Outdoor Living
When entertaining the favorite hangout in my home always seemed to be the kitchen. There seems to be a magnetic pull to the kitchen, especially when my wife is in there entertaining the crowd with her culinary skills and great sense of humor. A sense of humor, I might add, sometimes at my expense!!
Spring and summertime however is a different story, the polarity switches and the hangout becomes my screened in deck, adjacent patio and pool deck.
Outdoor living and entertaining has expanded to include decks, complete outdoor rooms, covered areas with summer kitchens on large covered patios, featuring built-in grills, sinks, and beverage centers. This with coupled with a privacy fence and you have your own private grotto!
Thinking About A New Deck or Fence?
As a remodeling contractor my phone starts to ring once spring hits. This is the time that people are starting to stir from their winter hibernation and start seriously considering their outdoor living space. This is also the same time that they realize that they have a deck or fencing that needs to be repaired, replaced or installed.
Veranda Armorguard vs Weathershield Decking:
A deck should complement its environment, your landscape, and enhance your outdoor living space. Your deck, therefore, should ideally compliment you and your lifestyle. Whatever your reason for building a deck – for entertaining, relaxing or outdoor living you will need to consider materials for your decking.
Two options that are available locally Home Depot are Veranda ArmorGuard composite decking and Weathershield pressure treated decking. Both have their advantages, listed below:
Veranda ArmorGuard Composite Decking:
Composite decking has the beauty of wood without the concerns of splintering, rotting, maintenance, or weather damage.
Exclusive to The Home Depot, Veranda ArmorGuard Composite Decking is simple to maintain, beautiful, offers superior stain, fade, scratch, and mold resistance. The decking surface is also easier to clean which equated to less maintenance.,
There are four Veranda ArmorGuard colors available:
□ Brazilian Walnut
□ Nantucket Gray
□ Costal Cedar
□ Seaside Gray
When installed with a hidden fastener system your deck becomes a “slick looking;” smooth, fastener-free surface that is “look worthy” of an interior floor.
5 Benefits to Select ArmorGuard Composite Decking
□ Warranted against staining and fading
□ Mold and mildew resistant surface
□ Composite core for strength and durability
□ Rich natural wood tones
□ Easier to clean for years of enjoyment
As a carpenter I like that the ArmorGuard boards come in different lengths to accommodate my installs. Standard sizes are 8 foot for the non-grooved boards and 12 foot or 16 foot for the grooved boards. If you special order these boards you can get 20 foot lengths as well.
Armorguard also offers matching color fascia boards for covering framing, skirt boards, stair risers and other “areas needing cover.”
Weathershield Pressure Treated Decking:
Affordable treated wood is a natural decking option with build in insect and rot resistence. Wood decking is easy to work with and when comparing to the cost of composite decking, if budget is a concern, is a good alternative choice.
With Weathershield, there is no need to stain or seal it for up to 2 years. Weathershield also offers a Premium grade deck boards that come with fewer knots.
Fencing Materials:
Unlike your home you do not have walls for privacy so you need to create your own privacy screen. Installing privacy screen fences and planting tall plants between you and the neighbors can create an intimate yet private space.
There are many types of materials suitable for fencing:
□ solid wood
□ composite
□ vinyl
□ aluminum
□ chain link
Pre-Assembled Veranda Vinyl Fencing:
Vinyl Fencing has become more and more popular these days with folks looking for easy to install and low maintenance fencing options. Vinyl fencing is resilient does not peel or flake like wood painted fence products. Frankly, it never needs painting or staining
The Home Depot, sells pre-assembled Veranda vinyl fence panels which offer homeowners the combination of a quality and low maintenance fence in one package.
Having the option to purchase easy-to-install kits and pre-assembled panels is huge for DIY-ers.
The lightweight design makes installation fast and easy. Veranda now offers an innovative Veranda SlideLock™ Bracket that makes fence installation fast and easy. The folks at Home Depot claim that this new SlideLock Bracket will decrease installation time by up to 50% and eliminates visible screws. That’s a plus!
Whichever fence material you choose, lean toward purchasing pre-assembled panels that are easier and quicker to install. If you want more ease of install and flexibility with your installation check out the deck and fencing options at the Home Depot.
Creating an outdoor living space can transform your home outdoors into an exciting entertainment Mecca for your family and friends or a private grotto for you to relax and enjoy a book.