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After years of decorating the interior of their homes, many people are turning their energy outside to create outdoor spaces for relaxing and entertaining. This shift reflects a new lifestyle – outdoor living – that extends beyond a home’s traditional walls.
“We’ve seen a big trend in consumers moving the indoors out,” said Carolyn Sollis, style director at House & Garden magazine. “People want to create true living spaces outdoors, so they’re looking at dining tables, seating, outdoor fabrics, bars, grills, kitchens, even tableware. They want accessories that not only reflect their personal style, but require minimal upkeep.”
Choosing a Foundation to Suit Your Style
For an ideal outdoor living environment, homeowners must first consider the foundation, whether it’s a porch, patio or deck.
“Just as with the accessories, the foundation they choose must reflect their personal style and require little maintenance,” Sollis said. “And because every space is unique, homeowners must make the best possible use of available outdoor space and gracefully blend the foundation with the home and its surroundings.”
Many people choose a deck because of the value it brings to a home. According to Remodeling Magazine’s “2005 Cost vs. Value Report,” which was included in the November issue, the national average for a deck addition recoups more than 90 percent of the project cost upon resale.
Selecting Materials to Fit Your Vision
The variety of decking material and amenity options available today can be overwhelming, so many contractors work with homeowners to find the right material and features to meet the vision and budget of their outdoor living space.
Because many homeowners are looking for low maintenance materials that withstand weather extremes, many contractors recommend composite decking. The western Rocky Mountain climate is especially tough on decks, so Scott Pray and Tom Broden of Bozeman Deck Company rely primarily on EverGrain® composite decking.
“About 75 percent of our decks are made with EverGrain,” Pray said. “It’s the best looking composite decking for the money, it’s durable and it provides great slip resistance, which is really important in this climate.”
Benefits of Composite Decking
According to Mick Whelan, corporate director of marketing for TAMKO, manufacturer of EverGrain, EverGrain offers a variety of benefits, in addition to durability and slip-resistance, for homeowners looking to enhance their outdoor living space.
“Because it is made through a unique compression molding process, EverGrain offers the natural wood look, as well as the colors and accessories, consumers want to complement their homes,” Whelan said. “Containing both plastic and wood fiber, EverGrain is low maintenance and offers a 25-year limited warranty. These aspects are extremely important because people want higher quality composite materials, like EverGrain, that not only provide style and beauty, but also will stand the test of time.”
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