Creative Decks

Your Outdoor Living Specialist

"Design Drawings and Construction Plans"

Framingham, MA

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Do You Love Your Deck? How to Tell It’s Time for a Change

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Are you head over heels in love with your deck? The fact is most people aren’t. Sure – the deck can be pleasant – but without some smart design and family-friendly features, it’s hard for a deck to win your heart.

It’s deck planning season here in the Wellesley area. If you’re thinking about a new deck or want to upgrade your existing deck, here are some ideas to keep in mind:

Choosing Low-Maintenance Decking Materials Keeps the Focus on the Fun

When you’re working with your Wellesley creative deck designer, one of the things you’ll talk about is how much time you have to spend enjoying your new deck. Vacation days are precious, and summer weekends go by fast. You don’t want to waste any of your leisure time with deck maintenance chores. Choose composite decking and you’ll never have to worry about stripping, staining, painting or sealing your deck.

Screen Porches = Smart Summer Fun

We all love the sun, but you can have too much of a good thing. Have your Wellesley deck contractor incorporate a screen porch into your new deck design. These shaded spaces offer protection from prying eyes and biting insects. They’re great for small children, aging family members, and pets.

Go For the Garden Gusto

Are you passionate about plants? Determined to grow the best tomatoes in Wellesley? Having a great deck is the next best thing to your own personal greenhouse. Have your deck designer incorporate strategically placed planters, rain barrels, and other garden-centric features so you can indulge your green thumb to your heart’s delight.

Can’t Wait To Get Started?

Winter’s almost over, which means it’s time to start talking to your Wellesley deck contractor. Schedule a time to discuss your vision; after that, the next step is plan development, including material and fixture selection. Taking on this part of the process now means your deck will be ready to go as soon as weather allows. Don’t wait – call today!

To Make a Better First Impression, Get a Better Deck

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“We’re new to the Needham area, and I’m very excited to get to know our neighbors,” Tanya said. “But we bought a place that’s a little bit of a fixer upper. The front entrance in particular is pretty rough – there’s a little deck that’s too small for the house, and it’s in terrible condition from the previous owner’s dogs. I’m embarrassed to have anyone come over until we get it fixed.”

Creative Deck Design – Boost Curb Appeal

A front deck provides visitors with the very first clues about the people who live in the home. Is it well-designed and tidy, or has it seen better days? It’s very frustrating for homeowners who take pride in their homes and put significant time and effort into the interior to have to endure a deck that’s just not up to their standards.

Luckily, creative deck design is available in Needham. One of the first things your deck designer will do with you is determine the right size for your deck.

A deck that’s too small can seem like an afterthought to the home, and doesn’t really provide enough space for enjoying outdoor living with family and friends. Conversely, a deck that’s too large can overwhelm the appearance of the home and require a lot of maintenance. The ideal sized deck is large enough for fun without being too much work.

Keeping maintenance to a minimum while delivering powerful lasting color and superior curb appeal is the job of composite decking materials. Your Needham creative deck designer will share all of the benefits of composite decking with you, but we’ll share some of the highlights here. Composite decking doesn’t warp, twist, or split – no matter what the weather is like. It resists animal damage, both from dogs and from small wood-loving insects like termites and carpenter ants.

3 Signs It’s Time to Remodel the Deck

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Do you suspect you might need a new deck but aren’t entirely sure it’s the right time? Here’s a handy list of signs to watch for. If you say yes to three questions on this list, it’s time to remodel the deck:

#1: Has your deck been damaged by insects, the weather, or your family and pets?

Decks aren’t indestructible, especially older wooden decks. Inspect your deck carefully. If there are split, twisted, or warped boards, damaged stairs, loose railings, compromised banisters or other damage, an upgrade is in order. Don’t forget to grab your flashlight and look underneath your deck for insect and moisture damage – that’s often where the problems will show up first!

#2: Does your deck get really, really crowded when you’re trying to entertain?

Part of the fun of outdoor living is the ability to get together comfortably with your family and friends. If your deck just isn’t large enough to do the job, your favorite people are going to need to find a different place to hang out and enjoy themselves. Ideally, your deck will have enough seating to handle your entire family plus an average number of guests reasonably; frequent entertainers who like to throw big parties will need a larger space.

#3: Does your deck look tired and worn out – especially compared to the rest of the house?

Time takes its toll on everything, and outdoor living spaces are no exception. Look at your deck with an objective eye. Is it vibrant and inviting? Do you feel it accurately represents the personality of your family? Are you proud of your deck?

Here in the Framingham area, we run into many older decks that were built of white pine or other softwoods. While this may have been the affordable option at the time, as the years go by, the condition of these decks deteriorates quickly. This is due in part to the extreme weather we experience locally – scorching summer sun, followed by wicked winter winds, deteriorate wood.

