Things to Consider Before Building Your Deck

Decking provides the perfect opportunity to extend your home and improve your environment. A great home project, decking provides some relaxation space in your backyard. Before you begin working on it though, you should consult with a deck designer and deck builder before construction begins as there a few considerations you should have in mind.

Location and Positioning

The size of your property will most definitely impact the location and positioning of your deck. Before you begin scrambling around for materials, have a clear idea on where you’d like to position your deck. The ideal deck is positioned facing the South East or South West corner of your property, enabling you take advantage of the midday and evening sun. Consider the view, consider the sun, and carefully plan your deck placement.

Codes and Permits

Once you’ve got your location figured out, it’s time to check your permits. Every municipality has deck safety codes that you must adhere to. If unfamiliar with the codes, run over to your District or Municipality for details on what is needed to build your outdoor space. This is sure to impact the next obvious consideration on this list.

Size and Style

Upon certainty of your dimensional boundaries and limitations, you can now play around with your preferred decking size and style. Consider how you plan to use the deck and what purpose it has. Think of the possible number of people that would be using the deck at a time. Consider your furniture, BBQ, and whatever else you hope to place on your deck. Perhaps most importantly, consider the size of your property – again – to ensure it all fits in. The style and design of your deck would most likely be in tune with the theme and profile of your home.

Consider your Materials

Your choice of materials should be in order with your other considerations. The earlier you get your materials sorted out, the better. Principally, your deck could be made of softwood (pine, cedar, spruce, etc.), hardwood (oak, mahogany, ash, Balau, etc.), vinyl, or composite materials (a wonderful intermingling of intricately designed plastic resin and wood).

Fittings and Fixtures

Your well designed and arranged deck can be destroyed by a poor choice of fittings such as nails and screws. Low quality screws will corrode your decking over time, discoloring it and shortening its lifespan. Avoid cutting costs in your choice of fittings and keep it in mind that some decks require the use of specific screws depending on design and intended use.

If you would like to have your deck professionally designed and installed, feel free to contact us at Mountain View Sun Decks Ltd. We have over 20 years experience of building custom decks of all types of materials, and best of all, you don’t pay us until the job is done!