How to Select a Deck Style

Congratulations--you've decided either to build a new deck or have one built by a local contractor. You're expecting to have great fun at family barbecues or spend quiet afternoons sunning. With all the different deck styles available, it may be difficult to decide exactly what you would like for your new deck. With just a few tips, you can select the perfect deck style for your dream deck.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Assess the climate where the deck will be built. There are several different kinds of wood available for you to build your deck with, as well as some synthetic materials. Keep in mind your area's weather patterns to determine which wood is best for you. For example, redwood is a poor choice for wetter climates, because the wood tends to turn black when exposed to large amounts of moisture.

2. Review the preexisting terrain and the landscaping that is on your land. Decide whether you want to re-landscape the deck area to make the deck the prominent structure in your yard, or if you would prefer to incorporate the landscape into the design of your new deck to create a more natural-looking style.

3. Scope out the neighbor's yard and house layout. You may cause some trouble if you choose to build your ultimate party deck right under your elderly neighbor's bedroom window, or you could be inviting Peeping Toms if you wish to sunbathe or swim in the nude with a raised and fully exposed deck.

4. Take a walk around your property, and select what will be the best view from your deck. If your property has a view of the water, you'll want to design the deck to face this element of your yard, as opposed to the elementary school across the street or your neighbor's walls.

5. Determine how you will be using your new deck. If you'll be barbecuing frequently, avoid a deck with a trellis or other enclosure or overhang. On the other hand, if you would like your hot tub to be included in the design of the deck, then a nice gazebo or trellis would be quite romantic.

6. Put the safety of everyone who may use the deck first. Parents of young children may wish to build a deck that is at ground level, while those with multiple floors may wish to build an elaborate deck system standing several stories high.

7. Browse a book on various deck styles, such as "Design Ideas for Decks" by the Editors of "Creative Homeowner" and Glee Barre or "1001 Ideas for Decks" by Joseph Provey, both of which are available at Amazon (see Resources below).

8. Create a wooden island oasis by building a deck away from the walls of your home and further out into the yard. Decks can be created as freestanding structures and can be tucked away under trees, by the edge of a pond or out on a secluded piece of your property that allows for some private quiet time.

Tips & Warnings

• For the environmentally conscious, select decks made from recycled or synthetic wood. A new trend in deck styles is to build with a hardwood called Ipe that is harvested in the Amazong rainforests. Though this wood is beautiful, it is rarely harvested in an environmentally responsible manner, so check with your builder or hardware store to make sure the wood you purchase is appropriate for your principles.
• Be careful handling or using pressure-treated woods. They are treated with caustic materials like arsenic to render them rot-resistant.

Resources

• Desk design ideas
• More deck design ideas