A deck is a deck is a deck, right? Not anymore.
It used to be homeowners were content with a simple deck or its close variations of a patio, terrace, porch or veranda–anyplace to put out a patio table and chairs to enjoy warm weather and a view of their yard.
Today, a deck still gives homeowners that pleasure. But just as kitchens have morphed into big heart-of-the-house rooms and bathrooms into spas, so, too, have decks become outdoor rooms, incorporating everything from cozy fireplaces to gleaming outdoor kitchens.
A deck can be topped with a pergola to block wind, rain and sun, have sound systems concealed in railings and planters, or consist of multiple levels that add visual zip as well as activity zones. Plus, a wider selection of maintenance-free materials makes upkeep easier.
“Almost every custom house we design and build today has a deck. Homeowners dream of getting up in the morning and having a cup of coffee outdoors. Townhouses also have decks,” says David Hoffman, chairman of Red Seal Development Co., a home-building company in Highland Park.
Whether you’re considering a traditional, simple design or pulling out all the stops, planning is key to making the most of your deck, for relaxation as well as for resale value.
Having enough space to build a 600-square-foot deck was one of the prime reasons Chicago designer Tom Segal purchased his circa 1920s Wrigleyville condo two years ago, after living elsewhere with a much smaller 10-by-10-foot deck.
To get the design right, he hired Lake Villa landscape architect Ed Fried and asked him to create different areas “to make the deck feel more like a room, rather than something just plunked down outdoors,” he says.
The most successful deck designs never lose sight of their main functions–among them, to maximize the view. In the case of Segal, it’s a view of a ballpark.
In the case of architect/builder Charles Page’s deck, it’s views of his half-acre yard at his North Shore home, with its waterfall, stream and pond. When Page built a new home a year ago, he wanted a screened porch and deck that wouldn’t obscure his views from indoors. “What makes an outdoor area charming is the landscaping–the flowers, bushes and plantings,” says Page.
A well-designed deck can more than return the investment when it’s time to sell a home. Last year, a typical $8,000 deck measuring 15-by-20 feet with a bench, planter, stairs and railing system offered Chicago-area owners a 113 percent payback at resale, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2004 Cost vs. Value report. This compares to a national average of 86.7 percent.
To get a good end product requires planning upfront. The following are more tips:
– Location. When you’re adding a deck to an existing home, you’re typically limited to where you can place it. Still, try to build it to take advantage of the best view, orient it away from direct sun and make it accessible to rooms within. Chicago designer Merilee Elliott, who helped furnish Page’s home, thinks a deck is most accessible if it opens from two rooms.
– Size and shape. The size and shape should be dictated by the width of the house and size of the yard–or size of the rooftop or garage, if it’s an urban deck. But the way you’ll use the deck also directs the design. You plan a deck the way you do an interior space, says Evanston architect Stuart Cohen.
“You don’t decide you want your bedroom to be 16-by-20 feet but decide first what activities you want to take place there,” he says.
Joseph P. Wade, a pro associate with The Home Depot store on North Avenue in Chicago, suggests homeowners ask themselves a series of questions while planning their deck: Are you outside people? How many people will use it? Do you want a play area for children, which could dictate a toy box, or will it mostly be an entertainment center for adults? Do you need a table and how big should it be? How many chairs or other seating do you want?
Too often, he says, homeowners find that they didn’t make it large enough. “It’s a lot easier adding another chair but harder to make it bigger afterward,” he says.
– Multiple levels. Developer Hoffman says he likes the idea of levels as a way to separate activities in the same way that soffits, cabinetry, a change in materials and different seating groups can divide a large interior room into more intimate spaces.
However, Elliott says furnishing and using a deck gets tougher when there are multiple levels, because furnishings can’t be grouped together. If levels are important, she advises making the steps between them wide enough for comfort and visual appeal.
– Drainage. Whether the deck is at or near the ground or up on a rooftop, having a design that allows water to run off is important, says Fried.
– Architectural details. Local building codes set minimum requirements for safe construction, including for railings, says Schuttner. Still, consider whether a deck’s design will allow for anyone who’s sitting to enjoy the views without having the sights blocked, says Elliott.
In addition to railings, built-in seating, planters and storage boxes help create the feeling of a room. Elliott says they also conserve space because they often take up less room than free-standing furnishings do.
Wade, however, cautions that they’re not as flexible as freestanding choices.
Still another smart addition is latticework, trellising or a row of shrubs as an outdoor wall. A pergola overhead or an awning can simulate the feeling of a ceiling. All can help block wind or sun, but, again, should be installed so they don’t block views, Fried says.
