Free Samples | Contact Us
composite decking
Blog

9 Tips for Designing Great Composite Decking

Monday, August 08, 2022

Building great composite decking is a very personal task. A good design style should be an important part of the house, otherwise, it will feel out of place. Over the years, each city has developed its own architectural style. One builder borrows from another and eventually, your city takes on its own unique flavor. You can then choose from a wide range of composite decking manufacturers. From the past to the present, there has been no shortage of great composite decking ideas.

House, yard location, and landscaping

When installing outdoor composite decking, most people make the same mistake. That is, simply attaching a deck to an existing ledger board or building a new deck that is identical to the old one. This approach will limit your options and prevent you from being creative. Decks and ledgers are usually added at the end of the building process. It may not even be put together correctly.

The main way to get to your deck is through the door of your home. The first level of your deck will depend on where your door is. Composite wood decking that is less than 30 inches above the ground does not need guardrails. They do not appear to be high and therefore are not a safety hazard.

outdoor composite decking

Taller composite decking boards look more like a floating platform. Because they are taller, a composite railing is needed to keep people safe. In addition, you may need to install a very long composite staircase. When you have higher composite deck boards, you can enjoy the surrounding landscape from the high deck.

If you want to build a double-deck, then you can make full use of the space underneath the deck. It is a good note to store things under the deck. You can also transform the space under the deck and build a room with a screen. This way you can rest here whether it’s hot or raining.

What kind of landscape do you have around your house? Is it a beautiful snow-capped mountain or an ugly water tower? Spend some time in the space at different times of the day to get an idea of what it looks like during the day. Do you have trees that only shade certain parts of your yard? If not, you may need to add something to provide shade. Is your yard horizontal or sloped? Do you have a garden, pool, deck, or hot tub?

Good design draws attention to the house, while bad design puts people in a bad mood. The size and location of the deck you place may depend on the shape of your lot. Changes can be made to landscaping, small trees, vents, and air conditioning units if desired. Sometimes large trees can also be used to frame your deck design.

Determine your wants and needs first

Most people want to design their own composite decking, but they often don’t know where to start. This is how we think you should start. Try to understand the big picture, use your imagination, and don’t get hung up on the details. If you’re still saying things like, “I want a deck like our last house,” you’re not trying hard enough. You may prefer to have your own private space, an elegant balcony, or other outdoor space. Most of the time, this approach will give you better results than copying your neighbor’s deck.

You may not be able to implement all of these ideas, but if you can incorporate some of them into the final design, it will be worth it. Now, let’s figure out what you really need to make your dream deck a reality. Do you need a way to get from your high deck door to your backyard? Need a good place to store your grill? Do you need a place to eat, relax and invite people in the summer? In order to express your design intent, it’s important to know what you need, and what you want, and talk about them.

Stairs and traffic

Consider how people will walk through your composite decking boards. make sure your furniture and grills don’t get in the way of people walking around. Your stairs and the door to your home should be easy to find and accessible from anywhere on the composite wood decking.

On higher composite decking boards, a composite railing usually protects the edges. For lower decks where guardrails are not needed, short railings or benches can help direct traffic and maintain visibility. Inside the deck, sidewalks are needed so people can walk around. Changing the way the trim panels run may be a good way to divide the space. A clever way to direct people’s movement is to point diagonal decks in a certain direction.

Composite deck boards have stairs that connect them to the yard and are the primary way to get on and off the deck. Calculate how many steps you need based on the height of the composite decking. Long stairs can be made less awkward by wrapping them around the deck or separating them with a platform. Don’t put stair decking under the deck frame because you don’t have enough headroom.

You can move people around your deck in interesting ways, but be aware that sharp and sudden changes in height not only look bad but are also dangerous. Steps without right angles or difficult to see can be easy to trip over. For low decks, you may need to walk down at an angle and wrap the stairs with cascading wraps to help the deck blend into the yard.

great composite decking boards design

Decorating Options

Choosing the right type of trim for your outdoor deck design is important. Some people like the look and feel of solid woods like cedar, redwood, and hardwood. But more people prefer composite materials that require little maintenance and come in a variety of colors and textures. If you want to make the best choices for yourself and your life, it’s important to do your research on trim materials.

With hidden fasteners, there are no screws or nails on the floor. For composite deck boards, screws with reverse trim heads are better than nails. This is because they hold better and do not leave screw holes that look like mushrooms.

