Extend your outdoor living space!!! Living in California has its advantages, just ask anyone who has lived back east!
In California, we have the luxury of being able to enjoy time with our family and friends outdoors. For the majority of the year the weather permits us to sit with friends, relax, barbeque, read, or whatever, comfortably. The “comfortably” part of the equation makes a deck an excellent value for your home.
In fact, Remodeling Magazine’s 2005 Cost vs. Value Report stated that up to 90.3% of the cost of the deck is recovered when the house is sold. In some areas of the country it is over 100%. The reason: adding a deck extends the living area of the home, thereby making the home much more livable, at a fraction of the cost of room additions.
Decking customers come in two flavors: the “need to have” and the “nice to have.” The “need to have” customers live in areas that have slope (the foothills or the mountains), and the deck serves to extend living space into an otherwise unusable area.
If you have an existing deck that is ten or more years old, chances are it may be time to look at replacing it. When replacing a deck, consider whether or not you should be adding additional square footage. There are certain fixed costs associated with building a deck and adding additional square footage can be done relatively inexpensively. Remember, decking extends your living space and adds value to your home.
The “nice to have” decking customers are typically found in homes that are built on flat ground. Adding a deck here allows the owner to change elevations, create a room atmosphere outdoors, or just do something different in an area besides concrete. Many decks are built around spas or hot tubs, with the deck coming up to about half the height, which makes for easy entry and exit from the hot tub. Building decks around existing trees (which provide natural shade) is also a great option.
Whether you fall into the “need to have” or “nice to have” category, the professionals at The Home Depot’s decking division are there to help.
Most decks require a building permit, a set of technical drawings, and perhaps engineering. All permits require a plot plan. No matter what vision you have, The Home Depot can put the right people in motion to make your dream a reality. |
