How-To-Make-Decks
into Your Outdoor Room

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We learned how-to-make-decks using our proven process of Envision-IT, Design-IT, Plan-IT, and Build-IT, and you can too. By following our simple fool-proof process, you too will learn how-to-make-decks that will be the envy of your neighborhood...WARNING, this process could lead to jealous neighbors, so proceed accordingly.

We’ll provide you with several tools that will help you Envision your deck, show you how-to-design-a-deck, and then how-to-build-a-deck by getting free estimates from local deck pros in your area. It’s fast, free, and easy to compare prices and save!

Envision-IT: The first step to any successful home-improvement project is to envision in your mind how your finished deck project will look, and how it will function with your floor plan. This step can be a lot of fun and will spark the creativity and enthusiasm you’ll need to move on to the next step, getting bids from a local deck professional.

To get started with how-to-make-decks just check out the photos in this article. These great images were provided by Viance, LLC and were built using their “Ecolife” (Stabilized Weather-Resistant Wood) products.

Ecolife is an advanced Wood preservative and stabilizing system for exterior wood products that will significantly reduce the cracking and checking that can occur in traditional treated lumber.

Homeowners benefit with reduced initial maintenance, time and the expenses associated with applying additional water repellent to the wood after its initial installation.

Ecolife Makes Wood Look Better for Longer

Ecolife™ Stabilized Weather-Resistant Wood (EL2) is a new and innovative wood preservative system designed to fully protect your outdoor wood projects against termite attack and decay, and enhance the long term beauty of your outdoor living space.

Bottom line? Ecolife’s™ unique proprietary stabilizer improves the performance of deck surfaces by reducing the cracking, checking and splitting associated with wood in an outdoor environment.

During the treating process, the stabilizer in Ecolife is driven deep into the wood to protect all surfaces and to help minimize the weathering effects of cracking, checking and splitting common to ordinary lumber.

New deck and cedars shakes on a home by the se

Ecolife treated wood saves you time and money, and the need to apply an initial brush on water repellent after the decks installation, reducing your initial maintenance expenses, and giving you more free time to enjoy your beautiful looking deck.

Ecolife also improves the structural frame under every deck surface, and helps control the bending, twisting, or warping that affect many other treated wood products.

This improvement in wood treatments provides you with greater satisfaction and less initial deck maintenance, resulting in more time to enjoy your deck and lifestyle. So, now that you've been inspired let's move on to the next step, Design-IT.

How-To-Make-Decks
Project Estimator

How-To-Design-a-Deck

Now that you’ve completed the Envision-IT process, we're moving on to learn how-to-design-a-deck. Some deck professionals offer design services, but it typically adds to the cost of the finished product, and we like to save money wherever we can.

During the Design-IT phase of our three decks we used a very cost-effective software called the Do-It-Yourself DECK DESIGNER. This software is easy as 1-2-3 to use, just point, click, and drag, and you SAVE $15 today!

How-To-Build-A-Deck

Now that you've learned how-to-design-a-deck, it's time to learn about how-to-build-a-deck. Most county building inspectors require a building permit for deck construction and your construction documents must be approved by them and incorporate all of your local building codes.

In our area, our town code also requires a town permit for building a deck. All we have to do is show them the approved county construction documents and it's a done deal.

Unless you are familiar with this entire process and are a highly skilled carpenter, the job of building a deck is best left to professionals. Just use our handy "Find Local Deck Pros" tool above, and you'll be on your way to building the deck of your dreams.

After you've completed all of the necessary steps and have learned how-to-make-decks, please share your deck building journey with us and our followers by posting it to the "Your Stories" section of our site located in the left hand navigation bar.

If you found this article helpful in learning how-to-make-decks, please "Like" us and "+1" us in the upper left corner of this page. THANKS for that...it allows us to keep our site free and easy for all.

How We Created
Our Outdoor Room Level I
by following the
How-To-Make-Decks Plan

Our deck improvements successfully integrate three different levels with three separate access points, two from inside our home, incorporates two landings, and a staircase that leads to/from our back yard. We built this first level a few years ago and it has become the anchor for our other two levels.

We added this deck first on the south side of The Ultimate Home Office when we installed the sliding patio door system. This outdoor room measures ten feet wide and nine feet deep. Small as it was, we loved it and used it for many fun and entertaining get togethers with family and friends.

How-To-Make-Decks
Level II

When we had any more than six people on the Level I deck it was let's say, "very intimate". We decided to take it to another level by adding a larger deck (Level II) two steps down from Level I. This deck level measures sixteen feet wide and fourteen feet deep and has greatly expanded our outdoor room. The picture below is the view from our Level I deck.

Each season brings a different look with our container plants. Nurturing plants in this area is tricky as some sections are full shade, while others and partial sun. We do well with ferns, impatients, and banana plants in the Spring, Summer,and Fall. We then switch to some colorful pansies, kale, and other winter-hearty plants.

Off in the right hand corner of this level you'll notice our Cypress Cermamic Cooker...more on that will follow with some amazing ceramic cooker recipes.

How-To-Make-Decks Level II
View From Our Kitchen Addition

Deck Privacy Screen Made With Container Plant

When we added our Kitchen-Addition to the rear of our home, we designed and planned a sliding patio door that would allow us a view of Level II of our deck system. The above picture was taken from our Kitchen-Addition looking down onto Level II of our deck system.

How-To-Make-Decks
Level III
The Planter Box

This deck improvement project became a reality with much careful planning and design work. Our main design challenge was that the two entry points to the deck, The Ultimate Home Office, and The Kitchen Addition were at two different elevations with a six inch elevation difference.

Not discovering this until we began planning for Level III provided us with a true opportunity to get creative and design something that would magically tie everything together.

Corner Planter On A Deck Hiding The Electric Meter

The Planter Box is born! This clever design not only tied everything together, it came with a bonus...our electric meter is on the back wall and now, plants in the planter completely hide it from view.

The power company probably doesn't think much of it but the way they read our meters is by driving down the street with a hand held radio device, so no harm done. They will be coming soon to install smart meters in our neighborhood, so we'll have to move the plants out of their way when the time comes.

If you have found our how-to-make-decks article useful in your own deck design + build project, please "LIKE us" and +1 us in the upper left corner of this page...THANKS for that!