Outdoor Decks - Understanding Seven Elements Of Good Deck Design

You're all comfortable in your favorite lounge chair, reading
your latest novel with a cool beverage nearby... the aroma of
your favorite BBQ drifting from the grill teases everyone...
catching a few rays of sunshine never felt better. Warm weather
calls us outdoors, and what better place to enjoy life than your
deck!

As an extension of your home, a deck can provide an attractive
outdoor area that you can enjoy every time the weather allows.
Whether just hanging out and lounging, entertaining or playing
with your kids or pet, a well-designed deck can be a favorite
part of your home. Understanding important deck design and
planning considerations will help your deck become the
successful project that you want.

Here are some considerations for having the deck that's right
for your home:

1. Where should your deck be placed? A characteristic of good
deck design is when the deck can merge into the environment of
your backyard without being obtrusive and highly visible. If
you're fortunate and have a great view, take advantage of the
view and locate the deck to enjoy it. If you don't have a
spectacular view, perhaps your deck could be located near a
beautiful garden tree. Maybe you want your deck in a shady area
or with a sunny southern exposure. Is privacy from neighbors an
issue? Are you near a busy street and is noise a problem? If so
and if your space is limited, consider the use of shrubbery,
walls or fences to resolve the problem.

2. Will the deck be connected to your home? If you are
considering placing your deck near the living room, doing so
could be a problem if foot traffic will soil your carpets and
disrupt anyone that is watching TV or talking. Placing the deck
next to the kitchen will make it easier to move food and dishes
back and forth when eating outside on the deck. Use sliding
glass doors to make the outdoors look even more inviting from
the kitchen. Would having two doors connecting different rooms
to the deck be a possibility? Having two doors accessing the
deck will be the most efficient and best solution for easy foot
traffic flow.

3. Do you want a destination deck? The deck doesn't have to be
built connected to your house. It can be a place to go all by
itself. If your backyard extends to woods, maybe locating the
deck near some beautiful trees makes sense. If your property
fronts a pond or lake, what about locating your deck so that it
reaches out into the water? If you have a flat roof, say, over a
garage - what about a roof deck? The possibilities are endless!

4. How will your deck be used? If your property is small and
you're not expecting to entertain large groups, you likely
don't need a huge deck. Your deck should maintain a reasonable
scale between your home and property size, size of your family
and the deck size. You should not have a small house, small
property and a very large deck. The elements should be
proportional. You should not build a small deck if you have a
large house on large property.

5. Are you considering dividing your deck into different areas?
For example, you could have an area for lounging, sunning or
reading and another area for dining, entertaining and cooking.
Involve your family and make a list of the activities you would
like to have. You may want to include a section for children's
games and playtime. Have a good idea of how traffic will flow
on the deck and in your backyard. Understand how family,
friends and pets will be walking from the front of the house to
the backyard, from the garage to the kitchen, from the
greenhouse or tool shed to the garden and so on. If you are
going to have a deck area for relaxation, you don't want all
the traffic coming out of the house to merge into this area.

6. What shape deck is best for your home? When designing your
deck, consider using a variety of shapes. Keep it simple, but
don't be afraid to add an angle or two to the deck design. For
example, add curves or diagonal lines to connect two
rectangular or square spaces for the deck plan. Connect the
different sections with paths, paving surfaces, stairways,
arbors, gazebos or perhaps a water pond.

Consider using planters or flower pots with attractive plants,
overhead structures or trellises, benches and steps to create a
transition between areas in the backyard. If you're not a good
gardener, you can still create a low maintenance landscape by
using shrubs and other easy-to-care-for plants. Formal
landscapes are more symmetrical and use geometric patterns and
straight lines. Informal styles use more asymmetry and more
curves - wooden decks are often asscociated with an informal
setting.

7. Do you hire a deck designer, do you use deck plans or do you
design the deck yourself? Consider using deck plans if you can
find plans that you like. One of the best ways to simplify deck
building is to use deck plans that have been successfully built
before. If you need to make some modifications to suit your
needs and home, doing so will likely be cheaper than creating
deck plans from the beginning. Unless you live in a very rural
area, you will need to check with your local building
department to find out what requirements and restrictions exist
in your area, especially if you are designing and building the
deck yourself. If you're not comfortable with the process,
consider hiring a professional deck designer and a deck
contractor.

Done correctly, building a deck will provide countless hours of
enjoyment for you, your family and friends as well as increase
the value of your home. After all, isn't enjoying our time off
why we work so hard? Visit http://www.yourdreamloghome.com and
learn more about creating the perfect deck for you and your
home.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing


About The Author: David Buster is Vice-President of InfoSearch
Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com -
visit the website to learn more about home decorating and
remodeling, backyard living, home plans, kitchen and bathroom
design and décor tips, home storage, fireplaces, log cabin
rentals and more.