Color plays an important role in the design. Interesting use of contrast in borders can bring a spark of life to any deck. Large decks with large areas of the same floor treatment sometimes look too bland. Placing trim in a diagonal pattern or herringbone pattern can draw attention to an area or view. Some designers have even added unique floor inlays to their decks to make them more interesting.

Planning a lifestyle

Start with big ideas about how composite decking boards can make your life better. What do you really plan to do with your deck? For example, if you’re not into large gatherings, you may want to focus more on quiet dining and gathering places. If you like to grill, then go crazy in the outdoor kitchen. Ask your family what they’d like to see on your new deck. Think about things like an outdoor theater, a private garden, or a spa where you can take a dip.

Plan access and use of the area

Once you know what’s most important to you, plan an outdoor composite wood decking. then you’ll have plenty of room to do the things you like to do and easy ways to move between and around them. Usually, you won’t see these spots until the furniture is in place. You can think of your deck as having different “rooms” to eat, relax, cook and meet other people. Make sure there is enough space around the dining table for chairs, a small coffee table or lounge furniture next to the coffee table, and potted plants.

The choice of decorative materials

For the choice of decorative materials, such as decorative panels, railings, and dashboards. Many people spend a lot of money on composite materials, PVC, and other low-maintenance materials. Others choose pressure-treated wood decking, which is much less expensive to install. While they are cheaper to purchase, the overall cost is not. Most wood surfaces need to be pressure washed and sealed once a year. However, if you like the natural look of things and don’t mind regular maintenance, then it may be the right choice for you.

Size and Form

Some people say that outdoor decks should be no more than 20% of the size of your house so that they don’t look too big. However, if you spend a lot of time on it and divide it into different rooms, then a larger great composite decking will look and feel like home. There is nothing wrong with square decking, but you can add angles or even curves if you want to make it more interesting. They will take more time to build, but they can make the set feel unique and not like everyone else. Use a “theme and variation” approach to design so that a certain angle or curve is used in a different place, perhaps a different size.

The right place to cook and eat

If you like to cook outdoors and talk to people at the barbecue. Please make a large outdoor kitchen with a counter and many cooking tools. You may want to put a table with stools next to the cooking area so people can eat, taste and give you advice while you cook. If you want to keep food preparation simple, you can make a small alcove on one side, just big enough for the grill. Or you can do all your cooking there. There is no law that says you have to have a grill.

Check the view

Think about the view from the deck as well as the view from inside the house. If a large railing blocks what you want to see, your deck will not be as attractive. Here are some possible solutions. Going off the deck with a deck or sloped section will lower the railings and may even make them unnecessary. You can also choose railings with thin posts or glass panels. Also, if one view is more appealing than another, set your deck so that people naturally look in that direction.

Connect the house and yard with a bridge

You can build a great composite decking that matches the style of your house. or you can make it a different place that feels more like the outdoors. Often, it looks and feels best to have some transitional materials under the deck to the yard. Stone, pavers, and brick look great next to almost any type of deck, whether it’s wood or something else.

Vertical elements

We usually think of decks as just a layer of flooring, but the most prominent parts are the railings, skirting, and the structure above. There are so many designs and parts to the railing that it can be hard to know where to start. Take the time to find the right railing for your space. If the composite decking boards are raised, you may need to place skirting around them to cover the bottom. If there is enough space underneath the deck, you may need to install a system to keep it dry so you can shelter from the rain under the great composite decking.

Overhead and planters

If you don’t live in a place where the weather is sunny, you may enjoy your deck more in the summer if it has a structure that blocks out the sun. The most common answer is a composite pergola. It provides different amounts of shade depending on the distance between the rafters. If the sun is too strong, you may need some sort of awning. Most sets will also look better with a seeder or two. Or, plan to put your plants in large planters. Planters can place on a railing or secured to a bench.

Related Article
Read More >>
Backyard Deck Design Ideas for 2023 Backyard Deck Design Ideas for 2023
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
As we look ahead to 2023, there is no doubt that the house patio will be a popular gathering place for family and friends.
How much does an enclosed deck cost? How much does an enclosed deck cost?
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
You can use the enclosed deck as your comfortable haven no matter what the weather is like. Let's take a look at what it might cost to enclose a deck.
15 Pergola Design Ideas: Create a Backyard Oasis 15 Pergola Design Ideas: Create a Backyard Oasis
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
There are many ways to place a pergola in your backyard, whether you want it to be the star of the show or a supporting character.
How to Install Metal Railings on Composite Decking How to Install Metal Railings on Composite Decking
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Of course, you may also want to change the style, such as installing a metal railing on top of composite decking.