Andrea Aurichio

Somewhere between the porch and the patio, the deck has emerged as an integral part of home design. The deck, unlike the quintessentially American front porch, is a private space located at the rear of the house. In order to get onto the deck, you usually have to go through the house, or at least enter into the back yard. The front porch, on the other hand, is a public gathering place that brings the street scene into the house.

The emergence of the deck as a prevalent feature of home design reflects some significant shifts in lifestyle and attitude. Today, the deck is the single most sought after home improvement second only to kitchen and bathroom renovation. It is the home improvement of choice for do-it-yourselfers.

In our society the front porch was where you sat to watch the “Fords” go by. It was where you went to observe the street scene and get out of the house without actually leaving home. The front porch became a feature of American home design when the “backyard” of a house, was a very utilitarian area. The backyards of old were where we kept our wood piles, coal piles, vegetable gardens, out houses, and clothes lines. In short, the backyard was a work area. It was hidden from the street. The front porch showcased the house. It was where visitors were received. The front porch and the parlor were “public” rooms. You did not entertain visitors in the kitchen or the backyard. Those were private work areas. No admittance.

As the “life style” changed, Americans moved from their front porch to their backyards. The backyard was no longer a workspace. Technology changed all that. People had indoor plumbing, better heating systems, less need for wood and coal piles and clothes lines.

Somewhere along the line, we moved from the front of the house, to the backyard. The deck, unlike a front porch does not mesh with the roof line or any other aspects of the home’s design. The deck just attaches to the rear of the house. Unlike the front porch which was formal and public, the deck is a private gathering place. The deck is intended for socializing, relaxing, viewing gardens, sunsets and spectacular views on waterfront properties. Decking is now an essential feature of home and garden design. Today our decks are designed for parties and informal gatherings. The deck is a place where we relax, cook, eat, sit in a hot tub, and meditate.

Decks have evolved from simple platforms at the rear of the house to elaborate multi-level structures that are designed to enhance a house by capitalizing on the clever utilization of the rear yard, especially if there is a view. The deck expands the living space by joining the indoors with the outdoors. Most decks are accessed by large glass sliding doors or French doors, that lead out to the deck from the living room or kitchen.

These large window-like doors enhance the view of the rear yard and gardens from inside the house, and actually invite you to step outside onto the deck. The early deck was a simple wooden platform lacking in any significant design. It was added to the house as after thought or an update. Many of the early decks were built over patios. They were often constructed by do it yourselfers.

A recent poll conducted by deck builders and contractors indicates that nearly 69% of the poll’s respondents plan to build their own the deck within the next twelve months. A whopping 75% of the respondents plan to design their own decks as well, using deck planning books and instructional videos.

Building a deck is more of an undertaking than you may think. Many of today’s decks are elaborate multi-level, multi-angle structures. They are not simple square or rectangular structures. Planking has also become more elaborate. The ordinary vertical or horizontal planking has been replaced by sophisticated designs in which planks are laid out in geometric designs.

If you are planning to build a deck you will need a permit. You should also expect to see some increase in your tax bill when you project is completed. In Southampton Town, the building department reports thousands of applications for deck permits. The wait time is now between three to four weeks.

Your deck must conform to code. You should be careful about the wood or wood product that you use. You do not want the deck surface to collect mold and mildew and become slimy and slippery. According to the recent poll, 48% of the respondents are planning to use wood that is pressure treated while 32% indicated a preference for low maintenance composite. The cost of the planned deck project this year according to the poll indicates that 29% of the respondents plan on spending less than $2000.00 to build their decks.

Many homeowners will spend a lot more for this significant addition to their home. A well designed deck does add value to a house. The use of railings, frequently required by municipalities, are partly a safety issue, but also add a great deal of pizzazz to your deck design. The railings contribute to a sense of enclosure and are an important design factor that unify multi-level elaborate decks.

The deck is no longer an after thought in new construction. It is an integral part of the home design that now meshes with the rest of the house. In renovations, despite the high percentage of do-it-yourselfers who weighed in on the recent poll, architects frequently draw up plans.

In an older homes, particularly where walls are knocked out and replaced with large sliding doors that will lead out to newly constructed expansive rear decking, we are dealing with major construction issues. You want to do it right. In cases like this, the new home improvement dramatically updates the house without destroying any of the architectural or historic integrity of the home.

In the ultimate meshing of styles, we are now seeing our rear decks mimic our front porches in terms of their design. Stairs and railings are copied and echoed in the new deck addition which will then look like it was always there, an integral part of the home’s design.

We have come full circle. We will meet our neighbors on our front porch as they walk by. Then we will invite them to have a drink on the deck. Our public space invites you into our more private space, but you are still outside the inner sanctum.

source : www.hamptons.com