It’s pretty simple actually. Design and build a treated lumber deck or composite lumber deck based on the types of activities planned for the outdoor living space. But a good rule of thumb is that you should not exceed twenty-percent of the home's interior square footage. Take time to consider how your family will spend time enjoying the deck, because if you build an expansive deck that’s too big you’ve wasted money on unnecessary material and space that won’t be used. And conversely, if you build a deck that’s too small, it’s going to cost even more to add on to the existing structure. Your goal should be to build a deck that suits your lifestyle just right and fits within your building budget.
If you plan to host dinner parties consider building a separate section where a table with plenty of seating will fit. If an outdoor kitchen is in the plans you’ll want to make sure it’s positioned near the dining area for easy access. Keep relaxation and reading areas simple with smaller spaces. And for adding a raised fire pit area, a cozy round deck space works great—size of this area will vary, but should be large enough to host friends and family. This deck area should allow for guests to move around while not getting too close to the hot surface of the raised fire pit.
Reviewing deck plans on paper my be hard to understand, so consider laying out the space to get comfortable with its shape and size. Use a tape measure and some spray paint to layout the design's outline. You can also arrange furniture within the outline to help you visualize how the space will be used. Do this to help determine if you need to adjust the plan.
If you're planning on designing and building the treated lumber deck or composite lumber deck area yourself, I recommend consulting with a building professional, landscape designer and before any footings are poured.
Use deck design software or the FREE online deck visualization tool from Deckorators to help conceptualize your space. Get inspired by viewing photos of decks from past Deckorators best deck contests.
Looking to demolish or reskin your treated lumber deck or composite deck surface? Consider using the Deck Wrecker for fast and easy removal of deck boards. This easy-to-use tool has several great features and benefits that make it the best tool for deck board removal.
Easily removes deck boards
The Deck Wrecker's curved rocker design rolls onto joists for quick board removal.
Provides Maximum Leverage
The Deck Wrecker's 44-inch fiberglass handle saves your back, hands and fingers from the strain of conventional decking removal. The padded handle provides extra comfort and grip.
Compatible with Both Single and Double Joists
The Deck Wrecker's end fits over both single and double joists for efficient floor-board removal.
Keeps Existing Structure Intact
The Deck Wrecker's patented rocker design protects your existing joists from harm, so you won't have to spend time and effort replacing them.
Minimal Damage to Decking
The Deck Wrecker causes only minimal damage to existing decking material, allowing you to re-use it if desired.
Resists Corrosion
Deck Wrecker's powder-coated finish makes the tool resistant to corrosion.
Find out where to buy this deck board removal tool.
Drill, screw, glue and plug in under 20 seconds with the Abaco Pro Plug® System. Secure your Abaco hardwood deck boards with a proven engineered system. The Abaco ProPlug system has been precisely engineered to maximize performance and provide beautiful results. This fastening system makes securing and plugging quick and easy. Pro Plug system has been shown to significantly cut installation time when compared to other plug installation methods.
So if you value strength of top down fastening and a high-quality finished look of hardwood plugs, put the Abaco Pro Plug System to work on your next hardwood decking project.
Abaco Pro Plug kits are available in 350- and 1,000-plug quantities. Each box contains #8 Abaco plugs. 2.5 in. stainless steel fastener screws, glue nozzle and driver bit. Pro Plug tool is sold separately.
Top outdoor living trends for 2011
A survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects finds that light and fire are now the most sought-after enhancements for an outdoor living area. Fencing, arbors, and pergolas are the most popular structures, with decks (synthetic decking, lumber decking among others) ranking near the middle.
Homeowners want function, efficiency and fire pits in their outdoor space, according to the 2011 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Residential Trends Survey. The survey asked residential landscape architecture professionals to rate the expected popularity of dozens of different outdoor living and landscape features for this year.
For 2011, the top outdoor living features are some of the most basic: light, fire, food and a place to sit and enjoy it all. Overall, 96.2 percent of respondents rated exterior lighting as somewhat or very popular for this year, followed by fire pits/fireplaces (94.2 percent), seating/dining areas (94.1 percent), grills (93.8 percent) and installed seating like benches or seat walls (89.5 percent).
Top Structures
- Fencing (includes gates) – 85.1%
- Arbors – 83.8%
- Pergolas – 82.6%
- Steps – 79.3%
- Ornamental water features such as fountains or splash pools – 77.5%
- Decks – 74.4%
- Porches – 72.3%
- Art (sculpture etc.) – 60.7%
- Utility shed (tool shed, garden shed etc.) – 59.3%
- Play structures (tree house, swing set, etc.) – 58.9%
- Pavilions – 52.9%
- Awnings, including retractable – 49.6%
- Gazebos – 49.6%
- Columns – 40.9%
- ADA-accessible structures (ramps, bars, accessible shelving etc.) – 23.5%
Complete news article at http://www.asla.org/outdoorlivingtrends.aspx
Courtesy of American Society of Landscape Architects
Abaco Ipe wood deck tiles are a versatile solution for a fast, simple deck and patio installation. The rich hardwood look will give any outdoor flooring area a sophisticated, professional finish.
No tools needed, Abaco hardwood deck tiles can be laid out in a variety of patterns to add a unique design element to your area. Turn a basic concrete patio or wood deck into a showpiece in less than an hour.
Abaco deck tiles feature strong tropical hardwood properties for long-lasting performance and a smooth, pre-finished surface provides a beautiful appearance. The tiles interlocking grid allows for fast, easy installation and unique pattern options.
Abaco interlocking hardwood deck tiles are very easy to install—just click together
. Because of the durability of this hardwood and a pre-applied oil penetrating sealant, Abaco deck tiles do not require an additional water sealant, but it's recommended that you apply a high quality penetrating oil sealant to maintain its exotic appearance (at least one time annually) depending on weather conditions as the color will fade to silver/gray over time.
These modular deck tiles are durable and can be used in many areas such as:
- pools and saunas
- docks/swim platforms
- patios and decks
- walkways
- balcony/roof top decks
- porches
- outdoor showers
- basement floors
See how to install Abaco tropical hardwood deck tiles.
Abaco Ipe wood deck tiles are a versatile solution for a fast, simple deck and patio installation. The rich hardwood look will give any outdoor flooring area a sophisticated, professional finish.
No tools needed, Abaco hardwood deck tiles can be layed out in a combination of patterns to add a unique design element to your area. Turn a basic concrete patio or wood deck into a showpiece in less than an hour.
Abaco deck tiles feature strong tropical hardwood properties for long-lasting performance and a smooth, pre-finished surface provides a beautiful appearance. The tiles interlocking grid allows for fast, easy installation and unique pattern options.