How to Make the Most of Your Decking

If you’ve planned your deck, chosen a material, decided on a decking pattern, and finally created an outdoor space you can be proud of, why stop there? Your deck can provide a stable, clean, and safe surface for entertaining and BBQs, but you can add more to make it comfortable and attractive too. If you’d like to take your deck to the next level, here are a few ideas to help!

Build Integrated Seating

Instead of a wobbly plastic chair, create an integrated sofa to relax on during long summer evenings. Building your furniture directly on or into the deck prevents build up of leaves and other material under your furniture and makes the entire area much easier to clean. You can even use the seating to make the deck a little safer by creating benches with high backs around the edges of your deck so nobody will slip or fall off the edge. Cushions can be brought in and out during BBQs and parties, or you can just sit on the wood itself.

Add Planters

Whether you want to grow your own veg or add some sweet-smelling flowers to your deck, planters are a hassle-free way to grow and manage your garden without having to sacrifice any of your lawn. You can add them around the edge of your deck or add thicker walls and create half-planter, half-table features in the middle of your seating area.

Create Some Shade

Shade doesn’t just help you avoid sunburn – it can create a covered area that stays warmer for longer or even a little shelter for the inevitable moment when it rains in the middle of your BBQ. There are a number of ways to create shade, from awnings and sails through to building a full pergola on your deck.

Go All Out

If you want to go even further, you can add a sunken trampoline or even a hot tub to your decking area so the entertainment is actually built-in. These are much more involved (and generally expensive) projects but they ensure that you’ve got a very good reason to use your decking area throughout the year.