Planning For Your Patio or Deck

You look out over your backyard and know that something is missing. Deep in your heart you know that a patio or deck would be perfect for your weekend barbeques and just time spent outdoors relaxing with the family.

You have the dream, and a sketchy idea in your head about what you want your patio or deck to look like, so now what? This, you decide, is a DIY job and immediately you are filled with pride and satisfaction over the fruits your hard work and sweat will bring. But that is the end result, isn’t it? First things first: take those ideas of how you want your patio or deck to look like, from inside your head and put them on paper (or computer). Make it official that this is what your patio will look like.

Where, exactly, will the patio be? How is the ground there? Is it level, slightly sloped, or radically slopped? Do you want a wood patio, or brick, stone, PVC, plastic, or concrete? How big will it be? How big should it be? Admittedly, this might seem overwhelming and there are plenty more questions to ask yourself when simply designing your would-be deck.

So go to the library or local hardware store and get plenty of reading material to insure that you don’t go into this project blind. You want this deck to be functional and aesthetically appealing, but you also want it to be safe. You may not get the patio of your dreams by the next weekend, but the time you do take to learn all about what you are doing will be well worth it.

Walks, Walls, and Patio Floors, by Steve Cory (published by Sunset Publishing Corporation; 5 edition [November 2002]) is one reading option, as is Patios and Walkways, edited by Fine Homebuilding Editors (published Taunton [December, 2004]). Walks, Walls, and Patios: Plan, Design, and Build, edited by Editors of Creative Homeowners (published by Creative Homeowner; 2nd edition [June 10, 2004]). All of these books are available on Amazon, but check your library first. My motto is “if it’s free, it’s for me!”, and I’m not ashamed to say it.

Check with your local Home Depot or Lowe’s as they will offer how-to free classes on patio building that generally only take a day to complete.

If you decide that this project is best done by professionals then call around, get bids, get references, and check with the Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce before you decide who to hire. Remember, the work you put into researching will pay off in safety and even money in the long run.

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