What a Difference A Deck Can Make

One of the features that we loved about our house when we bought it almost nine years ago was the screened in deck off the back. How nice it was going to be to sit outside without the bugs bothering us! In the beginning we did enjoy it and when our first son was born, he had fun in his baby and water table out there. As our family grew, we realized a lot of inconvenience about our deck. It was on the smaller side and we instantly went from a family of three to a family of five, so all of being out there together did not work out very well. But more importantly is the placement of this deck. Instead of being off the main living areas of the kitchen or family room, it is off of a side room down the hall from the kitchen.

So we decided to build a larger deck directly off of the kitchen. We went to Home Depot to start researching the different options that were available. We looked at pressure treated wood, composite railing and decking and PVC decking. After pricing it all out and weighing the pros and cons, we decided to go with composite. The extra cost was worth it to us since composite does not need to be painted or stained. With the help of friends and family, my husband built a large deck on the back of the house for us. The he took out the bay window in the kitchen and replaced it with a sliding glass door.

Building the new deck was such a smart investment for us. Yes it increases the value of your home, but more importantly it gave us additional space for our family. Now the kids can run and play on the deck with plenty of room while I make their lunch inside. Since the deck is directly off the kitchen, I can see every move they make. And the deck was a life saver for me when my fourth son was  born. Having a six month old baby to care for all day meant there was barely any time for me to go outside in the yard with the older three. They were too young to be outside in the yard without an adult, but they could go on the deck while I stayed on the deck with the little one.

Of course our old deck is all but abandoned now. The room it is off of is the playroom and no one goes out there anymore. I don't think you could get the door opened with all of the toys in there, even if you did want to go out on that deck. But it is a shame for it to go unused. I may clean it up for the summer and make it a little outdoor office so I can watch the boys play from there and not be attacked by insects. Or I could just put a single lounge chair in there and it could be a quiet, shaded, bug-free place for me to read all of my Kindle books. That actually sounds fantastic.

Do you have a deck on your house? Does your family spend a lot of time out there.