Creative Decks

Your Outdoor Living Specialist

"Design Drawings and Construction Plans"

Framingham, MA

508-877-1060

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Was Your Deck the Scariest Part of Halloween?

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Tonight’s the night when small children dress up in adorable costumes to travel the neighborhood, knock on your door, and stand there in wide-eyed terror while their parents prompt them to say Trick or Treat. It’s a lot of fun – but it can also make you very aware of the condition of your deck. Uneven stairs, broken or missing handrails, and decking boards that are bent, warped or split are all issues that can make your deck pretty scary. And sometimes the issue’s aesthetic. If your deck’s looking bad, that’s enough to frighten trick or treaters and your visitors!

You don’t want a scary deck. You want a deck that’s friendly, inviting, and most importantly, safe. With that in mind, here’s what you’ll want to focus on as you choose a deck contractor for your Metrowest home:

Do You Need Deck Repairs or a Brand New Deck?

In some cases, simple repairs may be all that’s needed to bring your deck back to an acceptable standard. In other cases, particularly where wood rot and water damage are issues, opting for a brand new deck may be the better option. Your Metrowest deck contractor can help you decide what makes sense for family.

What Type of Deck Lasts Longest?

Because the Metrowest MA area gets severe weather, including heavy winter snows, scorching summer heat, and seasonal storms that can do a lot of damage, you’ll want to choose a durable, long-lasting decking material. Composite decking is durable, stable, and absolutely resists insect and water damage – including mold and mildew.

Best Prices on Custom Deck Design in Metrowest MA

When you’re considering deck contractors, price is an issue. Rather than searching for the lowest bidder, you want to concentrate on getting the best value for your money. That means choosing the deck contractors who are experienced and have a reputation for excellence.

Do You Need a Better Master Bedroom?

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Let’s be really real for a minute here. If company stops over unexpectedly, do you run to shut your bedroom door? Lots of people do. It turns out that “great master bedroom” isn’t on the top priority list for many home buyers in Framingham – odds are you probably paid more attention to the school distract, how long your commute to work would be, and how much you liked the kitchen, yard, and neighborhood when you chose your home.

That’s great – but the master bedroom is where you spend roughly one-third of your life. The room we sleep in should be a restful retreat from the world, a place where you can relax completely and be at peace. If your master bedroom isn’t anything like that, you have options. A master bedroom remodel is one; a master bedroom addition is another. But how do you know you really need a better master bedroom?

Signs You Need a Better Master Bedroom

#1: Your Current Bedroom is Too Small

If you don’t have enough space to move around your master bedroom comfortably, or are struggling to put all of your things away, your master bedroom is to small. It’s time to upgrade to a room large enough to fit your lifestyle. A reasonable master bedroom size, by modern standards, is at least 350 square feet.

#2: There’s a Work Station in Your Bedroom

It’s one thing to bring your work home. It’s another to bring it to bed with you. Your bedroom should be a respite from the pressures and stresses of your professional life. If you’ve created a workspace in your bedroom because it’s the only private, quiet place, you’re doing yourself and your work a disservice. A better alternative? Have a master bedroom addition built and convert your old master bedroom into a home office.

#3: It’s Hard to Get to Your Current Bedroom

As we get older, mobility issues can be a concern. If the fact your current bedroom is on the second or third floor is a cause for concern, having a master bedroom addition built on the first floor makes sense.

2019’s Home Renovations Trend Report: Framingham, MA

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We’ve been home builders in Framingham for quite a while now. Being on the front lines of local home renovations has allowed us to observe some of the most popular local trends. Based on current demand and real estate research on what home renovations deliver the most satisfying ROI, we predict the following home renovation trends for 2019:

The Home Addition – Families are living together in new ways, with older children staying longer in the family home and grandparents joining their childrens’ households. Lots of families are discovering they need more space to make it work. Home additions on the first floor are most popular for family members who may have mobility issues & want to avoid the stairs. If that’s not a current concern, second and third story additions are an option, as is converting the basement into living space.

