The First Thing to Decide...

Start with the Function Of Your Deck:

Just How Do You Want to Use it?

"We really have the best customers out there because they take their decks so seriously and are willing to consider many of our suggestions and past experiences when making their decisions" says Sam from our office.

Deciding on your deck is really a function of 3 separate but equally important parts:

1. The Looks of it
2. The Function of it
3. The Budget

You would think you would start with the looks or with the budget, but we actually encourage you to start with the function. Know how your deck will be used and write it down. Once the function is decided you can select the look you want. Finally, find out what your dream deck will cost and compare that to your budget. We would rather you have to scale down a few things on your wish list to match your budget rather than sacrifice your deck's function or appearance. And during your free consults, we can share our years of experience of what to trim or substitute so you can get a deck that meets your goals for all 3 of these. 

You may think it's a pretty simple decision, but we really encourage you to take a few extra minutes and consider the use of your deck. Here are the more popular reasons we've gathered from our clients over the years:

Moses,

I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I appreciate your company moving my deck completion date up. We ended up having our party at 12:30 on Sunday (about 75 people came) and everyone loved the deck. We love it too, it turned out beautifully! I’ve recommended you to a couple of my friends, so hopefully you’ll get some other work out of it.
Thanks again for a great job!
Patty Br.      

(We didn’t list their full names here on the site, but let us know if you want to talk these folks or any of our other past customers.)

1. Morning Coffee outdoors with only the birds as background noise.
2. Children's play area within eyesight of Mom and Dad (ask us about our "splinter proof" choices you have"
3. Sunbathing without having to drive to the pool or beach.
4. Saturday lunches
5. Tuesday night dinners on the grill
6. Sunday afternoon newspaper reading
7.  A home office with a killer view
8. The next family graduation party
9. The neighborhood party
10. Unwind in your hot tub
11. Start that new book in the evening after dinner
12. By adding a small fountain or waterfall to your deck, you can create your own private retreat.
13. Add value to your property

Insider Tips on Planning for Your New Deck

Will Hapeman, knows as The Decorating Coach tells his clients to be clear about what you want to use your deck for. "Think of your new deck as an extension of your home. If you could add one more room to your home what would it be? More living space? What do you see yourself doing in your new outdoor room? If think it will be just you and your spouse and you don’t do a lot of entertaining, a smaller deck should work. But if you envision big summer barbeques with the whole extended family over, then of course you’ll need something larger. I hate to use this cliché, but Form Really does Follow Function.

If you want your new outdoor room to perform more than one duty- you may want to think about ways to 'section off your deck.' You could have one area on a slightly raised platform for the dining area, and another part that is lowered for the hot tub. If you'll be doing a lot of dining on your new deck, then you should at least get prices on adding a gazebo or a pergola.

Give some thought to how the deck will look when completed against your existing background. A tree filled back yard may look better with a lighter material than a darker one. And a traditional mahogany deck material could make the brick in your house stand out more than a pressure treated wood. One of the reasons I like Decks R Us is they can give their advice and experience on these questions plus a whole lot more.

So once you know the different ways you'll use your deck, you can then wisely decide upon the size.
Mose from Decks R Us has a great no strings way to get a ball park price on what you want: "Make a little sketch of how you want your deck laid out. In fact, I can sometimes give folks an estimate of their deck just from this preliminary idea they have."

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Selecting specifically where the deck should go is worth a little more thought.

"Two things go into where your deck will be situated. The first is how you'll be using it- what existing doors will you be coming in and out of and what rooms do you want to lead out onto your deck." suggests veteran Deck builder John. "And it doesn't mean reconfiguring your whole house either. Rather than paying to have new door constructed to go out from your kitchen to your deck, just use the window as a pass through. You'll save a hundred steps by opening it up and using it like a dumb waiter. If you are looking at above ground pool decks, use the same logic to thing about things which side you want the steps on."

"IF you have an especially great view from one part of your home, proper positioning of your new deck can take full advantage of it. And if you are considering adding a hot tub, a gazebo, or wood deck railing put some thought into where on your deck-which side- you'll want them in any of your deck designs."
The way the sun passes over your deck throughout the day, the cross breeze you'll get and any existing landscaping-especially larger older trees should all be considered when planning your deck.

That’s one of the reasons why put so much importance on the No Obligation Free Consultations.

During your Free Consultation, we'll be spending time outside taking a look at the possible sight for your new deck. With the years of experience we have in building custom decks, we may be able to point out something you may not have thought of.

The 2nd thing John suggests you consider is the look of your deck. And don't forget how the deck will look from the inside of you home. One of the reasons we give you so many choices of material is so you will enjoy viewing the deck once your out on it, but also from the inside.

Flower boxes, benches, even a pergola are some options to consider to make your deck more visually appealing.

Considering the size and scale

Finally, put some thought into how the deck will look with your house. "Decks should not look like they were an after thought. Even if you get the deck built 20 years after the house was constructed, You should always be pleased when it's done with the way both deck and house look like they were put up at the same time."

