July 7, 2010 - First Step; Assess Your Needs
Planning a deck begins with imagining everything you want the space to be. Even if your ideas seem far-fetched, don’t discard them. Who knows? A design professional might make them a reality.
Many factors will influence the design of your deck. These can include the architectural style of your house, contours of your property, restrictions imposed by setbacks and codes, and location of major landscaping features, such as large trees and outbuildings. In basic terms a single-level, ranch-style bungalow would probably look best with a low, platform-style deck. Such a plain deck would look out of place on a larger, more elaborate home. There a multilevel deck with interesting overheads–such as a pergola or an arbor–would help keep the design in proportion.
Before settling on a design, visualize how you want and perhaps need to use your new deck. Establishing clear goals for how you expect the new outdoor living space to function is key to its success.
Set primary goals by determining how your family wants to use the deck and yard. The more precise the goals, the more likely the final deck design will meet expectations. If you plan to grill most nights of the week during spring, summer, and fall, for example, an outdoor kitchen might be a requirement. If you need a comfortable, shaded spot to supervise children’s outdoor play, an overhead structure becomes an essential deck accessory.
Whatever your needs, balance them against the budgetary bottom line.