< Back to News & Articles

All Decked Out

*This article features DeckWright, now known as MOSAIC Outdoor Living.

by Linda Bachmann

Homeowners are creating fabulous retreats - right in their own backyards.

"With big overheadexposed beams, it feels private and outdoorsy. It’s our own little haven," says Lauren Wayne of Atlanta.

"There’s beautiful tropical hardwood, columns with gentle arches bordered by a Japanese red maple, hanging ferns and bright morning sun," says Dunwoody resident Michael Greenwald.

These are places to have a quiet breakfast, to listen to chirping birds, to star gaze or to watch storm clouds amass. Sanctuaries to take refuge from the outside world or to relax and kick back with friends.

Are they speaking of a favorite mountain get-away? An extravagant four-star resort?

No, these “vacation spots” are right in their own backyard...literally.

Wayne and Greenwald are both partaking in a trend to create lavish living spaces that bring the indoors outside. Architectural details, comfortable furnishings and high-quality materials are all part of the plan.

There was a time that outdoorliving meant setting out a few webbed aluminum chairs on the lawn or building small concrete or pine patios. But with the development of pressure- treated lumber, the 1980s and ’90s saw an explosion in the construction of decks attached to homes. Today, many of those aging structures, along with “postage stamp builder’s decks” on newer homes, are being replaced with elaborate, well-planned designs.

“Typically the deck is the last thing a builder will do — an after-thought” and often not in harmony with the rest of the house, says Rick Goldstein, a registered architect and owner of Deckwright, an Atlanta company that specializes in custom decks, porches and gazebos.

According to an annual survey by Remodeling Magazine, a professionally built deck can provide a substantial return on investment. Research indicates that on a national average, homeowners can expect to recoup 104 percent of the construction costs — and from 90 to 110 percent in the Atlanta market.

“Decks rival kitchens and bathrooms for return on investment,” says Goldstein. His outdoor projects have ranged in price from $7,000 to $10,000 on the lower end to upwards of $150,000.

Goldstein, who has been building decks for almost 20 years, has seen a lot of changes.

“People are realizing that outdoor spaces are more usable — they’re an extension of the inside,” he says. “Atlanta is a huge deck market, for obvious reasons” — its climate, trees and beautiful backyards are conducive to outdoor living — “and people are spending more time at home and creating little retreats.” That often includes hot tubs, built-in benches, fireplaces and conversation nooks.

Construction was recently completed on the multi-level deck and screened porch Lauren and Mark Wayne added to their 11-year-old Dunwoody home. When it’s time to relax or hang out with their children — Joshua, 10, and Ilana, 7 — Lauren’s “favorite place in the house” is actually outside — the entire backyard area, which includes a multi-level deck and pool — and screened porch with hanging swings, which “is just divine.”

The Waynes are structural engineers and were familiar with the architectural details, including wrapped columns and exposed beams, they wanted to incorporate into their design.

“Plus, it’s an easy way to create a sukkah,” says Lauren. “We’ll just slap some lattice work on the top.”

In addition to Sukkot celebrations, she says the family does a lot of outdoor entertaining — “easy no-frills” gatherings where paper plates and cookouts are the norm.

Decking materials
When it comes to decking materials, one of today’s most popular is a wood and plastic composite that has been on the market for 10 to 12 years. A product called Trex leads the industry, say builders.

Dan Weidmann, a certified remodeler and president of Weidmann & Associates in Atlanta, says most of his clients are upgrading from pressure treated woods to cedar, cypress and redwood — all naturally rot-resistant.

And a relatively new and popular option is ipe (pronounced ee-pay) a dense Brazilian hardwood that is virtually rot- and insect-proof.

“It’s gorgeous, with a dark mahogany look and people fall in love with it,” says Goldstein, adding that it has a fire rating that is ”similar to concrete.” Ipe will reach a silvery gray natural patina if the wood isn’t stained, but is virtually “maintenance free.”

Let there be light
It’s smart to plan lighting into the design phase so that wiring and fixtures can be integrated into the deck construction. Outdoor lighting — trying to mimic a nighttime feel — often consists of wall-mounted sconces by a doorway, fixtures along a pathway, floodlights that illuminate a specific area like the pool or the barbeque grill, motion detector lights for security and lights that shine on stair treads.

“Outdoor lighting should almost disappear,” says Goldstein. “The lights are not the focus, but rather special features” — like lights in trees to create a moonlight effect.

Outdoor fireplaces are the rage and now a common request when building a screened porch, a deck or as a stand-alone feature as part of the outdoor landscape, says Weidmann.

“Fireplaces have really taken off in the past year. It definitely becomes the focal point of the space,” he says.

Weidmann says the outdoor fireplaces are typically wrapped in stone. He is installing both prefabricated fireplaces designed for outdoor use — a new product on the market “that addresses the trend but keeps the cost down” — or all-masonry designs, a more expensive option.

Following the code
“Local jurisdictions have different building codes,” says Goldstein, rattling off requirements for footing sizes and depths, railing design and spacing, how a deck is attached to the structure, and even riser and tread widths for stairs.

“Building inspectors will test the soil to make sure it is capable of bearing weight; framing inspectors will make sure the deck is attached properly to the home,” says Goldstein, adding that electrical work requires yet another inspection.

Hot tubs that can add roughly 50 square feet and up to 4,000 pounds of weight “add a huge dimension,” he says. “We like to keep the hot tubs as an independent structure — separate from the rest of the deck,” using larger structural joists, shorter spans and more rigorous beam connections.

Smaller deck projects can take two to three weeks while more expansive designs can take up to five months.

“It’s always a challenge to work on people’s homes while they’re living there,” says Goldstein. Extra care is taken to shield houses against rainstorms and to protect the surrounding landscape, which ultimately becomes part of the total outdoor package.

“It’s like surgery,” says Goldstein. “We just can’t come in with equipment and knock everything down. We have to be careful to protect existing old trees.”

And just in case the front of the house is becoming a forgotten stepchild, there’s always a fabulous porch to consider.

“We wanted to enjoy both the front and the back of the house. It’s shadier and we feel like part of the street scene,” says Michael Greenwald of the ipe porch — complete with gentle arches, columns and ceiling fans — on his Dunwoody home.

He says his family — wife Jodi and three daughters, Eliana, 7 1/2, Rachel, 5, and Gabby, 2, love being on the porch and they have been watching the progress of a songbird who built a nest in one of their hanging ferns.

Between their porch and backyard deck and pool, the Greenwalds have created an outdoor paradise.

“When we’re on vacation, it’s not uncommon for us to say, why are we here? We don’t feel a strong need to get away — it’s easy to spend a lot of time at home.”

See the reprint of the article here (PDF).

< Back to News & Articles