Still no sign of spring. But that’s not stopping us from turning our attention outdoors. Last fall we had two plain Jane concrete patios poured just outside the two sets of french doors {one in the mudroom & one in the kitchen} at the back of the house. We have plans to build a platform deck spanning the gap between the two patios.
These are HH’s hand drawn plans. We’ll be implementing Trex materials to build the deck. Looking for inspiration online, we came across some pretty elaborate deck designs that were amazing but a little over the top for us. Our house is a single level ranch on a modest flat lot and we don’t want our deck to look like we pulled it off the back of a large home with sweeping lake views. So, we’re going with a simple 15′ x 17′ design.
If you can’t read HH’s notes, here are the details:
*The deck will adjoin two concrete patios that are flush with the ground.
*The deck itself will sit ~6″ higher than the patios.
*The deck floor will be split into two equal sections.
*Each section will have a picture frame detail at the borders and the deck boards will run parallel to the house.
HH put together a more detailed 3D design using Trex’s deck designer tool. You can view the pdf here – Platform Deck Plans – if you’re a visual person. It’s a better representation of what the deck will actually look like although the decking material will be more of a gray color. As you can see, the deck is low enough that no railing is required. Our backyard isn’t that large so we like the idea of a low deck sans railing to avoid obstructing views and chopping up the yard. The window looking out onto the deck is the window above our kitchen sink. We’re hoping to use the deck as a casual outdoor seating space and the patios as dining and grilling areas.
With the way the weather has NOT been cooperating, it’s likely we won’t start on the deck until mid April after a little spring break action. To give you a better feel for what we’re working with {not much!}, I’ll be sharing some real time photos of our backyard soon. I’m also working on converting one of the patios into a dining space. Stay tuned. Have I mentioned I am so ready for spring? You?
We have partnered with Trex to build our deck. They will provide us with some of the materials for the build but all other materials, designs, labor, injuries, flubs, four-letter exclamations, opinions and reaping of the benefits {i.e. chillaxing with a beverage on our new deck} will be our responsibility. If you’re considering an outdoor space, see what a few pros have to say about designing, entertaining and living outside.
image: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
DIY, inspiration, renovation