Decks, Porches, Patios, Walkways

Kids are back in school and out of harms way, summer grilling and outdoor lounging is over and in many regions it's just too chilly to cavort on the deck.

That makes it a good time to either build anew or pull deferred maintenance on your deck, an important outdoor extension of your home.

Decks, after all, can be a valuable addition well worth constructing and protecting.

"I think the investment return (on decks) stands up pretty well, depending on how much you commit to it," says Scott Blain, assistant general manager of Custom Contracting in Arlington, MA.

Blain says, as with any home improvement inside or out, the higher the quality the greater the value.

"A lot of people just want to get a deck up and they try to be cost effective and build using pressure treated wood. You'll get good structure and it will hold up well against insects and water damage, but it can start to go crazy with high sun exposure. Fir, cedar and mahogany is better. Redwood gets you into the higher cost range," said Blain.

The return on your investment ranges from 26 percent in the hot, arid desert regions of Albuquerque, NM where it's often too hot to go outside to 143 percent in San Francisco, where the cooler foggy season is fleeting and the region more often enjoys mild weather.

The national average cost for a deck addition is almost $8,000 with a 55 percent return on your money, according to Remodeling Online's 2000 Cost vs. Value Report.

"Sunlight, fresh air, and vegetation exert a subtle, subconscious pull that makes a deck the next best thing to a walk in the woods. Decks extend the house outdoors, providing a comfortable place off the den, kitchen, or family room to relax and entertain," according to Remodeling Online.

Seasonally it's a good time to consider building decks because fall is typically a slower season for contractors and homeowners may be able to save time and money.

"In April, May and June, many contractors have a backlog of two or three months," says Bruce Henzmann, owner of Carmel-Fishers-Geist (CFG) Fence and Deck of Indianapolis, IN.

"By having a deck built in the slower fall months, people can avoid lag time, and may even be able to get a price break," Henzmann said.

If lumber is your deck material of choice, moderate fall weather gives new green lumber ample time to cure.

"Summer heat and sun can damage new lumber by rapidly pulling moisture out of the wood," explains Barry Klemons, owner of Archadeck of Charlotte, NC.

Klemons says improper curing can cause wood to warp and can create undesirable hairline cracks.

New decks also need time to cure before applying sealers, paints and stains, unless you use newer engineered decking materials made from wood fibers and recycled polyethylene plastic. The low maintenance materials don't require curing, sealing, staining or painting but come ready to install.

Whatever material you use, if you live in balmy areas of the U.S. and build now, you'll not only get a price break, but also a chance to enjoy the new addition before cold weather really takes hold.

"In some areas, like Florida and Arizona, it may even be too hot to build decks in summer. By building in fall, homeowners in warm weather climates can still get a few months of outdoor entertaining in before the weather becomes too chilly," says Chris Myers, owner of Alternative Decking Systems in Coronado, CA.

If you build your deck now that job will be out of the way when it's time for installing late winter and spring landscaping.

Pulling maintenances to preparing your deck for the winter is a good idea now because the deck furniture has been cleared, many outdoor activities have ended and there's less chance anyone will be under foot as you take to the task.

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