A deck is an extension of your house and is something that, if done properly, can greatly enrich the usage of your home. In order to get the most enjoyment out of your deck, however, it needs to be designed according to your needs and lifestyle. Here are three useful tips that you can use when determining the requirements you have for your new outdoor space.

CONSIDER YOUR LIFESTYLE

Ask yourself how you and your family will be using this space. Do you have a large family that the deck will need to be able to accomodate, or is this outdoor space going to be for quiet evenings at home? Consider your personal likes and dislikes. What is this deck going to need to possess to be sure that you are using it?

While how you use your deck is an extremely important question to consider, you must also recognize that this is a true aesthetic extension of your home. Decor is highly important when it comes to your outdoor living space. The transition from interior home to exterior home should be seamless and comfortable. To achieve this, make sure to work with your contractor to find design opportunities to extend the inner style of your home to the outside.

CONSIDER OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Entertaining in your outdoor living space is going to need more than just great food. You should spend some time considering outdoor lighting. Having great outdoor lighting will not only aid your space in being more useful during more hours of the day, but will also add value to your home.

Lighting is divided into three major categories:

• Overall: This provides illumination for a whole space or room.
• Task: This is used for a specific purpose (i.e. lighting up a path)
• Accent: This draws attention to an area or an object – usually accomplished with flood lights or spotlights.

It will be important to incorporate all three types of lighting in your outdoor living space.

INVEST IN HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS

A deck is a long term investment, not simply a place to comfortably enjoy time outside. The quality of the material that you use for your deck is going to highly reflect the worth your deck adds to your home. Using subpar products to construct your outdoor living area will only cause problems long term. Be sure to do your research and learn as much as possible about what products you are going to be purchasing.