Here are the Deck and Porch Trends of 2015, some of the trends are long running trends that started in previous years and continued into this one. There are other trends that have started more recently and are gaining in popularity.
The planning and design of decks and porches has changed so quickly that you should really take your time and work with a professional so that you don’t waste time and your hard earned money.
Decks and Porches of Custom homes
Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;
• Composite decking continues to be extremely popular with new deck tops. The longevity of the product, the amount of different colours and the many different textures that are available has made it a desirable decking material.
• Hidden fasteners are now the norm when installing decking. People like the smooth simple look of no fasteners. The hidden fasteners work by applying the fasteners to the joist and then screwing into the bottom of the decking boards. It’s a little more labour intensive but the look is well worth it.
• The structural framing that is assembled to support decks and porches are still mostly pressure treated wood. It is still the most cost effective way to build the structural component and have any sort of longevity.
• The foundations of decks and especially porches have changed. In the past normal sauna tubes where used by burying them and then filling them with concrete. Today the trend is to use a “bigfoot” or “footing tube”, these are premade molded plastic forms that you bury in the ground and then fill with concrete. They have a large bell on the bottom of them that create a footing at the bottom, this helps spread the weight of the porch or deck and reduces the likely hood of frost heave in the winter.
• Less people are using pressure treated for the topping on the deck. This is a trend that has over the years become the norm.
• LED lighting is a normal thing now in decks. You can find the lighting installed in the top of deck posts, the end joists, the stair treads and around the doors that enter and exit the house on to the deck or porch.
• Glass railings with metal posts to help increase the view from elevated porches and decks is the most common form of railing when considering any kind of view.
• The fastest growing segment of material for the tops of decks has to be torrefied or thermally modified wood. This is a decking that is placed in kilns and dried until there is virtually no moisture left in the wood. It turns the colour of the wood a brown colour and is guaranteed to last a lifetime. No chemicals are needed and there are a variety of woods that you can get it in, your choices include most hardwoods like maple and ash and some soft woods like pine.
• The last couple years has seen the evolution of the deck joist, we are now constructing what is called the 100 year deck joist. This is when you wrap the top portion of the deck joist with a waterproofing membrane so that the part of the deck that comes in contact with the most moisture is protected from water penetration.
Here is a list of the trends that have started this year or last year and are growing in popularity;
• Powered bug screened porches are now on everyone’s must have list for custom homes. This allows a homeowner to at a push of a button have a bug screen lower out of the ceiling so that the outdoors becomes a bit friendlier to be in.
• Masonry hand built pizza ovens, Rumford fireplaces and stone patios have become all the rage. Everyone wants to sit outside and relax in front of a real roaring fire during the summer.
• Brown pressure treated decking is wanted by more and more people as it resembles cedar (well until it fades to silver after a couple of months).
• There are a lot of people that are going back to stone patios instead of wooden decks. The longevity that comes with a stone patio over the wood deck helps justify the higher cost of the stone patio.
• Gas fire pits are popping up in decks as people are looking for that excuse to stay outside on their decks longer into the evening and there is nothing that is more of a gathering point then a fire pit.
• On larger homes that are on smaller lots architects are having core slabs installed and then having the decks installed above it. This allows the home to have a large outdoor section to entertain but also to have livable space below. This is extremely important when you are living on smaller lots in town where space is at a premium.
Whatever you do for your deck or porch you need to remember that there are new products and techniques that are coming out every year and that working with a professional will ensure that you have access to them.
Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.
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