– Materials. There’s no rule that says that a deck must repeat a home’s exterior materials, but most design experts like the idea that there’s some commonality, to create a more cohesive whole.
Fried says it’s wise to extend materials from an interior room adjacent to the deck as a transition between indoor and outdoor rooms.
In addition to aesthetics, deck materials should be chosen based on your time for maintenance and your budget. Smart choices for a Midwestern deck, Fried says, are red cedar, tropical hardwoods, Southern pine (for framing), composites (they can’t be stained but can be painted and also are durable), flagstone, concrete and brick. “The more selective you get, the pricier materials become,” Fried says.
If you buy treated lumber, be sure it’s been treated properly, says carpenter/builder Scott Schuttner in his detailed book, “Building a Deck” (The Taunton Press, $19.95). Certified wood, he adds, means the lumber has been harvested with environmental sensitivity.
– Support. Whatever materials you choose, be sure your design can support its load, both from users and heavy objects such as a hot tub. A large load or soils with poor bearing capacity will dictate larger footings, says Schuttner. His book includes a chart detailing the bearing capacity of different soil types.
– Lighting and more. To get maximum use of your deck, plan for lighting. Almost every lighting manufacturer produces weatherproof lamps that can be installed in the ground, on walls, in trees or plugged into outdoor circuits and placed on tables, Wade says.
Segal plans to include some exterior electrical outlets for space heaters to extend the time he can use his deck.
– Enclosing a deck. It’s often a trade-off whether to leave your deck open or partially open to fresh air and sunlight or enclose it with screens or glass. Elliott says she likes to have a portion of a deck screened in a color compatible with the deck or home’s exterior.
Paul Altman Jr. helped his father build several decks onto his Naperville home. One includes a 16-by-16-foot gazebo that they purchased from Vixen Hill (www.vixenhill.com). The gazebo allows the family to enjoy the DuPage River without being bothered by bugs. “Mosquitoes are an issue,” Altman says.
– Price. Although constructing a wood deck generally runs between $12 and $20 a square foot and you can build a simple one for between $1,000 and $1,400, many cost far more, Wade says. Segal says he’ll spend $35,000 when done. And Wade says many homeowners spend between $40,000 to $70,000 by the time they’ve constructed and furnished their deck.
But at least now it’s a room.
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Decking decisions
When it comes to durable decking materials, here are three choices:
Natural wood
Pressure-treated wood, mostly Southern yellow pine, is the most common deck material, accounting for 75 percent of the market. Pressure-treated wood has a chemical preservative forced into the wood cells under high pressure and usually carries a warranty against decay and insect infestation. Other options include Western red cedar, which is resistant to decay but relatively soft and quick to weather, and imported tropical hardwoods, which have a very high rating for insect and decay resistance, similar to pressure-treated woods.
Costs: About $1.25 per linear foot for cedar or pine decking. Expect to pay about $22 a square foot for a professionally built cedar deck with rails.
Pros: Natural look and rich, wood grain
Cons: Requires regular sealing and cleaning, at least yearly. (To professionally wash and seal a deck costs about $2.50 to $3 per square foot.) Imported hardwoods can be difficult to work with and cost more to install. Many woods, particularly Southern pine, often are not from old-growth trees and can be more prone to splitting.
Composite
Recycled plastic and wood are shaped into boards and sold under brand names such as Fiberon, Geodeck, Nexwood, Trex and WeatherBest.
Cost: About $2.35 per linear foot. A professionally built Trex deck can cost between $30 to $32 a square foot.
Pros: Long-lasting and requires little maintenance. Comes in a variety of styles and colors. Is splinter-free. Allows for no screwheads or nails in surface.
Cons: Can look manufactured. Some composites require special hardware and can cost more to build. Because planks weigh more than wood, joists sometimes must be spaced 12 inches apart, as opposed to 16 inches for pine and cedar.
Vinyl
Skid-resistant planks are available in a variety of colors from such brands as Kroy, DreamDeck and EZ Deck.
Cost: About $2.80 per linear foot and upward.
Pros: Lighter than wood and composites and is likely to maintain appearance longer. No sealers, won’t splinter, UV-resistant and no exposed fasteners.
Cons: Cost is at the high end of the spectrum. Some consider the appearance the least natural.
— Compiled by Jeffrey Steele
Sources: Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association; Joel Boyer, president of Highland Park-based Unique Deck Builders; Maura Jacob, managing editor of Professional Deck Builder Magazine; Rob Mitchell, vice president of sales, Creative Railing Systems; Jeff Wilson, host of DIY Network’s “Build a Deck” series.
