Planning For Your Deck
Landscape
Enhance the beauty and function of your landscape by building a deck. Blend outdoor living space with your landscape and create an area for privacy, entertaining and family activities. Building a deck is the ideal do-it-yourself home construction project. If you can use a hammer, saw and level, you can be successful. Good preparation will help you design and build an attractive Latitudes® composite deck.
Before You Start
Several factors must be considered before you can design and build your deck. Some of the key considerations are:
- Design a size to accommodate present and future needs.
- Anticipate uses – privacy, family recreation, entertaining, etc.
- Number of people and type of furniture your deck will need to accommodate.
- Desired exposure to sun, shade and breezes.
- View – highlight the good and not the bad.
- How well the deck will blend in with other landscaping and general terrain.
- Safety – keep children and elderly in mind.
- Access to various rooms of the home.
- Determine location and depth of utility and drainage lines, including access locations.
Be sure that the design and style you decide upon today will make you happy and proud for years to come. Consider your deck as a focal point of the overall landscape of your home. Be creative in size, shape and levels. Choose decorative and unusual accents. Selecting composite decking makes the most of your investment in time, effort and money. Take time to check out various deck plans and completed decks in your neighborhood for design ideas. Draw out your planned deck to scale, showing attachment to the existing structure and location on your lot.
Using your scaled drawing, you are now ready to develop your materials list.
Basic Tool Checklist:
Most deck projects will require
- Hammer
- Circular saw
- Drill and bits
- Square
- Chalk line
- Nylon twine
- Tape measure
- Hand saw
- Level
- Post hole digger
The instructions on this page are for illustrative purposes only, and are not meant to replace a licensed professional. Any construction or use of the product must be in accordance with all local zoning and/or building codes. The consumer assumes all risks and liability associated with the construction or use of this product. The consumer or contractor should take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the project, including, but not limited to, wearing the appropriate safety equipment. Universal Forest Products, Inc., makes no warranty, either express or implied, and shall not be liable for any damages, including consequential damages.