A smaller deck on a larger house can look almost cheap. Many homes in developments over the past 10 years came with a deck, but it's 10 feet by 10 feet dimension makes it look almost silly. Larger houses look best with a deck that at least has added length to it. And depending on what options you decide with, you'll be surprised at how affordable it actually is.

On the other hand, a longer narrower deck on a smaller home can look equally as out of place. You can still the get the outdoor living space you are looking for, but give some thought to going out away from the house, using different levels rather than one long same surface deck."

Some Free Expert Advice on Deck Planning:

“This may sound silly, but grab a garden hose and lay out the dimension you were thinking of for your new decks, “suggests Decks R Us Ray Ebersole. Then move the furniture of the approximate same size like chairs, tables, and benches out into the marked off area and see if fits comfortably.” Review your area to see if you will have enough room to do all the activities that you want your deck for.

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Deck Sizes at a Glance...

Size of the Deck….
Some Free Advice on Entertaining and the Size of Your Deck:

Owner John explains in this real life story:

"When I was meeting with Liz during her Free Consult, I asked her more about the entertaining she would be doing on her new deck. We originally were talking about a deck that was 12 feet by 24 feet.
When I asked her how many people she was thinking about entertaining, she said 20-25 people per event.

I explained to Liz that if she wanted to comfortably fit a table with 6 chairs, an umbrealla, her grill and couple of loung chairs, the 12 by 24 deck was great. But if she was looking to fit 20 people on her deck, she might want to consider going a little bigger. A 12 by 24 is good for 10 maybe 15 people. So what we actually did was create a little bit of a shape. We made a 6 foot by 16 foot bump on the front of the deck, with the clipped corners. This way she could position her table half way on the bump out and half way on the deck and still have the open space she was looking for.
Lastly, we suggested to Liz to add some corner benches to her deck for built in seating that would comfortably fit 6 people. This way she wouldn't need to worry about adding additional chairs-which would have taken up much more space than the built in benches do."

Don't be afraid to "think big" with us. We'll be happy to give you an idea how much your "dream deck" will cost. And if it happens to be out of your budget, we can work with you to discuss what parts of the project we can trim to bring back in line with what you intended to spend. "What matters most to me is doing a great job explaining- up front- what their budget will get them and in some cases, what it won't."

Our Customers Have Buyers’ Remorse…

“One of the favorite parts of building a deck is seeing the customer’s reaction to our finished work” says Decks R Us Crew Leader Joe. “But every now and again, I hear them say- ‘Boy, now that I see my finished deck, I wish I would have added_____’. Since our decks are built to last a long time, I guess they regret not going with the lights or corner steps. Benches for example, are pretty easy to add after the fact. But lights, pergolas or gazebos will be a little more expensive if you want to add it after the deck is built.”

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“It’s always better if someone has an idea of what they want before we meet,” advises Decks R Us owner John  “Most times people do but every now and then I’ll meet someone for their Free Consultation and they will have no idea what the want.  Not that I mind helping- don’t get me wrong- but a little bit of homework before we meet can really make best use of our time together.”

If you are thinking about a deck, here are a few suggested steps to get you started:

Get an idea of what you like AND what you don’t like

Drive around your own neighborhood and peak to see what other folks have done. If you want to have something unique, you’ll need to know what Joneses have done. If you see something you like- take a picture with your phone or maybe make a quick sketch of what you like. And get a feel on your property of what size deck you think you would like. Decks R Us suggests grabbing some garden hose and placing them on the ground to get a feel and a look for what size would work best for you.  Or you can spray paint the grass.  Probably best if you did that during the spring and summer though. Same thing with what you DON’T LIKE. 

“Remember,” says Mose, “you are not committing to anything yet.  You are just finding out what you want.”

Interior Designer Will Hapeman backs this up.  “Whether you are working with a professional for your interior space or outside spaces, the chances are pretty slim that they will be able to read your mind.  Make sure to include references to what you don’t like as well.  You can never give too much information to a designer when working on your project.

Hapeman, The Decorating Coach recommends putting together a “Style File”:

• Go through magazines and cut out pictures of what you like
• Find pictures of the size you like
• The materials you like
• The details and features you like
• And anything else that helps give the designer a concrete idea of what you are looking for.

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Know Your Budget  

Take your time on our web site and you can get a really good feel for what things cost.  Our home page gives you some different ranges and the things that went into the price. Normally there are 3 things that will determine the price of your deck

1. The size
2. The material
3. How fancy you want it

You will be able to find cheaper deck builders!  

