4 Questions to Answer Before You Add a Deck

Installing a deck is a wonderful way to get more enjoyment from your home. Asking yourself these questions provides direction to your design process. Taking time to think through these questions also helps you get a finished product that meets your expectations.

How Do You Plan to Use the Deck?

Decks offer versatile outdoor living space. However, your deck will be a better fit for your lifestyle if it’s built with its future uses in mind. Popular uses for decks include:

• Entertaining
• Dining
• Grilling
• Poolside relaxing
• Container gardening

How Large Does the Deck Need to Be?

It’s important to know the dimensions of everything you plan to store on the deck. You don’t want to find out after your deck is built that it’s too small to hold your outdoor furniture, grill, and planters. At a minimum, you need enough space to accommodate your stuff and to walk around safely.

How Will You Transition Between the Deck and the House?

What you plan to do with the deck determines the optimal way to move between the house and the deck. For instance, if your deck is for grilling, you probably want it to be accessible from the kitchen. Someone who plans to garden on the deck may want to reach it through a mudroom.

Could Your Deck Benefit from Extra Features?

While a basic platform with a railing makes a fine deck, the right extra features can make your deck more pleasant. Built-in seating is a practical extra for homeowners who plan to entertain often. Families that regularly eat outdoors may want a pergola for shade. Having planters built-in is convenient and keeps your container garden from looking like an afterthought.

Now that you’ve answered these four questions, it’s time to turn your deck vision into reality. Contact us at Allstar Fence & Deck to get started on your project.