An outdoor living space in the back yard can be a great addition to your home. Many of our clients think, at least at first, that the answer is a deck. For many people that’s what they need for lots of space, with outdoor seating, fresh air, and cooking close at hand. But sometimes a deck is too much of the great outdoors. Things like too much sun, or a rain shower can break up a party or move your relaxing evening indoors. A roof over the deck can help tame the elements and allow you to leave a table and chairs under its protective cover. Something to consider is that it may also affect your home on the inside by lessening the light in some rooms.
Another idea is to start with a deck and add a roof later to ease the effect on the budget. This can work well if the roof is planned from the start. If planning for the roof isn’t done as part of the design, the type of foundation, and location of footers needed for a deck may not work well to support a roof. This can make it expensive and disruptive to add to the foundation, since some of the work on the deck will have to be redone.
It’s always best to consider options in the planning process to make sure what you build will best serve your needs and budget now, and into the future. It’s 26 degrees and windy as I write this, but we’re looking forward once again to Spring. What are your plans for the great outdoors?
