Designing Your Next Composite Deck

How to maintain your new deck

Your deck is an extension of your home—a place to relax, entertain, and enjoy the outdoors. But before you can start enjoying your deck, you must design and build it. Once it's complete, you've got to stay ahead of regular maintenance to guarantee its ongoing form and functionality. If you're looking for inspiration along these lines, you've come to the right place. In this blog post, we'll share some of our best deck expertise to help you create an outdoor oasis that's both beautiful and functional.

The exterior of modern homes is far more than a perfectly manicured lawn and a few flower pots to boost curb appeal. No, contemporary homes are finding innovative ways to create dynamic outdoor living spaces to help increase the functional square footage of the property and provide homeowners with a breath of fresh air and change of scenery. With that said, not every outdoor living space is created equally, with poorly designed spaces often more trouble than they are worth. To help avoid this scenario, keep reading for 5 pro tips on how to create a functional and stylish outdoor living space! Make Sure Rooftop Areas Can Carry the Load Rooftop decks are an emerging trend among homeowners looking to maximize every square inch of exterior space possible. They are especially prevalent in areas that do not have a ton of adjacent land, as they provide some stunning views and a wonderful interior/exterior transition area when entertaining guests. However, before laying down rooftop flooring tiles to complete the space, it is critical to test the rooftop and see what kind of load it can handle. Do not build a rooftop deck on a roof whose beams and rafters are not in top condition. Furthermore, it is a great idea to lay down structural b decking on top of these substrate materials to further support the load. B decking helps provide shear support that transfers vertical loads horizontally to the frame. It can allow flat roofs to accommodate substantially more weight than it could without b decking and limits the risk of acute damage to the roof. Use Low Profile Railing To Guarantee Deck Views According to Remodeling Magazine , a deck addition is one of the most value-adding projects a homeowner can undertake, boosting home value by 40-50% of project costs for most applications. However, much of this value is contingent on the deck functioning as intended. For example, buyers aren’t going to pay extra for a home with a deck if it doesn’t enhance views and allow them to enjoy a change of scenery. Therefore, when building a deck, look into hog wire and other types of welded wire deck railing to secure the perimeter of the deck without inhibiting views. Choose the Right Materials for a Deck Project Deck projects are one of the most popular for DIY enthusiasts. To this end, there are many types of products, such as innovative fasteners for deck ledger board installation and lock-in-place composite deck boards, that can facilitate deck projects for non-professionals and guarantee that DIY deck projects are up to code. With that said, be sure to choose the right type of materials for your project. Make sure they will be able to accommodate the amount of furniture and traffic you plan on using on your deck. If you can’t resist the timeless beauty of a natural cedar deck, be sure to treat it with the right type of polyurethane to improve its moisture and fire resistance. Incorporate Some Sun Protection Exterior spaces will be far from popular if inhabitants are left to bake in the sun. Nobody will want to spend hours outside if they are sweating, squinting, and having to remember to re-apply sunscreen every 90 minutes. With that said, there are a number of ways to add a little shade to an exterior space. Some ideas include: Portable awnings and porch umbrellas Rustic porch ceilings Decorative pergolas for both attached and stand-alone structures Not only will providing shade make them more desirable areas for people to hang out, but the right shading mechanisms can add some style and character that ties the aesthetics of the exterior together. Lower Maintenance Requirements As Much As Possible Not only will run-down exteriors detract from curb appeal, but they will be extremely uninviting as gathering spots. Nobody wants to hang out on a deck that is sagging, a lawn overgrown with weeds, or a patio with standing water. As such, it is critical to look into adding as many low-maintenance features to your exterior as possible. Composite decking boards are increasing in popularity because they can withstand UV and moisture damage without having to be regularly treated. Stone landscaping pavers with built-in drainage features are providing a strong option in place of traditional concrete. Artificial turf is gaining attention for homeowners looking for that lush green aspect without having to continually water, trim, and fertilize. Get Started Today Toward a More Functional and Stylish Exterior Creating a functional and stylish exterior living space is critical for maximizing the value of a contemporary home. For most applications, the most straightforward way to accomplish this is through the installation of a high-quality deck. For more information on building the perfect deck, contact Decks By Dak today for a consultation! Roger Marx is a freelance writer that loves sharing his knowledge and expertise on the latest trending building and design products. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he enjoys spending time with his wife and working on backyard projects in his spare time. Roger’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor , a new construction industry resource site.

