Designing a deck for an older home can be a real challenge. While decks often look natural on homes built after World War II, such as ranches and split-levels, they are often an awkward fit for Victorian, Tudor, and Spanish-style homes. Even early Colonials, Colonial revivals of the 1920s and 30s, and cape cods can be overpowered visually by a deck if it’s not carefully designed. In such cases, architects often keep decks unobtrusive and low to the ground, often eliminating the need for railings. Another approach is to choose a porch-like design for your deck.
New tongue-and-groove synthetic decking looks like the narrow wood planks often used for porch floors, but it can withstand the elements with little maintenance. It’s particularly important with period homes to keep the deck in the scale of the house. Some designers suggest that the deck shouldn’t be bigger than the biggest room in the house.
Finally, work hard to integrate architectural elements from the house into the deck. Borrow from the profiles of existing columns when choosing balusters; pick up fluting details from columns, and use them on deck posts; mimic the width of fascias and pilasters. Look to your home’s water table (boards installed below siding on some older homes) for ideas on how to trim out the perimeter of your deck.
Custom Deck Guardrails for Older Homes
If your home is architecturally distinctive, consider installing a custom guardrail that echoes an existing architectural element, such as flared siding or existing work, and if your house’s architecture is not unusual, you may want to consider a custom guardrail. For example, ranches really have a horizontal look that merges well with garages and landscaping. To retain this quality, you may choose a solid guardrail or one with an open grid rather n using the traditional vertical balusters. Wrought iron steel balustrades with serpentine, curved, or concentric designs can be just the touch to dress up a raised ranch. Keep in mind that custom work will add to the job’s cost. Working through a local fabricator or mill to cut or bend repetitive components may be cheaper (and better) than cutting materials on site.
Railing Kits and Systems
Nowadays, handrail and guardrail systems are a great way to add panache to what would otherwise be an ordinary deck. Manufacturers—particularly those of synthetic decking materials—have responded to consumers’ growing desire for distinctive railings by creating easy-to-install railing kits. Some systems are as simple as a stack of bowed-steel balusters and a spacing tool to ease installation. Others offer preassembled balustrade panels that you cut to length and snap between specially extruded rails. Some builders mix and match, using preassembled balustrade sections set into conventionally framed wood posts and rails. For a lighter, contemporary look—and one that’s less likely to block your view—consider guardrails made with stainless-steel cable or rods, tempered glass, or aluminum. Make sure they meet building codes in your area before you make your purchase.
Skirts and Skirting
Skirt or fascia boards are typically 1-inch-wide trim pieces that may be used to hide rough framing, such as header joists. You can paint them to match your house trim or finish them to match the decking or railings. Run skirt boards under overhanging deck boards, or cover decking edges and ends for a flush look. They should extend an inch or two lower than the framing they cover. As wood-to-wood contact promotes rot, apply preservative and use spacers to create an air space between skirt boards and joists. An air space is not necessary when using synthetic trim boards over pressure-treated wood.
To hide the entire space between deck and ground, use skirting panels. Made with wood or composite boards, or with lattice panels, they help keep balls, pets, and other animals from getting under the deck. Lattice is available in both pressure-treated wood and vinyl. A solid skirt gives the deck a more massive, formal look, as if the deck were built on a foundation. Open lattice, either in a diamond or windowpane pattern, has a lighter feeling and allows ventilation (important in damp climates). Choosing to use no skirting panels will make the deck look as if it were floating—especially if you have cantilevered the joists and decking around the perimeter. If you do opt for skirting, be sure to include one or more access doors to the space you’re enclosing.