The Kitchen Upgrade – A perennial favorite home renovation – for a reason! Kitchen remodels happen more often than any other renovation because kitchen trends and technologies change faster than what’s expected in the rest of the home. Today’s focus on healthier lifestyles have many families cooking at home. Pantries are becoming popular again, particularly for larger families as well as among people who entertain regularly.

The Stress-Busting Deck – Enjoy a little r&r in the comfort of your home by having a deck added to the front, back or side of your home. Creative deck design enhances the look of your home while creating a designated area made for enjoyment. Leave your phone in the house and enjoy the sunshine. Watch the kids play in the yard. Enjoy life’s simpler pleasures. Today’s decks are made from composite materials, which means you never have to worry about maintenance, insect damage, or mildew!

Choose Your Own Adventure – If you know what your home needs to make it even more perfect, don’t limit yourself to the top home renovation trends. The best Framingham home builders will work with you to create exactly what you want.

Sunroom Design: The Do’s and Don’ts

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If you’re thinking about having a sunroom added to your Massachusetts home, you’ll want to keep these do’s and don’ts of sunroom design in mind:

DO: Think about your sunroom and your landscaping as part of a total package. When you’re in your sunroom, you’ll be looking out at your landscaping. When you’re in the yard, or passerbys are checking out your home, the sunroom will be seen as an element of your landscaping. It’s important that your sunroom and landscape design be harmonious.

DON’T: Forget to include your family’s lifestyle favorites into the design. The best sunroom designs enhance your family’s ability to enjoy themselves. There are a number of sunroom design configurations available. Choose the one that has the space and format that best suits your family’s lifestyle. This includes thinking about what the kids and pets will enjoy the most!

DO: Give into your love of outdoor living. Massachusetts is a truly beautiful state. Why wouldn’t you want to savor every possible moment of the view? Having a sunroom added to your home means you’ll be able to enjoy all of the beauty of the outdoors from the comfort of your home. Winter snows and springtime storms are much more attractive viewed from a warm, dry location.

DON’T: Overlook the sunroom’s potential as a spot for entertaining. Whether you’re hosting book club, having your best friends over to catch up, or need a place to entertain your children and all of their friends on a rainy afternoon, the sunroom can be the perfect setting. Some families enjoy dining in their sunroom, on either a formal or informal basis.

DO: Choose a contractor who has experience installing sunrooms in Massachusetts. These structures may appear to be simple, but they’re not. This is especially true if you’re having a sunroom installed on your deck: special care is required to create a satisfying experience for the homeowner.

Choosing Deck Contractors in the Greater Boston Area

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If you’re looking to have a deck, patio, screen porch or sunroom added to your home, you need a deck contractor. The reason to choose a deck contractor rather than a general contractor is the same reason you want a cardiologist rather than a primary care physician when you have chest pain: specialists deliver better results.

Here’s how to search for deck contractors in the Greater Boston area:

First, know what you want to have done. Do you want a deck designed and built? Is it time to convert your screen porch into a sun room? Would you like a patio installed? Knowing what you want and how you’ll use it is a critical first step. When you’re choosing a deck contractor, you want to know what you’re choosing them for. You’ll be assessing their ability to execute on your vision.

Second, know what your budget is. Some deck contractors are extremely expensive. Some deck contractors are always the lowest bidder. Most deck contractors are somewhere between these two points. Be aware that construction in general is an area where you get what you pay for. That being said, you want a contractor who will work with the budget available. To do this, you need to know what your budget is.

Third, get online. The internet has made finding deck contractors easier than ever before. Searching “Deck contractors near me” is a great start – just don’t stop there. When you find some likely names, dig a little deeper. Look at review sites, and check their Better Business Bureau rating. If someone has a lot of horrible reviews and a poor record with the Better Business Bureau, choose someone else.

Fourth, schedule an in person meeting. Interview your potential deck contractor. Ask questions, and listen carefully to the answers. Ask to see examples of their work, and for references. Check the references. You want to know your deck contractor is licensed and insured. These are the steps for finding a deck contractor in the Greater Boston area.