Trends in custom home decks 2013

2013- Decks and porches of Custom Homes

Here are some trends in the Decks and porches of custom homes in 2013. Some of the trends have started this year (2013), a lot of trends where started in the 2012 construction year and continued into this calendar year. There are trends that have been sustained year over year as well; they are the long running trends.

Decks and Porches of Custom homes

Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;

• The structures that hold up decks and porches are still mostly made of pressure treated wood. It is still the most cost effective way to build the frame of a deck and have it last a long time.

• The moving away from natural wood for the top of the deck continues. The past most decks where pressure treated or cedar. Today homeowners are willing to pay extra for something that has the chance to last the lifetime that they own their home.

• Glass railings to increase the view from elevated porches and decks is now more common then wood railings when views are being considered.

• Outdoor spaces have become more important than they ever where before, they are now gathering
areas for family and friends and thus are designed to do more things than ever before. Such as dining areas and lounging areas.

Here is a list of the trends that have started this year and are growing in popularity;

• One of the newest thing going on decks is torrefied wood. This is natural wood like pine or spruce that has been heated and pressurized until the cells in the wood collapse. This process leaves the wood with almost zero moisture and because the cells have collapsed there is no way for it to reabsorb more moisture when installed outside.

• Composite decking has been installed in almost records amounts. This is because the new composite decking is light years beyond the stuff that was first sold decades ago. The variety in color and the durability has made it extremely attractive to homeowners.

• Wrapping the top of wood joists with waterproofing membrane. This creates what we call the “100 year deck joist”, the process waterproofs the top of joist where the fastener penetrates the joist from the topping but allows the bottom of the joist to dry with air movement.

• The decking railings have changed as well. One of the hottest things today is using rot iron railings instead of wood. The sturdy metal can be created in a pattern you desire. It can also be painted any colour that you want.

• LED lighting in the post caps and the decking are popping everywhere. This helps illuminate steps, deck edges and railing tops.

Custom decks have more and more choices every year and the trends seem to be changing about as fast as the materials that they are being built from. The cost of a lot of these trends is high but the longevity that you will get out of most of these new products is impressive.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.