Outdoor Wooden Decks

Thinking of adding an outdoor wooden deck to your new home? You’re certainly not alone. Outdoor wooden Decks are America’s most popular do-it-yourself home improvement project.

What is it about outdoor wooden decks that appeal to American homeowners? Being off the ground, away from grass and bugs? Americans like to have a place for the barbecue grill that’s convenient to the house, comfortable and removed from the lawn. Plus, decks are a favorite spot for sunning and outdoor entertaining.  Outdoor kitchens are the latest must have addition for deck and patio owners

About 1.5 million decks are built or remodeled each year, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The average life of a typical outdoor can be expanded to many years with proper care.   Outdoor wooden Decks are not only found in the Sun Belt and the West, where they can be used year-round, but also in northern states where they can be used for just a few months a year.

In a recent survey conducted by NAHB on consumer preferences, 83 percent of potential new home buyers surveyed said they would like their new home to have a wooden deck off the back of the house, including 29 percent who said a deck was “essential.” Just 4 percent said they did not want a deck.

Outdoor decks are offered as an option by home builders on most new homes. Typically, they’re a standard item only in luxury homes.

According to NAHB, when people buy a new home, one of the first projects they want to undertake is adding a deck. About one-third of new homeowners consider themselves handy enough to tackle the job themselves, the other two-thirds have the deck built professionally. .

Over the past couple of decades, the design of decks has changed significantly. Outdoor decks were a simple rectangle or square with no extras. Today’s decks come in all shapes and sizes and typically include benches, planter boxes and posts for hanging baskets of flowers.

Most wooden decks are built off the rear of the house. However, there is an emerging trend of putting the deck in the front of the home, especially by homeowners who live on culde-sacs. In the front of the house, the deck acts more like a front porch.

With all of the advantages and conveniences offered by a deck, and the fact that help is as close as the yellow pages of your telephone book, it’s no surprise that wooden decks are one of homeowners’ most desired amenities.

A deck forms a sort of halfway house between indoors and out, a perch where you can sip your coffee and enjoy the birds or the garden–without having to remove your slippers. Very few home improvement projects give you more pleasure for your buck.

There are two keys to a long-lasting deck: It must be structurally sound, and it must be designed so that it drains water. Both issues are matters of proper construction methods. Even if you’re hiring a builder to do the job, understanding proper deck construction will make you a wiser consumer.

Specialty outdoor wooden decks may be built for such things as a swimming pool, above ground swimming pool, hot tubs, multi-level decks.  The cardinal rule is to have the outdoor wooden deck blend with the current surroundings.  This was a lesson in architecture that was introduced by Frank Lloyd Wright.  In other words, if you live in Tennessee, consider having a deck built with a rustic theme.  If you are surrounded by pine trees, consider using treated pine as your deck material.  If you live on a lake or fishing stream, take advantage of the view.