Advantages of Having a Deck in Your House
Adding a deck to your house is a very smart way to add value to your home as well as new found function and style.
In fact, decking ranks as one of the most popular forms of home improvement on the market, and can make dramatic improvements to the way you and your family enjoy your home, the way you entertain guests and the way you use and appreciate your precious yard space in general.
If you read on, you’ll find out more about why building a deck is a fantastic investment for your home, and what you can do to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Adding a deck for extra living space
If you and your family are tired of spending all your free home time watching television in the living room or kitchen, then you might want to compare the benefits of extending your home with the joys of having a deck in the yard.
Adding a rumpus room or a sunroom can certainly represent a marvellous addition to your home, but the associated costs can be enormous. And while an extra bedroom and bathroom for a growing family might constitute an unavoidable necessity, if you’re just looking to add an extra dimension to your home for everyone to enjoy, then a deck is probably a much better option.
The overall plan of your new deck must, of course, respect the current structure of your home and the geometry of your yard. Even the simplest designs for smaller yards can elegantly accommodate a barbecue and a table and chairs for outdoor family banquets at the weekend or for magical summer breakfasts and dinners.
If there are trees around to provide shade, you can perhaps forego any overhead structures, but there is also an enormous variety of canopies and roofing that you can add to stave off the beating sun or a bit of morning or evening drizzle.
If your property and budget can accommodate a large deck, then you can add more outdoor furniture and perhaps even segment the deck into different functional areas for cooking, eating, reading and sunbathing, and entertaining.
Adding a deck for aesthetics and style
A new deck will always add that extra warm, country touch to any house with a suitable yard. But if you’re looking for an addition that will really boost your home pride, and if style is as important to you as function, then you need to spend a little more time, and probably a little more money, to think it through.
The things you can do with a deck are virtually limitless, be it a raised platform deck with various tiers and landings overlooking an ample yard with lots of trees and shrubs, or a ground level deck that merges with the yard, with small islands for plants, rock pools and the like.
The temptation can, of course, be such that you go well over your budget or develop something that really doesn’t go with the size of your house and your yard. Proportion is a key aspect here, and if you really want to be stylish, you should limit yourself to something that is in keeping with the style of surrounding properties and is commensurate with your own property.
If you do have some extra money to spend, you could always invest it in landscaping and other backyard improvements that, while not directly associated with the deck, can still make a tremendous improvement to the overall aesthetic experience.
Adding a deck to improve the value of your home
Statistically speaking, decks rank as one of the best returns on investment with respect to improving the value of your home, with some surveys declaring at least a 75% return. So if you spend $10,000 on your new deck, then you can expect the value of your home to immediately rise by at least $7,500.
The slight downside is that this is factored into your rates payments when you obtain permits for constructing a deck, but all told it does not translate into a significant rise, and it is certainly less than if you were add an extension instead.
If increasing the sale value of your home is definitely on your agenda, then be extra careful to ensure that your new deck adheres to the relevant norms and regulations for decking. You can be certain that a home inspection professional will look closely at your decking at sale time, and you don’t want your boon turning into some form of bane.
You should also remember that decking will require care and maintenance. The modern pressed and treated timbers used for decking have outstanding resistance characteristics with respect to sunlight, humidity and mould, but they can’t work miracles and require inspection, thorough cleaning and treatment with special timber products at least on a yearly basis.
Conclusion
There’s not a lot more to add really, if you really love your home and want your family and guests to be able to enjoy it to its full potential, then you can’t go past adding a fine deck to the back of your home, or front, for that matter.
A deck is not necessarily the simplest of constructions, but neither is it beyond the scope of the home handyman. So if you’re looking for a substantial project to sink your teeth into for at least a couple of months, then think it through carefully, do lots of research, decide the equipment and calculate the material you will need, and then slowly but surely get to work on a beautiful new deck for your home.
