What to Consider When Building a Deck
High-Performance Deck Planning
The end result: your own private oasis, mere feet from the fridge. The process? Nearly as easy, provided you envision your plans for using this newfound entertaining/relaxing/al-fresco-everything living space. You’ll want to be able to tell your top rails from your balusters for sure, but it’s also time to consider some bigger questions, like how much space do you need to pull out the dining chairs? Does your town require architectural plans before permits? And what about a hot tub?
Design Considerations
It’s easier to change your mind on paper than after discovering your new patio furniture is bigger than your new deck. So we’ve assembled a few ideas to keep in mind as you consider your outdoor space, from how you’ll use it to how you’ll get in and out of it.
How will you use it?
The Size of Your Space
FOR SMALL SPACE
Check local building codes about setback requirements for your property; you can always consider a multi-level deck that makes use of vertical space, using the lower level for storage or a stone patio.
FOR LARGE SPACES
With plenty of room for all the bells and whistles, Trex fits the bill: everything from pergolas to cantilevers to elaborate railing designs is easy with our strong and sturdy outdoor products.
UNIQUE DECKS
Our ability to create curved decking and railing lets you work around any obstruction and easily maximize an irregular space. Seemingly useless areas can transform into the perfect nook, bench or privacy wall.
Sun and Shade
Let There Be Light
Some spaces welcome the sun–beach and poolside locations come to mind–exactly where decking with our fade & stain warranty comes in handy. So you’ll never suffer a summer’s worth of fade marks where the table and doormat used to be.
Throw Me Some Shade
Trex can easily work around existing trees or wooded lots to maximize your yard’s natural shade. Alternately, installing a gazebo or pergola can shoo away the sun over seating areas or dining tables while adding drama to your landscape.
Entrances & Exits
How to get from the house to the yard–with lots of beautiful stops in between.
Stand Alone
Building a low-lying deck amidst landscaping at the end of your yard, for example, creates a new area of interest, while building a deck over difficult terrain can turn a mud pit into your yard’s winningest feature.
Multiple Access Points
Multi-level and wraparound deck configurations accommodate lots of friends, invite intrigue, and can create beautiful upstairs / downstairs entry points to both the house and the yard, often making stairs and railing the focal point of your space. Trex® Deck Lighting™ installed along railing and into stair risers keeps night walks safe and amps the drama.
Places to Lean, Sit or Maintain Privacy
Railing
Railing–the only thing your neighbors really see–is easy to design and build almost any way you wish with Trex, and provides the perfect perch from which to survey all the action. With our mix-and-match modular system, Trex railing can do anything, from starring as the finale of your deck’s design vision to enhancing the view beyond it. And for safety’s sake, be sure to check local building codes regarding decks a certain height off the ground or requiring styles taller or shorter than standard issue.
Benches
As an option to complement patio furniture, Trex high-performance composite boards and matching fascia are the perfect splinter-free bench-building materials. Curved along railings, angled around a bay window or even wrapped around a favorite tree, a Trex bench creates long-lasting, seamless seating.
Fencing
Especially when the goal is privacy, a Trex fence makes for generous neighbors indeed, with a good-looking, non-peeling finish on both sides–one you’ll never have to refinish.
