​

4 Benefits of Replacing Your Deck

A new deck project is a quick and easy way to provide your home with some really significant upgrades. While a deck project should be carefully planned in order to receive the maximum benefit from the end result, the time from start to finish with this kind of project can be shorter, so you can start enjoying your new or upgraded deck relatively quickly. Here are a few big benefits of replacing your deck:

1. Increase Home Value and Curb Appeal

One of the biggest benefits of replacing your deck is increasing your home’s value and its curb appeal. Putting a brand-new deck on your home or replacing an outdated one can increase your home’s value and its curb appeal. Any time you add useful space to your property, it creates additional value and appeal. This appeal is beneficial if you decide to sell your home in the future, but it also has value in terms of curb appeal.

Curb appeal refers to how your home looks to passersby or visitors to your property. A home with a lot of curb appeal stands out from neighboring properties and catches people’s eye as they pass. Homes with high curb appeal show a special pride of ownership and they also tend to sell better, and for higher prices, when they hit the market. A professionally constructed deck can enhance this appeal for your home and property.

2. Improve Safety and Function

Decks made of treated lumber, or worse yet, untreated lumber, deteriorate over time. They do so far more rapidly than decks constructed from composite materials or vinyl. The reality is that many of the amazing building materials available to contractors today may not have been available when your existing deck was first constructed.

Over time, wet and dry rot occurs, even on treated boards, and decks can become structurally unsound and turn into safety hazards. Additionally, as wooden boards dry out, knots loosen, partially dislodge or fall out, creating unsightly holes and potential tripping hazards. Wooden railings also succumb to the elements. As they dry and warp, splinters begin to appear that are additionally hazardous, especially to small children.

Wooden decks also require regular maintenance in order to increase their life span and the time spent maintaining them is just time you aren’t using to enjoy them. For all of these reasons and more, replacing your current wood deck with one made with some of the superior building materials available today, such as vinyl decking, is worth considering.

3. Upgrade Shape, Size, or Material

One of the benefits of replacing your deck is that you can also use the opportunity to upgrade the shape, size, or material of your current deck. Take some time to evaluate your current situation and decide if the old deck was giving you the functionality that you wanted or needed. You always can decide to simply replicate the old deck with new, upgraded materials. But, taking the time to do an initial evaluation of your needs and preferences will help identify ways you can improve upon your old deck when you replace it.

Does your deck provide adequate room for entertaining guests? Do you want to use the deck as an additional eating area option? How much seating capacity does it provide and how much do you need? Is access to the deck currently limited or inconvenient in a way that restricts or inhibits use? All of these are questions you should be asking yourself before you begin constructing your brand-new, beautiful deck.

In addition to the considerations regarding the size and shape of the new deck, you should also be thinking about the materials you want to use. Wooden decks are far from the only option and more weather-resistant and superior products are available. Many of these materials, like vinyl, allow a homeowner to select a color that matches the exterior of their home, or enhances the color of the siding with some contrast. The color options available within these superior building materials allow homeowners to capitalize on this benefit without all the maintenance other materials require after construction is complete!

4. Make Additional Customizations

Not only is a new deck project the perfect time to evaluate the size and shape you want for your new deck, but it is also a great time to think about some additional customizations. The possibilities here are practically endless.

And, a creative homeowner working with an experienced contractor can truly let their creativity flow and end up with an amazing, customized deck that provides a maximum amount of functionality. Plus, you’ll end up with a new deck that adds an awesome, aesthetically pleasing fixture to the outside of your home. This is really where a new deck project gets fun!

Imagine a deck with several tiers, providing a more dramatic architectural feel, as well as separate areas for eating and entertaining. Perhaps you plan to have neighborhood barbeques and that industrial size grill you purchased needs a separate area all for itself. A new deck can feature a customized cooking or serving area that makes entertaining large groups more feasible and enjoyable for everyone.

Then, consider that even the most modest-sized decks can benefit, both aesthetically and functionally, from customized, built-in seating incorporated along the perimeter railings. These seating areas can be used with outdoor cushions to provide additional comfort and can be further customized so that storage space is available under the benches! The first step is deciding to enhance your home with a new deck, and then with that project comes the ability to capitalize on so many more fun and creative opportunities that will totally change how you use the outside of your home!

When you are trying to decide whether or not you need a new deck, consider these benefits of replacing your deck. Safety is of paramount importance, and if your current deck is structurally unsound, it makes the decision much more one of necessity than choice. However, even when your new deck project is entirely voluntary in nature, there are many benefits you will receive from the final product, and they can have significant positive impacts on the quality of life around the home!