To Deck or Not to Deck: Outdoor Living Space Options

Porches, Decks, and Patios

When designing your new home, most of the focus goes into designing the interior spaces. Outdoor spaces become an afterthought. After all, you will spend most of your time inside your home and those spaces do need to be well thought out. However, many don’t realize how important the outside spaces are until they are actually living in their new home and the realization hits that they should have spent some time on planning their design and use. Porches, decks, and patios offer different benefits, different aesthetics, and can serve different functions. It is important to evaluate each when including them into the design of a new home.

Porches, Rocking Chairs, and Andy Griffith

For many, porches kindle thoughts of days gone by. Many go back to thoughts of watching Andy, Aunt Bea, and Opie sitting on the front porch and relaxing after the Sunday afternoon dinner. Whatever your memories, porches offer some great options to provide additional useful outdoor living space for a home. Don’t just think about front porches, they can be just as functional for the rear of the home. The roof offers protection from both the sun and the rain and can offer real usable space for at least three seasons of the year.

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When designing a porch, there a few design tips that can make the difference between having an ok porch and really having an extra outdoor living room. Ceiling fans can make a huge difference, but should be thought of when building the home. On a day that may be too hot to be outside, a little air movement can make the difference between enjoying the porch that day or staying inside. Fans are much more difficult and expensive to install later after your home is built. Porch size matters. A width of four feet is essentially a decorative porch, it looks nice as an architectural feature but isn’t that functional. With a width of six or eight feet, a porch has room for chairs, tables, and space for everyone to move around.

The Deck Party

Decks are the go-to option for outdoor living space. It is usually the lowest cost way to get space outside and the explosive growth in options has made decks a low maintenance and attractive way to get useable outdoor living space. A large deck can provide lots of space for family and friends, support cookouts, or provide viewing space for that beautiful view. Decks are also easily adjusted to be built at practically any level. They can be one foot off the ground or sixteen feet in the air. They can even be multi-storied.

Materials for building decks have come a long ways in the last 20 years. No longer do you have to use pressure treated lumber that warps and requires almost annual maintenance. Today’s materials are practically maintenance free, cool, and beautiful. They offer lots of options and upgrades. Just remember, they all come at a price that can quickly escalate the price of a deck beyond what was originally budgeted.

When designing a deck, the obvious choice is to have it face the view or the backyard. What gets forgotten is the sun’s summer location. Decks aren’t typically covered so sun position should play a large role in determining its location on the home. However, this is rarely thought of until move in day and the housewarming cookout blowout. A deck that faces the south or southwest on a 90 degree summer day can be almost unbearable to be on. Many homebuyers realize too late that the beautiful deck they looked forward to so much will hardly be used for daytime cookouts because it is just uncomfortable to be on.

Patios: The Wonder Space

Patios can serve many functions and come in all shapes and sizes. Materials that are used can range from concrete to slate, stone, and even wood parquets. Designers have created some amazing livings spaces with patios. They are the hybrid outdoor living space. They typically extend out from the home but in many cases, have a creative cover over some or all of the patio. These can range from trellises for side privacy, pergola’s which offer natural cover from sun and weather, or just open space to enjoy the sun.

There is almost endless opportunity for design with Patios. Just keep in mind that patios can easily become one of the most expensive options for getting outdoor living space. However, most of the materials used for space are low maintenance and can be enjoyed for years. With permeable concrete products coupled with natural plantings, a patio is a candidate to be the best green option for designing space outdoors.

There is No Bad Option

No matter which option you choose, outdoor living space is a great complement when designing your new custom modular home. Just remember to allocate some time for designing your outdoor living spaces when you are designing the inside living spaces. The two can work hand and hand to enhance the enjoyment of your new custom home!