Light Deck Color Ideas for Your Home
Here on our website, we have tons of different examples of designs, configurations, colors, and finishes that can be used in a deck. The majority of the ones we look at though are made from natural wood materials that range from a typical pressure treated southern yellow pine to more exotic hardwoods such as ipe, Brazilian teak or even exotic fruit woods. For the most part, those woods are a moderate to dark color.
Today we’re looking at an example of something totally different where the deck has a much lighter finish. We’ve looked at synthetic or PVC type guardrails or handrail installations before as well, but here it’s a setup that is a deck, guardrail, handrail and stair to the adjacent yard. In fact, this deck is a bit larger than the typical types of row home rear decks found in many different neighborhoods in Washington DC.
In the picture below, you can see that the risers at the stairway are also a synthetic white cladding that covers the wood substrate. Overall, with the combination of the risers, the fascia board at the rim joist, and the railing and guardrails, a lot of the surfaces exposed at this deck are white in color. One of the benefits of this particular type of product or material is that it doesn’t have to be routinely repainted in a maintenance program because the synthetic materials have an intrinsic or native ability to resist deterioration. Instead of just being an applied coating on the surface, they’re actually a consistent material type down to deeper layers beyond the surface.
In a picture below, you can see a cutout that goes from the main deck area to a short stairway to the rear yard and then from there down to an underground stairwell to the rear door of the basement. This particular basement entry is mostly underneath the deck. That space though is hardly useful for more than its singular purpose and by having the deck installed on top of the entryway, it allows a better use of the space above.
The individual square caps at each of the guardrail posts are slid and installed on top of the sleeves at each of the posts. These caps essentially prevent or deter moisture from entering into the sleeve which is used to cover the more susceptible wood post material. If the covering is able to keep moisture off the surface of the post, the post can last for years longer than they otherwise might.
In fact, with both protection from moisture and the deleterious effects of exposure to ultraviolet, in everyday sunlight, wood surfaces can last many years longer. A longer usage or longer life span of deck materials therein translates to a higher ROI overall because the amount of investment, in cycles of time, is decreased significantly.
Overall, obviously, our company is a big proponent of decks in backyards. We feel like outdoor spaces are the best place to enjoy your life at home and an outdoor deck or beautiful patio makes the space much more useful and welcoming. Here in the picture below, you can see an example of a typical layout. Even a moderately small deck, and outdoor space, when well furnished, can be used to take advantage of our beautiful weather, for at least a few months per year.
The picture below shows the guardrail more closely. We discussed the guardrail post caps above, as well. You can see a closer view of some of these post caps in the next picture. There are a few different types of designs, some of them look more contemporary versus classic than others. When you take a mental inventory of the other elements of the deck construction, almost all of those details do not infer or communicate a particular design style, they’re mostly functional and there’s little variety between the types of elements, they’re mostly functional. This cap, essentially, is one of the only elements of the deck that give an architectural design style.
In this coming week’s blog, we’ll discuss some alternative options for the styles of post caps and we will look at the substructure below the finishes of this deck.
Use a contractor who understands and cares about doing things right. Always, feel free to reach out to us here at Dupont Decks and Patios. We are happy to help with almost all steps of the deck building and design process. A backyard and outdoor space should make a significant, positive impact on both quality of life and home value. We can help with more than just decks, we also build patios, pergolas, ramadas, awnings, gazebos, arbors, and privacy fences.
Let us know about your ideas and talk to us if you have questions about possibilities. We are happy to participate in improving your outdoor space and quality of life! You can call us at (202) 774-9128. You can find us online at https://dupontdeckspatiosdc.com and you can email us there as well at https://dupontdeckspatiosdc.com/contact-us