But be very careful when someone gives you a “too good to be true price.”  Read more of our objective advice in our “Things to Look For in a Deck Builder” section

 It’s always a good idea to establish your budget before starting and to figure out how you’ll pay for it.  Many of our customers use a home equity line of credit because of the high return on investment a deck can bring to the home’s value.  Decks R Us is coming close to offering a financing deal.   If it’s something you are interested in, give us a call or send us an email.
  What decks cost, check out our picture gallery…
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Shop for a Deck Builder

Looking around different deck builders web sites can give you a good feel for what the company is like.  Once you have done some of this preliminary research, call 2 or 3 different builders.  If you are still some time away, you may want to just phone interview them but if you are really serious and want your deck in 6 months or less, you can’t get away from having them out.  For any good deck builder to give you an estimate- or our one of a kind Decks R US Guaranteed to The Penny Quote- they will need to see your space. When interviewing deck contractors in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, make sure you pick someone who will work for you.   If you know what you want-make sure they understand it upfront. 

 “In talking with a lot of my past customers, during my ‘Is Everyone Happy?’ calls, they will tell me how they met with some deck builders who said –‘This is what you get-this is the price- take it or leave it’.  I wonder if folks realize that not all deck builders are like that.  At least Decks R Us isn’t… And make sure any deck builder you will be interviewing is insured. 

Read more about shopping tips including finding someone like Decks R Us who’ll get all your permits in our What’s This Going to Cost section.

Invite the Deck Builder Out

Once someone has called us, and we arrange a time that makes everyone happy, the consultation is pretty simple:
We hear what you are looking for, take a look at your space and ask a bunch of questions and start making some free recommendations right there.

When we look at your space, we’ll be checking some things out in detail that you may not have thought of:

• What’s the condition of the ground where the deck will go?
• Can we get our stronger 6 x 6 footers in there?
• What material is the house made from so our flashers will give the run off we want for our customers?
• How does the possible size of the deck fit with the scale of the entire house?
• How will it look from the back, the sides, …from all sides

Maybe Mose can help out with a couple of things that go through his mind when he walks a site.

If you have collected any pictures of what you like and don’t like- we review them here.

Next, we’ll draw up a simple schematic so that we are on the same page

We’ll discuss some of the choices you have like types of rails, material, and other options

And we can usually give a ball park idea of what it would cost.

From there, if you like, we can take our notes back to our shop in Lancaster and come up with a To The Penny Guaranteed Quote, based on what you told us.

 “It’s not a problem to do 2.  I normally leave with a pretty good idea of what folks are looking for but if for some reason I missed the point completely with my proposed design, I’ll find out what I missed and do another one for you.”

 

Some Free Insider Deck Advice :

Always, always make sure the deck builder gives you a good drawing of what your deck will be like before building starts. 

Decks R Us Ray adds, “ I suggest you get 2-maybe 3 estimates after you have narrowed down your search.  You can make a final selection based on the designs they gave you.  But if you just have that good gut feeling- if you know ‘This is the guy!’-the stick with him.  That’s probably the most important thing you can have.”

Ask about the quality of the workmanship- do they use hidden fasteners? Will they use picture frames?  Are they using 6 x 6 posts are skimping with something smaller.

Learn more in our Things to Look For in a Deck Builder Section
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Make Your Final Decision and Get Excited!

Once you have decided, before you sign, find out what the “lead time” is- or-how long will it take to get your deck finished.

We Build Decks 12 Months Out of the Year.

Most homeowners think decks are built only in the spring and summer.  Maybe the fall.  But Decks R Us builds decks all year round.  Because so much of the work going into your customized deck will take place in our production faculty in Lancaster, we are able to work even when its nasty out. 

Lead times in the summer have gotten as long as 3 months!  All the more reason to consider getting a deck built in the winter months.  “And sometimes we offer special incentives for Winter work- so make sure to ask us,” suggests Sam of the inside Decks R Us team.

7 Reasons why Decks R Us Builds a Better Deck…

1. We get all the permits- the township, the building permits- all in compliance you’re your specific location.
2. We clean up after ourselves.  We are on the job site a matter of days-not weeks- and pride ourselves keeping your property (and your neighbors) gezunkletich (That’s Pennsylvania Dutch for tidy.)
3. We only use Hidden fasteners on most of our decks.  They are more attractive and mean less stubbed toes because you wont have screws popping up.  Who wants a deck you can’t go barefoot on?
4. We use engineered approved designs for long lasting durability.  All our designs are approved AND stamped by a certified structural engineered if needed.
5. We guarantee no rust on our flashes AND we hide this necessary but ugly part of sound deck construction to prevent water build up.
6. All of our posts are  6 x 6 under your deck for more stability
7. Our drawings are exactly what you wanted and what you were looking for..

And 1 Bonus Reason why Decks R Us Builds a Better Deck…

We’re always available.  “It tickles me when customers comment how available we are.  They don’t have to rely on a cell phone of some Jack of Trades who is up on the roof somewhere.  We have a fulltime office staff and we all work very closely with our clients." 

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Are you ready for the next thing to decide? Click here to learn more about “Which Deck Material Should You Chose?”