How to Decide on a Location for Your Deck

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Decks are remarkably versatile, fitting in well anywhere along a house - front or back - even sitting by themselves in a corner of a yard. While placing a deck off a kitchen or living room is often ideal, it's not necessary to limit its location to those areas.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Benches

Step1

Consider accessibility from both the house and the garden. If you're planning to use the deck for entertaining, you'll want easy access from the kitchen. If you have easy access from the living room or family room as well, the deck will be even more suited for entertaining.

Step2

Study how the garden looks from various possible deck locations, and check to see how your house's interior would look from the deck.

Step3

Consider how the deck will look from inside the house - will it frame and enhance a view of the garden or simply cut it off? Don't forget that second-floor or higher decks will affect the amount of light available to the rooms that open up underneath them.

Step4

Consider yours and your neighbors' privacy. You may need to add a screen or overhead shade structures, such as awnings or trellises.

Step5

Be aware of your yard's microclimates - prevailing winds and sun and shade patterns. These can often be altered with the help of screening materials and overheads.

Step6

Don't limit your options. Decks traditionally extend from the rear of a house into the yard, but they can be equally effective as a private space off the side of a house or as an entry area in front. Rooftops also can be ideal deck locations.

Step7

Consider a freestanding deck to take advantage of a little-used corner of the yard or a specific view. Add benches and other amenities and provide access through the yard.