This blog post will help you get your head around the decision of choosing between composite or wood decks. So, read on!

In this blog post, we'll break down the four things you need to keep in mind when choosing your decking material. Read more!

You'll see why having a screen porch is such an upgrade to your house

Whether you just built your home and you want to add a touch of outdoor comfort, or you're finally building a deck you've been thinking about for twenty years: it's vital that you know what you're getting into. These are five important things to consider when building your deck and why they matter. Why People Love Adding Decks Decks are a wonderful part of any property when done well. They can create a beautiful space to lounge, a fantastic area to entertain guests, and even a safe spot for your pets and kids to enjoy the outdoors. Although there have been a lot of changes in how people build and design decks in the last twenty years, we still want them for the same reasons. They can add value to our properties, they look good, and they give us a space to enjoy the outdoors without being in the dirt or grass. These are the top things to consider about them:

Wood decks can last 20+ years if they’re maintained properly and were built right in the first place. However, if they’re in a highly exposed location that can lessen their life span. Many homeowners try to get as much out of their wood deck as they can, but sooner or later it becomes a safety and comfort issue. Sometimes only a few boards and screws need replacing and other times it’s a better idea to save your repair money and put it towards the replacement fund. Here are five signs you probably need a new deck. ROTTEN WOOD ON BEAMS AND POSTS Any sign of wood rot is an indication that the life of the deck is coming to an end. Typically, the horizontal wood is the first to go because it’s receiving the biggest beating from the sun, weather and foot traffic. If you’ve owned a wood deck for a while you might know this already by how frequently horizontal boards need to be stained. That is one of the primary reasons composite wood made by Trex has become so popular. SPLINTERS IN YOUR FEET AND HANDS We often start getting calls from homeowners when they’ve picked up one too many splinters and are just done with it. You can sand, stain and fill areas on your deck to help it last a little longer and save you from having to pull out the tweezers as much. But no matter how much maintenance you perform, all good things must come to an end. Virginia weather, humidity, rain, snow and four seasons make even the best treated wood fail. Factoring in maintenance costs, many homeowners find that their composite decks cost less in the end. LOOSE DECK RAILINGS If your deck is only a foot off the ground then a loose or rotten deck railing probably isn’t the end of the world. But if your deck is a few feet up, this could be a disaster waiting to happen. It’s always a good idea to check your railings every year because people do have the tendency to trust them enough to lean hard or stand on them. If you’re lucky the railings just need a few more screws and boards replaced. A lot of the newer materials we use for railings virtually never degrade. RUSTY NAILS, FASTENERS AND CONNECTORS These are the guys that act as the glue to keep everything together. We’ve seen decks that people were walking on that were hanging on by a thread! We’ve also seen some pretty terrifying DIY projects where people used hardware designed for hanging picture frames to attach their decks together with. Also, chances are if you have found a few rusty screws and nails, there are probably a lot more! DECK WAS BUILT WRONG FROM THE BEGINNING This might come as a surprise to some homeowners, but unless you built your home and knew what you were doing - there’s a good chance that someone Jimmy rigged pieces of it together. Dozens of decks fail every year hurting people. You’ve likely seen the big ones make national news - especially if someone famous was on it. If you have sneaky suspicions that your deck isn’t safe - you’re probably right. Seeing separation from the house, feeling soft spots, creaking, missshapped, a million carpenter bee holes and more are not good signs. DO YOU NEED TO REPLACE OR JUST REPAIR YOUR DECK? The million dollar (it’s not that much) question homeowners have is whether they need to repair or replace their deck. Replacing a deck is a costly endeavor so it’s not typically something you do unless it’s pretty clear your deck is done. The best way to know for sure is to hire a very large person to do jump rope on it. Then, if he falls through then…just kidding. Just hire a certified contractor to take a look at it. At Decks by DAK we provide free quotes and inspections. A lot of the time all you need to do is send us a few pictures of your deck and we’ll know what to do from there. We have 30+ years of experience and are not in the business of selling people things they don’t need. We will tell it to you straight no matter how little we benefit from the answer.

It is recommended to use quality materials for your decks to prevent damage due to rain and weather. Please visit, read our blog post, and learn more about it.