Design Limitations
Reality Check Design Limits
The Almighty Ledger Board
Addition vs. Extension
Door Location
What is your Elevation?
Respecting Context
Establishing Permanence
Property Lines and Easements
Site Context
The Trouble with Stairs
Identifying Obstacles
Privacy
Code Enforcement
Budget Considerations
Cost of building a deck





Deck Builders Deck Builders Sign Up Here

Deck Builders
Watch the first of our deck design video series. Here are the three products in the video. Enjoy!
Gossen PVC Decking
BigFoot Systems
EBTY Hidden Fasteners

Establishing Permanence

You want your deck to look like it was built to last. Some decks are built to serve a temporary function until a budget or time consideration can be met, others weren’t intended to but appear this way anyway. A deck that appears tacked on to the side of a house like a platform set on stilts will look flimsy and out of place. You want a design that will leave an impression of permanence and the idea that it was always meant to be there.

Deciding to build with more substantial materials can help you project this appearance. Using 6x6 support posts instead of 4x4’s and closing risers on stairs is a good place to start. Experience tells us that cheap looking things are disposable and expensive looking things are designed to last for a long time. A thoughtful design can achieve the same effect. If your deck looks like it belongs on your house common sense tells us that it is permanent. Attention to details will be significant in that they offer subtle clues to your sense of importance for the project.