Peterson - Deck Ideas You Can Use: Updated Edition: Stunning Designs & Fantastic Features for Your Dream Deck

IDEAS YOU CAN USE

UPDATED EDITION

STUNNING DESIGNS & FANTASTIC FEATURES
FOR YOUR DREAM DECK

CHRIS PETERSON

Exploit modern materials with the newest decking innovationcellular PVC. Strong, stain- and scratch-resistant, and available in the same wide range of surface looks and colors that composites are, this material is quickly becoming a popular deck material option. PVC decking makes it easy to design special features and shapes like the eye-catching curves in this deck. And its just as low-maintenance as you would expect a synthetic material to be.

Decks are an indelible part of the North American suburban (and, increasingly, urban) landscape. They are incredibly popular not only because they are reasonably easy to build or have built, but mostly because they extend living space outside like no other surface. They are incredibly versatile structures that are easy to design and customize according to your particular preferences and the way you want to enjoy your outdoor spaces. Any new deck design is limited to a degree by property boundaries and basic codes, regulations, and existing yard features. For instance, you should never build a deck over a septic drain field. However, within these boundaries, the sky is the limit.

The potential, in any case, is amazing. Are you looking for a simple outdoor platform where you can relax and read in good weather? Thats easy enough. Or perhaps you have more of a stage in mind, a place where you can cook out for special occasions and throw parties during summer weekends? Consider an outdoor kitchen with a built-in breakfast bar like the one on . No matter what you want to add to your deck, youll discover the full range of possibilities vividly illustrated throughout this book.

Youll also learn about the many materials available to create your dream deck. You may be a purist who wants a redwood structure that will age to a charming gray. Or perhaps you prefer the modern alternative of a composite or cellular PVC deck for low maintenance and longevity. Either way, you can check out the vast number of looks available starting on .

You dont even have to be seeking something particular when youre browsing these pages. Deck Ideas You Can Use can serve just as well as a dream guide to what might be your own backyard oasis. The first step, as always, is to dive in, and get dreaming, thinking, planning, and moving toward your ultimate outdoor platform.

Create multiple outdoor rooms with a multilevel deck. Although a multilevel design requires more planning, expertise, and expense, it also makes the deck exponentially more usable and is especially ideal for a sloping yard. Define different areas by the features you place there, positioned according to what makes sense. This decks upper level has been divided into dining and casual seating areas, close to the kitchen. The hot tub has been positioned on a lower level, where its weight is more easily supported, and the tub is accessible from the pool.

Merge your deck fluidly with the house structure. This modest, ground-level backyard deck tucks in attractively next to a bump-out in the architecture. The white vinyl decking not only provides a low-maintenance deck surface, it also matches the homes siding. Use low-growing foundation plantings, like the plants bordering the perimeter of this deck, to further blend the surface into its surroundings.

Take design cues from the house shape to meld the deck with the home. The semicircular shape of this deck mimics the arcing brick bump-out on the back of this house, creating an inviting semicircle that opens out into the yard. The deck visually nests into an inside corner, and the color of the composite decking complements that of the house siding and trim.

Have an idea of what you want to showcasegarden features, a pool, a view, or the deck itselfbefore you settle on a final deck design. This deck sits at ground level, creating a handsome area right next to a pool. Entirely waterproof, the composite decking is ideal for a site such as this, and the neutral color allows the alluring blue of the pool to dominate the backyard setting.

Expand a porch with a deck of the same material. These homeowners replaced the existing porch decking with the decking they used in constructing a two-sided expansion. The result is a seamless structure that looks entirely natural. White posts and top rails in the deck railings match the porch roof posts and the color of the homes siding, reinforcing the integrated nature of the design.

Reimagine your deck surface in a whole new material. Thanks to advances in vinyl technology, youll find amazing alternatives to traditional board decking. Surfaces such as the one shown here are low maintenance, durable, and water resistant. The vinyl is rendered in a range of appearances from stone to the solid-sheet look on this elevated deck. The company that makes this surface provides everything youll need for installation except a backyard.

Build around nature to create a deck that blends with the landscape and scenery, rather than fights with it. Accommodating nature can be as simple as shaping the decks border to run around an old-growth shrub or as complex as cutting a hole right in the middle of the deck surface to accommodate a long-standing evergreen that grows close to the house.

Exploit existing technology for a luxury showcase deck. The elegant dark brown decking that forms the base of this impressive outdoor space is the cutting edge of composites. Available in a range of tones, completely waterproof, and stain- and fade-resistant, it is also incredibly durable. You can use it in good conscience because its made from 95 percent recycled content. A material like this is well accented by a custom overhang and high-end outdoor fan-light fixtures.