The smart alternative to consider if you’re going to upgrade your deck is composite decking. This planet friendly material comes in a variety of colors, is long lasting, and resists insect, weather, and heavy traffic damage very well.

Easy Elegance: The Enclosed Deck

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When the world’s a stressful place and you just want to chill out, having a comfortable, private space to relax with your family, friends and favorite people is just what the doctor ordered. Let’s talk about enclosed decks, the easy, elegant setting that makes outdoor living super simple and lots of fun.

The Enclosed Deck: Why?

Most of us are familiar with the traditional outdoor deck, which consists of a platform, some railings, and perhaps some stairs to make enjoying the backyard easy and simple.

The traditional deck can be a lot of fun, but it does have a few drawbacks. No roof means your family is out in sun, which can get hot, uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Enclosed decks have the benefit of shade. Having a cool, comfortable place to relax is great news for little kids, pets, and older family members.

Another issue will be instantly familiar to anyone who has small children or pets. The traditional deck’s railings don’t do much to keep fast, active kids contained. A safer option, particularly if you’ve got multiple small children to care for, is an enclosed deck area where access to the outdoors can be safely controlled by an adult.

Many Framingham area families report that their enclosed decks give them a sense of privacy that they really enjoy. This is especially true in locations where the deck is visible from the street. Neighborhood traffic doesn’t have to distract from your enjoyment of the great outdoors.

Enclosed porches add usable living space to the home in a very cost-effective manner. Choose a three-season porch to maximize your ability to use this space; screen porches can be enjoyed from the early spring through the early fall.

To get the maximum return on investment from your enclosed deck project, work with your local deck builder to make smart design choices. Composite decking is available in a variety of colors, which means your enclosed deck can be bright, cheerful and inviting.

What Type of Deck Makes Sense for My Family?

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When you’re having a deck, porch or patio added to your home, you have a choice of building materials. There’s no one best decking that’s ideal for every situation. Instead, working with your local deck contractor, you can choose the building material that makes sense for your family.

Great Looks, Reasonable Prices, Classic Style: Choose Wood

The traditional building material for building decks in the Metrowest area has long been wood. Cedar decking is particularly popular because of its attractive reddish color and long lasting durable nature. Another wood deck option is white pine: it’s not as long lasting or durable, but it is affordable.

The downside to choosing a wood deck is you’re going to wind up doing some maintenance. Wooden decks need protection from the elements. This means painting or staining them, as well as sealing them – a process that needs to be repeated periodically throughout the life of your deck. If you have a very active family or animals that spend time on the deck regularly, you may need to sand, paint and seal your deck more often.

Durable, Colorful and Long Lasting: Choose Composite Decking

Composite decking is the planet-friendly alternative to wood decking. Unlike wooden decks, composite decking does not bend, warp, twist or split – even when it’s been exposed to all of the extreme weather we get here in the Metrowest MA area. Composite decking’s durability makes it a top choice for busy families, families with pets, and any one who is concerned about insect damage.

Composite decking is available in a variety of colors. You can choose your favorite with confidence, knowing the color is going to stay strong and vibrant for a very long time. There’s no maintenance needed, aside from the every now and then need to spray the surface off with a hose or power washer to keep everything looking great.

How Hard is it to Convert a Screen Porch to a Sunroom?

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“Don’t get me wrong,” Annie said. “I love our screen porch. I mean, I really love it. That’s the problem. I am out there all of the time – I work from home a lot, and it’s a nice place to focus – but when it starts getting cold I have to give up that space and I don’t want to.”

Converting a Screen Porch to a Sunroom

One smart way to extend your outdoor living season is to convert your screen porch into a sunroom. Because sunrooms feature glass windows rather than screen, they offer better protection against the elements. At the same time, you’re still able to enjoy all of the natural beauty of the outdoors that you could see from your screen porch.

Sunrooms are very versatile spaces. In the years we’ve been serving the Metrowest MA area as a local deck contractor, we’ve had families who built sunrooms as family rooms, as spaces for entertaining, as breakfast nooks or dining rooms, as home offices, or just to have some additional space for the family to enjoy. Pets love sunrooms too!

Adding a Sunroom: More Curb Appeal!

As a homeowner, every time you renovate or improve your home, you have to consider if you’re making a smart investment. Sunrooms are one of the most rewarding improvements you can choose, both in terms of homeowner satisfaction and return on investment.

An attractive, well-built sun room adds to the functionality, beauty, and curb appeal of your home. If you’re converting a screen porch into a sunroom, you might be surprised at how much what seems like a simple change can really boost the home’s exterior. You also have a lot more interior design elements with a sun room, as you don’t have to worry about paint finishes, furniture, fabric and rugs being exposed to the elements in the same way.