriad design and material options including stainless steel and tempered glass that will not only ramp up the aesthetics but also ensure the deck is safe for everyone.
- Design with the sun in mind: There are a number of ways the decking company can mitigate the effect of the sun including building a trellis over part of the deck, building a retractable roof or building a permanent roof over part of it. A permanent or retractable roof can provide protection for your outdoor cooking efforts as well.
- Plan traffic patterns carefully: Don’t leave it to your guests to figure out the best path from the house to the yard via the deck, design traffic lanes ahead of time. Keep foot traffic away from the cooking area and any private nooks you may want to create. Also make sure guests are able to relax while seated and won’t have to be getting up constantly to let people by.
- Plan for the wind: Like the sun the wind can be both friend and enemy of the deck. As glass railings typically allow air to penetrate around the central panel they’re a great way to stunt strong winds without impeding the view or preventing overall air movement. Glass railings will also help prevent strong winds from entering the house every time the door is opened.
- Bring on the light: LED lighting has advanced in leaps and bounds and today provides an incredible range of options that can create atmosphere and mood while also providing proper illumination for night time cooking and socializing. LEDs can serve both aesthetic and practical purposes by being installed under each stair to ensure safe navigation at night and along the underside of the railing to make sure everyone knows where the edge of the deck is.
Your new deck will be more than a place to kick back with a cold one on hot lazy summer evenings (although it can certainly be that too). Call the decking company more Toronto residents trust than any other; Toronto Custom Decks, for more information on designing the deck of your dreams.