Installing A New Deck – The First Decisions That Need To Be Made
Posted on: 6 June 2018
Adding a deck to your home can increase your living space tremendously. Instead of cramming the family indoors for your summer gatherings, you'll have an outdoor, roomy space to share time with your loved ones. Here, you'll find a few tips that can help you with the planning and design of the deck that will serve your family for years to come.
Materials
What will the deck be built with? You have three main options to consider – wood, composite, and aluminum. If you're leaning towards using wood, you'll need to decide between pressure-treated lumber, redwood, or cedar or tropical hardwoods. The most popular option is pressure-treated lumber as it is most affordable and will last for many years as long as it's taken care of.
Composite decking is growing in popularity. This is because it is so easy to care for, it doesn't rot the way that wood does, and you won't have to worry about insect infestations. Composite decking gives you all sorts of options to choose from – you'll have plank size, color, and a number of styles to choose from. Choose this type of material if you don't want to have to stain and seal the deck each year.
Aluminum is a rarely used material for decking. Choosing a quality aluminum deck that is powder coated could be ideal if you're looking for a light-weight decking option. The aluminum decking is designed to be slip-resistant, mold-resistant, and will not rust, warp, or splinter over the years.
Plant-Life around the Deck
Landscaping can finish the project beautifully, but as you consider the plant-life that will be positioned around the deck, remember that those plants can shade areas of the deck and can attract insects. Be sure that you're leaving more than enough space between the deck and the plant-life to allow the sun to shine on the deck and the air to circulate. This will help to prevent moss, algae, and mold growth.
If you have large trees that will be shading the deck for the biggest part of the day, opt for any material other than pressure-treated lumber. Ideally, the composite decking is likely your best option as it will not suffer damage from not getting enough sun exposure. Real wood will need to be pressure cleaned, the moss treated, and stained at least once each year.
Talk with your local deck contractor to get some more help choosing the materials and planning the layout of your deck. He or she will guide you to making the best decisions for your budget and your needs.
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