Creative Decks

Your Outdoor Living Specialist

"Design Drawings and Construction Plans"

Framingham, MA

508-877-1060

Decks

The Principles of Creative Deck Design

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When we talk about creative deck design, we’re really talking about the joy of outdoor living. Outdoor living is something we’re particularly passionate about. There’s a reason we’ve decided to devote so much of our career to designing and building decks and patios. Being outdoors gives people joy, lifts their spirit, promotes an optimistic world view, and improves the health, yet most of us spend more than 90% of our lives indoors.

We’re a little company. We’re not going to be able to change the world works. Most people are going to keep right on spending 90% of their lives indoors. But we’re hoping, through the decks we build, to encourage at least a few people to take that first step and get out in the fresh air. Check out the clouds as they float by overhead. Listen to some birds. Wave at the neighbor as they jog by. Appreciate the space and community we live in.

Creative deck design means building spaces that work for families. We encourage our clients to choose composite decking because it can stand up to the wear and tear of kids, animals, and adventure gear. It’s also super low maintenance, so you can spend your time enjoying your deck instead of painting it. Composite decking doesn’t have the mold or mildew problems you can see wooden decks develop, especially during rainy seasons. Insects aren’t interested in it either. Lots of benefits, limited headaches: that’s creative deck design at its finest.

Your deck should suit your family’s lifestyle. That means if you do a lot of entertaining, you need room on the deck to cook – maybe a built in barbecue or an outdoor kitchen – as well a place for your friends to congregate. Have lots of little kids in your life? Screen porch options make playtime fun and easy.

The Medford Home: Top 5 Home Additions

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When you love where you live but you need more space, it’s time for a home addition. We’ve been helping families get more enjoyment out of their homes for more than 20 years now, and in that time, we’ve found that sometimes the most important room in the house is elbow room! As long as everyone has sufficient space to be themselves, life is good.

The 5 most popular home additions in the Medford region are all about increasing home owner enjoyment by adding more space.

#1: Medford Kitchen Additions

In homes where the kitchen is too small, outdated, or just doesn’t work for the family, adding a first floor kitchen addition makes sense. Very common to also include utility rooms, laundry rooms, pantries or other storage space into the kitchen addition.

#2: The Master Bedroom Addition

After years and years of putting the kids’ needs first, Medford homeowners are starting to treat themselves to better master bedrooms. These master bedroom suites can be second or third story additions, or, for couples who are concerned about aging in place, on the first floor.

#3: The Home Business Addition

Whether you’re bringing work home from the office or home is your office, you need a dedicated space to do it right. Keep your important business away from the kids, the pets, and household distractions. Enjoy enhanced ability to focus appropriately on your personal and professional lives.

#4: Living Space for Adult Children

Adult children are staying in their parents home longer, and this can mean there’s a need to change living arrangements. Medford home additions can be built with separate entrances, bathrooms, kitchens and more. This type of addition has also proven to be popular for home owners who have their parents or in-laws come live with them.

#5: The Storage Addition

Adding storage to your home means having your things conveniently accessible when you want them and out of your way when you don’t.

Converting a Screen Porch to a Sunroom: What You Need to Know

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Screen porches are wonderful spaces, but they have their limitations. Once the temperature starts to drop, enjoying the screen porch becomes challenging – and when winter’s worst weather arrives, it’s impossible. Sunrooms, on the other hand, can be enjoyed year-round. This is important when your family needs a little extra living space – a quiet area where the kids can do their homework or for you to do your morning workout.

Converting a screen porch to a sunroom is one of the most cost-effective ways to add living space to your home. By using the deck that’s already in place to support your sun room saves you money. It’s a quick and attractive upgrade that boosts your home’s curb appeal and value. When you’re talking to your local deck contractor about upgrading your screen porch to a sunroom, here are some questions you’ll want to ask:

Have you converted a screen porch into a sunroom before? It’s a good best practice to work with an experienced local deck contractor. Ideally, they’ll be able to show you pictures of projects they’ve done, so you can determine if you want that quality of workmanship brought to your home. Your home is one of your biggest investments: it’s okay to be selective about who you allow to work on it.

What type of budget would I need to convert my screen porch into a sunroom? There’s no one size fits all answer to this question, as people’s choices in screen porches and sunrooms can vary widely. However, your local deck contractor should be able to give you an estimate of what your project would cost. Bear in mind they’re going to need some information from you to answer this question, including the size and condition of your existing screen porch. Sometimes screen porches need a little work in order to be suitable for use as a sun room; this can impact your budget.

The best time to start planning your screen porch to sunroom conversion is right now. It’s a quick and simple upgrade that will add to the level of enjoyment you get from your home.

Holiday Decorations on Your Deck: The Do’s and Don’ts

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Making our homes look cheerful and festive is part of the fun of the holiday season. Here are some tips to help your deck look great and keep your family, friends, and visitors safe:

DO: Use Lots of Lights

LED holiday lights mean you can put on quite a display without running your power bill through the roof. Well-lit decks are the safest holiday decks: pay special attention to any stairs. It gets dark early at this time of year, so extra illumination makes sense.

DON’T: Overcrowd Your Deck

Adding decorations to your deck is a good idea – but you still need to leave enough space for people and pets to move around easily. Use bold, brightly colored decorations to make the most of a less-in-more approach: you can create a big impression without using up all of your space. Make sure the way to the door is kept clear. If you’re using inflatable decorations on your deck, make sure they don’t present a tripping hazard when not in use.

DO: Secure Decorations

It’s winter in Metrowest MA. The wind is going to blow, and sometimes it’s going to blow hard. You want to make sure your decorations are secure. If you’ve put a Christmas tree or other large decoration on your deck, it might be necessary to secure it with tie-downs.

DON’T: Forget to Enjoy Your Deck

Whether it’s cocoa with the kids or a few moments spent staring at the stars on the Longest Night with your special someone, make a point of enjoying your deck this holiday season. As your local deck builder, we can assure you we build decks so you can create memories. These special spaces don’t stop being wonderful just because the snow starts to fall. Take the opportunity to see how much fun your deck can be in the wintertime.

All Decked Out for the Holidays: Safety Tips & Best Practices

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The holidays are just a few weeks away. That means lots of traffic in and out of the house – from the Amazon delivery to holiday party guests – and you want to be sure that your deck looks great. When decorating your deck for the season, you’ll want to keep these safety tips in mind:

Stairs should be strong, level, and kept free from clutter.

People rely upon your deck stairs to for safe, easy access. Stairs get a lot of wear and tear throughout the year. Take a moment and inspect your deck stairs. Are they strong, level, and in good repair? Are there any stairs that you or your family avoid using because you’re worried about its condition? Winter conditions can make stairs that were marginally okay unsafe. Have any needed deck repairs done promptly, before the worst of the snow and cold arrives.

Need deck repairs done now? Search deck contractors near me.

Lighting should be festive and functional.

Putting up holiday lights is a lot of fun. Take this opportunity to make sure your deck is properly illuminated. Night comes early at this time of year, and it can be pitch black before dinnertime. Good lighting makes it easier for people to come to your home safely – and as an added bonus, bright lights deter criminals from trying to gain entrance to your home.

Secure decorations & protect wiring.

The winter weather in Massachusetts can be extreme. Securing holiday decorations so they don’t blow away in the wind is a very good idea. Another best practice is to make sure that all of your holiday decorations are plugged in using extension cords rated for outside use. Take care that wires are positioned where they don’t serve as a tripping hazard. Bonus tip: have your deck contractor install exterior outlets to make decorating your deck throughout the year super simple and convenient.