Creative Decks

Your Outdoor Living Specialist

"Design Drawings and Construction Plans"

Framingham, MA

508-877-1060

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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.

Master Bedroom Additions: The 2019 Trends You’ll Want To Know About

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Master bedrooms are making a comeback. Once overlooked, remodeling the master bedroom has become a very popular project. Lifestyle experts suggest that this trend is driven by the fact that many people are looking to create some level of comfort and relaxation in their homes as the world is increasingly stressful. With that in mind, here are the 2019 Master Bedroom Addition design trends you’ll want to know about:

1) Spacious & Single Purpose

Master bedroom additions tend to be larger than the average new master bedroom, which is a little more than 300 square feet. This space is devoted to a single purpose: for the couple to have a peaceful place to rest and relax. Banish the work you brought home from the office and your treadmill to some other location in your home! Closets and storage spaces can be both easy to access and unobtrusive to contribute to the clean, open feel of the master bedroom suite.

2) A Wonderful View

Have your master bedroom suite designed to take advantage of the view. Large, strategically placed windows provide for plenty of natural light. Capture the magic feel of a vacation getaway by sleeping in a space designed to delight you. Your choice of building contractor matters here – choose a local contractor who’s experienced and creative for best results.

3) Smart Storage

In lots of families, the master bedroom turns into the place where everything that doesn’t have a place to live winds up. You shouldn’t have to sleep in your storage space! The best master bedroom addition trend we’ve seen incorporates smart storage options into the design. This storage takes a variety of forms, including closets, cabinetry, and custom-built solutions to maximize usable space.

If you’re planning to have a master bedroom addition built in 2019, the time to start researching design ideas is now. Thinking through what you’d like your new bedroom to look like and how you’d like it set up makes communicating your wishes to your building contractor much easier.

3 Ways To Tell It’s Time for a Home Addition

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When does having an addition built make sense for the Framingham home owner? Answering that question means considering at least 3 factors. If you find yourself saying YES! to one or more of these questions, it might be time to start planning your home addition.

1) Are you planning on staying in the home you’re in for a significant amount of time?

A home addition is an investment in your future happiness. If you’re going to be in the home long enough to truly enjoy the benefits of having extra space – generally five years or more – then it makes sense to move forward with plans for an addition. However, if you’re planning to sell your home soon, an addition could still make sense: an attractive, well-built addition that adds to the comfort and beauty of the home can increase buyers’ offers.

2) Does your family need more space to live comfortably?

Opinions vary wildly on how much space people need to live comfortably – tiny houses have their fans, but so do great big mansions! – but when there’s not enough space, everyone agrees that something has to change. The most popular additions are master bedroom additions, second story additions for children’s bedrooms, and first floor additions. Some additions are built specifically as storage spaces – better storage means more living space for the family!

3) You want to boost your home’s value and curb appeal.

The best home additions complement your home’s appearance and appear to be integral to your home’s design. Visual coherence boosts home value and curb appeal. These are important considerations when you know your future plans include relocating – something many couples do after their children have grown. Real estate trends come and go, but spacious, well-built homes always find appreciative buyers.

Deciding to have a home addition built is the first step in the process of enjoying your home more.

3 Season Rooms Give Families More Space

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Have you noticed the house getting smaller as the kids get bigger? Ok – the size of the house doesn’t actually change, but as toddlers turn into teens, it can feel like you just don’t have the same amount of living space as you used to. Add in the fact that many families have adult children living at home longer or older family members sharing the home, and things can feel crowded at times.

3 Season Rooms are an affordable way to give families more space. Also known as a sunroom, 3 season rooms can be built on an existing deck or added to your home as an enclosed patio. The best 3 Season Rooms are custom designed to fit your home, your space, and your family’s needs. Here in Massachusetts, we’ve had homeowners who have had 3 season rooms built to serve specifically as a dining area, home office, or fitness space, as well as those who choose a sunroom for a more general-purpose space for family and friends to enjoy.

3 Season Rooms are more affordable than an addition. If you’re concerned about energy efficiency and heating your sunroom, you’ll want to go with double pane glass throughout. This will increase the cost of the 3 season room, but it will also extend the amount of time you’ll be able to enjoy the 3 season room in comfort.

Sunrooms are a favorite with pets, who enjoy having a greater view of what’s going on outdoors. The natural light has a positive impact on people’s health and well being. The 3 season room is a way to appreciate nature without having to be out in it – an important consideration in Massachusetts’ chilly springs, hot summers, and beautiful brisk autumns. Sunrooms can be built to any size, from the cute and cozy to spacious and gracious – sunrooms can be great spaces for entertaining.