Planning your deck project is an important part of the building process and overall success of your final finished project. We want to make your planning and decision making process an easy and enjoyable experience. Deciding on the type of deck and several other options is important. Below is a list of questions that will help you make the right decisions to ensure you will be satisfied with your investment.
Planning & Design Phase
- What size deck should I build?
- Where would you want the access points leading to the deck?
- What decking material, color, railing type and other options should I choose?
- How much are you willing to spend on your project?
- Who is responsible to obtain the building permit?
What Size Deck Should We Build?
There are many factors that should be considered when deciding on the layout and size of your deck. Deciding what you will put on the deck such as a dining table with seating, a grill, and additional seating will help determine the size of deck you will need and plan enough space to easily access all areas of the deck. Having a separate area for the grill is a good idea to protect any vinyl products from the heat the grill puts off during use.
Additionally the overall size and flow of your back yard will have an impact on the design. Allowing for easy access to the back yard and possibly to the front of the house will determine the best way to layout the deck and location of steps leading off the deck.
Choosing The Right Material For Your Deck Project
The three main types of decking utilized for exterior decks are capped composite, cellular PVC (vinyl), and treated wood or a tropical hardwood. If you are looking for a deck that is low maintenance and will look great for 25 years and beyond, composite or vinyl decking is your best choice. For someone who doesn’t mind spending some time on maintaining their deck, treated wood for the decking and a vinyl railing is a more cost effective solution.
What Type, Color, And Style of Railing Should You Choose?
There are numerous railing styles, materials, and color options to choose from and deciding on the right railing option is very important. Vinyl, aluminum and composite railing are the most common types of material we use for our railing system. Of these three our vinyl railing is the most cost effective and most widely installed. Aluminum balusters can also be combined with the vinyl top and bottom railing and newel posts making for a distinct and classy look. Drink railing, which is accomplished by installing a deck board on top of the correct vinyl railing profile which creates a flat service to place a drink on, can be a nice feature to incorporate.
Choosing The Right Deck Skirting And Fascia For My Deck
There are several different ways to enclose the area between the deck perimeter fascia and grade to make for a nice finished appearance. The method we most commonly recommended is using the deck boards in the vertical position. This makes for a clean look and is a very robust and sturdy skirting. A more economical means of enclosing the area underneath the deck is using lattice.
We usually recommend a commercial grade weed fabric and stone under the deck to prevent vegetation from growing and this also helps create an area you can potentially store things under the deck. Depending on the distance of the deck off the grade, an access door is usually advisable in order to store some items under deck as well as it enable routine inspections of the area under the deck.
Another important part of the deck is the fascia board to cover the wood perimeter board of the deck frame. Either a fascia board of the same material as the deck can be utilized or a white vinyl fascia board can make for a nice clean look as well.
Is Accent Lighting A Good Addition To My Deck?
Adding accent lighting to a deck can be a great addition to any deck project. Newel post cap lights, newel post side lights, and step riser lights are some of the lighting options that are available. We recommend a low voltage system with LED lights, a photo eye timer and remote.