If you’re ready to build a new outdoor space you need to ask, “Is a deck or a patio best for me?”. To find out, measure how high the door is from the ground. Remodeling your patio can be a difficult process for your property.
When the door to your back yard is less than three feet from the ground, a patio is usually the better choice for your home… Only when the door to your home is way up in the air should a homeowner consider installing an elevated deck…
Mark Milanese – Outdoor Living Expert at Milanese Remodeling
Watch the VIDEO- “How to Choose a Deck or Patio”
When a patio is best:
- The door is less than three feet off the ground
- To save money – a patio is less expensive per square foot than an elevated deck
- To eliminate a place for wildlife to live under a deck
- To avoid water into a home under a deck
- To include the rest of the yard with the new space
When a deck is best:
- The door is more than three feet off of the ground
- The ground slopes severely away from the house
- The soil is full of large boulders that are expensive to remove
- Access to your backyard is difficult and expensive
Watch the Video: “How to Design Your Backyard Patio”
If it is time for a backyard makeover and you want to create a new outdoor living room, the first step to enjoy outdoors at home is a floor.
Suburban Legend #1: A patio is more expensive than a deck…
Most decks starts with concrete foundations, wood posts, beams & floor joists. After that is constructed the expensive deck boards, railings and fasteners still need to be added to the project. Instead of wooden deck boards, most people select a man-made deck board or an exotic hardwood from a jungle in Brazil. Vinyl or aluminum railing is added to most decks. Railing can cost as much as the deck boards and cuts us off from our yard with a closed-in feeling.
Suburban Legend #2: A deck is less maintenance than a patio…
The search for a maintenance-free, elevated deck product has not yet been found. However, we can walk on cobblestone floors in Italy and Greece that are thousands of years old. Decks will almost always need more maintenance and money invested during the time of ownership.
- Don’t choose a deck because everyone else in the neighborhood has a deck.
- Don’t choose a deck to avoid maintenance. The opposite may be true…
- Don’t assume one costs more than another because it “looks” more expensive.
Conclusion: Get educated about your choices to be happy with your outdoor living investment.
Recommendation: Contact an outdoor living expert BEFORE investing your hard earned money!
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- Azek Deck with Aluminum Railing
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- Don’t forget to add shade!
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- An Elevated deck
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- When the door is up, up & away!
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- Patio with an awning allows for year-round outdoor seating.
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- Patio With a Granite Bar
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- Patio with easy access to the yard
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- A retractable awning protects this stylish deck from the sun and rain.
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- A stone wall and stone steps set off this patio nicely.
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- Start with a deck or patio
