If you have ever had a deck, you know all of the benefits, including:

Expanding Your Footprint
An Ottawa deck actually increases the liveable space of your house. If you have a smaller home, a deck off the back can really expand how big the house feels for you and an eventual buyer.

Enjoy the Weather and Beauty
With your Ottawa deck you can enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of your own home. You can enjoy a dinner al fresco, watch the birds, or simply relax and meditate on your Ottawa deck. Decks give you an easy escape to some much-needed peace and quiet.

Add to Your Home Value
Ottawa decks really improve resale value and up your asking price. Don’t wait until you sell to build a deck, build an Ottawa deck now so you can enjoy it in the meantime.

Entertain
Every neighborhood has a family or a few who have an Ottawa deck that tend to be a gathering place for friends and family, An Ottawa deck is a great place for entertaining during the summer. You can create a great atmosphere late into the night with things like tiki torches and strings of lights to keep the fun going when the stars come out.

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There are five basic components of a typical deck:

1. Vertical posts set in concrete footings.
2. Horizontal beams to carry the weight of the deck.
3. Joists that run between the beams to distribute the weight of the deck.
4. The actual deck materials or floor, laid over the joists.
5. Railings

You need to choose materials for your Ottawa deck that will be resistant to decay and insect damage as well as be able to handle harsh Ottawa winters… not to mention the summer sun. So what to choose?  Standard construction lumber like fir, pine or spruce may be treated to protect it from rot, but it most likely will not hold up over time in Ottawa winters and summers.

For durability, we recommend using pressure-treated pine, redwood, or cedar. Each of these can be stained to nearly any color you want. Redwood and cedar offer an added advantage in that they are soft, fine-grained woods that will resist splintering.

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• Shape – Your Ottawa deck doesn’t have to be boring, but of course with creativity in shape will come extra craftsmanship and work. You’ll probably find some modifications worth it as even something as simple as an angle can jazz up a house with a long, plain wall. And if you decide to wrap your deck around a corner, adding built-in benches, or integrate a fence or screen on one side – all will add to your enjoyment of the deck and your home’s future resale value.

• Height–Usually, the decking should come to within a little more than a half meter (.6 meter) of the bottom of the access door from the house, with steps leading from the deck to the ground. Often Ottawa homeowners with a sloped yard will build a deck in multiple levels that follows the slope.

• Reinforcements – If you plan on having a spa or hot tub on your deck you will need to reinforce the deck to support the weight of the water, or you can cut a whole (we like this idea less) and set directly on a concrete slab underneath your deck. If you use cutouts for trees, make sure you leave space for growth.

• Railings – Think about it – when you look into someone’s backyard at someone’s deck, what’s the thing you notice most?  The railings. Use your imagination and creativity when picking your railings – but make sure they match the motif of your home.  Your railing design may be be limited by building code regulations so be sure to look into those.

• Steps and Stairs–Steps and stairs should typically be at least a meter wide so two people to be able to pass each other comfortably. The vertical distance between shouldn’t exceed 19 centimeters.

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• A deck is a one of the most significant things you can to do add value to your home, so while you are designing a deck for you and your family’s lifestyle – take a step back and make sure what you are designing is not a deck that is too big, too small… or just flat out ugly. Make sure the deck design complements the design of your house.

• The most important consideration when designing your Ottawa deck is “How will you use it?”  Entertaining?  How large will the groups on your deck typically be? What kind of seating will you need and would you want to consider benches as part of your deck? Do you want the space arranged to accommodate socializing by small groups or large gatherings?  Try to picture all the ways you’d like to use your Ottawa deck because most design elements will be based on this.

• Your options are probably limited as to where you can build your deck off your Ottawa home, but you may have more choices than you think. You could add a door off an alternative site in your home that may work better than the “obvious” choice. Why does this matter?  Views and climate – they actually vary in your own Ottawa yard.  Do you have heavy winds coming in from the west? Did you know a north-side deck will probably be the coolest location.  Careful placement can minimize traffic noise, eliminate unwanted views, or provide additional privacy.

• Remember there are always the dreaded regulations… check to make sure you are not violating any local zoning ordinances. This is the most dreaded task, but don’t put it off as it could inform many of your decisions for your Ottawa deck  Also look into your neighborhood or subdivision covenants as the may restrict the appearance of the structure.  An finally, you may need a building permit – check with your town.

• There are a lot of considerations for how big your deck will be, including the cost as well as your planned uses.  But as you build your Ottawa deck remember that a huge deck can look ridiculous next to a small house the same way a tiny deck on a big house looks out of place. If you think your deck could be too large for your house, try mitigating that with smaller sections on multiple levels.

• test your ideas for your Ottawa deck by measuring and staking off the proposed area in your yard. You can even set furniture in the area to get an idea of how much will fit on your new do-it-yourself Ottawa deck.

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The main advantage has everythting to do with materials. Many decks are going to be built with treated wood. Pressure treated wood is actually better to install during the winter months. Because these materials expand and contract so intensely, the winter provides a good proving ground for exactly how those materials will perform under temperature pressure. The wood will expand when warm, and contract when cold. The varying temperatures of winter will settle the wood you use for your deck.

Humidity also plays a part. Pressure treated wood has a 50% moisture content when you initially build. The winter has less humidity and thus the pressure treated wood will stabilize itself and dry more consistently and evenly when you build in the winter. A summer deck construction exposes the pressure treated wood to higher humidity conditions. In addition, when drying in the hot sun, pressure treated wood will undergo expansion and contraction which can cause cracking, warping and other damage to the wood itself.

The second benefit is wait time. Our typical waiting list is 8 weeks in the height of the season, during the winter you are likely going to cut that wait time in half. A winter project also causes less lifestyle interruption because homeowners typically spend less time outdoors and less time participating in outdoor activities during the colder months of the year. Properties will experience less ground disruption, and families in Ottawa can plan for warmer weather – outside.

The post It’s Cold in Ottawa… So Build A Deck appeared first on The Fence and Deck Store.

Beyond satisfying a desire to have a great Ottawa deck to enjoy from day one of Spring 2014, let’s face it – life happens.  There may be a circumstance that leads you to want to put your house on the market as soon as Spring threatens to hit the Ottawa area.  Did you know a deck is one of the best investments you can make to increase the value of your home?

Another practical reason to build now is that building in the Fall is less disruptive on your lawn and landscape. With cooler Ottawa Falls, you know that grass and plants are go dormant and more resistant to the stress caused by heavy traffic and material storage. In springtime, Ottawa weather brings heavy, wet snow and rain that softens the landscape, leading to damage that takes longer to repair. Throw in the fact that weather in the Fall is both drier and more predictable and building that Ottawa deck now does not look quite so intimidating.

It would be easier to start the hibernation now, but if you get motivated and don’t procrastinate, the Spring you will be grateful.

And of course, you’re sure to see savings when you stop into the Fence and Deck Store for materials to build your Ottawa deck.

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