Show us your deck/patio pics!

[Fireup2020]

Good afternoon! We are currently working with an architect for a slew of home-improvement projects. First in order are the simultaneous projects of the new deck in the back and an additional basement bathroom. Please share your pics of your decks/patio, and if you had it built or DIY, please share your success and horror stories. Any hot tubs built in? (our new deck will incorporate the existing hot tub, and we are hoping to have the edge of the deck built with a seat/bench halfway "around" the fire pit in the yard.

Please share your pics of your decks/patio, and if you had it built or DIY, please share your success and horror stories.

Thank you!

[bbbamI]

We considered having a deck built, but created our own sitting area in our yard. The patio was already there, so no new construction. We dug the pond out ourselves and placed the rock around it. Same for the gravel path and flower beds.

Note to self and others....don't dig a pond yourself. Hire someone else do it....it's back breaking work.

Here's a pic of our patio and extra sitting area (the sitting area pic is about 3 years old). We're going to build a cabinet to hide the grill and cushions. Well..that is when it's not so hot outside....

[donheff]

This is a side view of the deck at our place on the water. I don't have any actual views of the deck surface. The deck is about 10 feet wide and bumps out to match the house profile. The stairs on the left lead down to a lower level deck with a hot tub built in. That part is wider and wraps around the side of the house. To the rear (out of site from this view) two steps lead down to the pool patio. The lower deck section was set down three steps to provide a better transition to the patio. I love this deck. In the morning it is completely in shade with panoramic water views.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donheff In the morning it is completely in shade with panoramic water views.

That's the reason we didn't spend big bucks on having a deck built. The only views we have are our fence and the roofs of our neighbor's houses.

Beautiful home and deck Don!

[Fireup2020]

Nice!! Don - did you have it built, did it come with the house, or did you DIY?

bbbamI - we are going to pay $100 for a couple guys to move and stack nearly a cord of wood we split - from the driveway to behind the garage in the woodshed to be built this week...learned that lesson from lugging the logs onto the log splitter yesterday! I truly believe it will be money well spent!

[JPatrick]

Consider using a few unusal shapes in your plan. Most of our decking is rectangle, so we decided to extend with an octagon for added interest.
If you are looking for seating ideas just google "deck seating" then click images. More ideas than you'll ever use..

[donheff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fireup2020 Nice!! Don - did you have it built, did it come with the house, or did you DIY?

We built the house. I laid out the concept for the deck and the builder realized it. Unfortunately, when I DIY things they tend to suck rocks. SO I keep that stuff on the safe side - fixing bikes, etc.

[dessert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPatrick Consider using a few unusal shapes in your plan. Most of our decking is rectangle, so we decided to extend with an octagon for added interest. If you are looking for seating ideas just google "deck seating" then click images. More ideas than you'll ever use..

Nice deck Jpatrick.....uh what critter are you trying to catch there?

[JPatrick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dessert Nice deck Jpatrick.....uh what critter are you trying to catch there?

Trying to catch the impossible to catch..ARMADILLO..I cannot believe how much grief those SOB's have caused me.

That's what I try to catch, what I generally catch are lots of raccoons, a few skunks (special processing) sometimes a possum, now and then a woodchuck, but never an armadillo.

[Ronstar]

I built our cedar deck in 1994. A few years ago, the cedar started rotting and would not take stain. So I replaced all the cedar with Trex, and added skirting.

I'm glad I went with a composite material and aluminum ballisters - very little maintenance. I live by a lake with lots of humidity, so I have to power wash the deck every year to get mildew spots off.

I also added new rock steps and outcroppings down to our lower level patio. The rock work is a lot of strenuous work, but I pulled them into place with my atv and winch.

[grasshopper]

Second story walking deck.

[FinanceDude]

You FIRED folks live in nice houses!

[RockyMtn]

Here is our patio/deck. Basically covers entire back yard. Concrete is stained slab. Deck area is ipe, a very dense brazilian hardwood. Pergola is cedar. Cement areas existed when we bought the house. Hired pros last summer who added decking, pergola, extended patio stairs, added bbq island, added gas firepit and seating area around firepit. We love it. Kind of a "New Orleans" courtyard feel. All containers are drip irrigated so we can turn on the timer and leave.

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[freebird5825]

Raised ranch house with porch (with outside walkway) and lower deck, all PT. Higher maintenance, but within our budget at the time it was built. Composite materials were just coming out, and it was too expensive for such a large project. A rustic design was necessary for an area with severe winters.
The upper porch has screens and custom made detachable plexiglas panels to accomodate all 4 seasons, i.e. prevent rain and snow from ruining the interior. There is an outdoor grade ceiling fan inside the porch to increase airflow when I am out there. There is a gap between the top of the plexiglas panels and the upper part of each screened opening for airflow 24/7. The roof overhang keeps precipitation from coming in through those upper gaps.
The porch is surrounded (3 sides) by an outer walkway with an extended roof overhang, very handy for grilling in any weather and growing my container garden.
The lower deck has a built in hot tub, whose weight is carried by a very thick concrete slab. Having the tub built in at a lower height is very handy for entry into and departure from the tub. The supporting legs of the deck were adjusted accordingly to the ground level sloping away from the house.
The lattice w*rk is for privacy. Note the small covered section, with an angled top (for snowload) and hooks for our robes.
Lower concrete patio and "Lincoln Logs" style fireplace were added later. The concrete has three grooves cut into it to allow some flex for ground heave. There is not a single crack in it.
Two layers of plastic covered with 3 inches of gravel is underneath both the porch and lower deck. No unwanted burrowing creatures so far.
Bonus points - no mowing or weedwhacking required.

[KingB]

These are the pictures that we got from the realtor's website when we were buying the house. Nothing has changed. The pergola really helps from getting a direct hit from the sun. The lattice gives us some privacy but not enough. The decking is synthetic decking. The grass is synthetic.

[calmloki]

Our upper deck is simple but crowded at the moment. Airing out continues.

[73ss454]

We used Travertine for the deck area. It actually goes back into a Lanai area that is covered partially by the roof overhang. The travertine doesn't get hot and it's not slippery so no one slips and falls.


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[Purron]

How's this for a nice deck First one taken through a window with a screen because I couldn't get the back door open.

[Lakedog]

First is from the screened porch; second is from the deck showing a very primitive fire pit and walkway to pier/docks.

[Midpack]

I'd be too embarrassed. It's in decent shape but it's a plain 10'x14' rectangle with a rail and bench around it, nothing exciting about it. But the deck will be more of a priority in the next house...