Decks are the ultimate luxury for outdoor living, they can be just as versatile as the living room in your home. If the versatility isn't enough to convince you to want a deck, a wood deck addition has a high return on investment compared to other home improvement projects. According to https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2021/ in the Stockton area for the year 2021, there is a 72.9% cost recoup when adding a deck to a home. And with proper care and maintenance, they can last for many years.
People tend to get confused about the difference between a deck, a porch, and a patio is. To clarify:
- A deck is a platform attached to the house or surrounding a pool.
- A porch is a covered deck, like the one on the right that we installed in Arnold, typically on the front of a house. Often times you'll see a porch with screens as walls/windows to allow for easy access to the outdoors without sacrificing the comforts of the inside. It's almost like it's a paneless experience using screens instead of windows.
- A patio is a slab or slabs of cement near the house, typically in the backyard.
Decks add to your outdoor living space. When your deck is elevated, the space underneath can be utilized in an endless amount of ways. Some examples are an outdoor kitchen, an outdoor living room (could even have a TV!), or a hot tub area.
Elevated decks create an area of interest that would otherwise be missed. If you enjoy entertaining, they give you the opportunity to share with friends and family. Ground level decks allow for more privacy than some elevated decks can offer. Decks can be installed on virtually any type of land so if you have a backyard that isn't particularly functional they can give you the outdoor pleasure of a functional yard, like the one on the left that we installed.
Decks can be built with several different materials, it's really up to personal preference. There's many different woods, such as machiche, ipe, redwood, and cedar. There's composite decking from companies like Trex. Plastic decking (aka PVC) is also a popular choice.
For you environmentally conscious folks, I'm sure you know many products used to build decks, like certain woods or plastic, aren't environmentally friendly. They can't be recycled so they go to waste after they've lived their life as your deck. Recycled plastic lumber is a perfect alternative to PVC and other harmful plastics as it significantly reduces plastic in landfills. Forest friendly wood is logged from a forest that is managed for long-term sustainability and is marked by the "Forest Stewardship Council" logo, according to https://www.greenamerica.org/green-living/green-hands-deck.
When all is said and done, your house needs a deck because it's an extension of your home that increases your homes value and adds to your quality of life while bringing you comfortably closer to the outdoors. When you're ready to build the deck of your dreams give us a call at 209-772-9200 or toll free 800-498-1833.
Sources:
https://www.thespruce.com/building-a-deck-things-to-consider-4032273
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