Hooked on wood decks

Better Homes and Gardens contacted us a little while ago to let us know that they have a lot of resources on their web site for building decks. They asked us if we would be interested in sharing these resources with our blog buddies. Seeing as my deck has been a work in progress for about 5 years (I’m sure it’ll have a railing eventually…), and Victoria and her hubby are planning to add a deck to their home soon, we decided that we would most definitely be happy to not only share BHG’s info about backyard decks, but put some of their info to use ourselves!!

So that’s why this for this week’s Hooked on Fridays—hosted by the summery Julia at Hooked on Houses—I’m hooked on wood decks :-)

First off, here are some helpful links on the BHG web site:

• Complete list of BHG deck resources
• 10 Things to Know Before Building Your Deck (We used the hidden fasteners in slide 2 for our deck – they’re great, because you don’t have any exposed screws. You can buy them here.)
• Designing the Perfect Deck (If you’re like my hubby, it’ll take you 3 years to perfect the deck design!!)
• Wood Deck Maintenance (A great option today is composite decking. You can read about composite decking materials here. Also, the cooler fall season is a great time to stain or re-stain your deck.)
• 10-Point Safety Checklist (Safety requirements can vary in different countries, provinces, states, and cities. Be sure to check out the requirements in your area before you get started.)

These are just some of the beautiful decks at BHG…

 

And now let’s take a look at some beach decks, contemporary decks, and traditional decks.

I don’t know about you, but my deck has to have at least a couple of Adirondack chairs. OK, these ones aren’t actually ON a deck, but they set the mood for summertime lounging, don’t you think?? :-)

Adirondack Chair Online

storesonlinepro.com

And how about an Adirondack chair on a deck by the beach (pics from Completely Coastal)…

Artist Daniel Pollera creates amazingly realistic coastal paintings. Wouldn’t you love to be sitting on one of his decks right now…

This deck is practically in the water!!

Southern Accents

An apartment might have a little balcony deck…

Greayer

…and some houses have lots of decks, like this house in Chile called Metamorfosis 1. It’s a renovation of an existing wooden house by architects José Ulloa Davet & Delphine Ding. Can you imagine having to stain all that wood?! (pics from affluence.org and archdaily.com)

And not to be outdone, here’s an intriguing Japanese house with an equally intriguing deck. It’s the Shell House designed by Kotaro Ide of ARTechnic Architects. That’s one cool deck!!

Some big traditional houses with big wraparound decks (well, OK, porches)…

eplans.com

Front Porch Ideas and More

Decks in the woods (or woods in the deck!!)…

Houzz

Forest Deck Design Pictures

Herhome

 How Stuff Works

Contemporary decks by Amir Schlezinger in the UK…

And this contemporary deck is by Blasen Landscape Architecture in California…

One more contemporary deck. I like the combination of wood & stone & water…

Hollandscapes

As cool and sexy as the contemporary decks are, there’s something so appealing about more traditional, weathered grey decks with colourful flowers…

Lesley’s Book Nook

Celtic Anamcara

Art Squad Graphics

Sort of a shabby chic deck…

Romancing the Bling

And we can’t forget Susan’s deck! Those of you who are regular readers of Susan’s blog Between Naps on the Porch have likely read about the building of her wonderful deck & porch… and if you haven’t, be sure to make your way over there for all the before and after photos! Here’s a peek at the end result… love it!

And finally, a couple of pretty front porches… love the painted ceilings :-)

Americanpac

Southern Accents

I hope these pictures and the BHG links have inspired you to build or renovate your own deck. Don’t let the fact that it’s almost September stop you — start planning now so you’ll have a great backyard (or front yard) deck to enjoy all summer long next year :-)

Now go see who’s hanging out on Julia’s deck back at Hooked on Houses…

 

With some assistance from my sidekick Victoria :-)