What​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Louisville Homeowners Wish They Knew Before Building a Backyard Deck

 

Something about spring and summer in Louisville really inspires folks to start seeing their backyards in a new light. It could be the nice warm night after a long rainy period or simply the realization that everyone keeps hanging out in the kitchen while the backyard stays empty most of the time. Here in Shelby County, we keep hearing the same thing from a lot of homeowners who say, “We spend all this time inside, but we really want to enjoy our outdoor space more.”

It’s quite funny because the majority of people don't even think about doing a massive outdoor makeover when planning their home improvement. Actually, it mostly results from a small annoyance. For instance, the old patio gets flooded every time there’s a storm. Just a little slope in the backyard is enough to make one’s outdoor furniture wobble. Or maybe the deck that was already there when they bought the house is simply “worn out” after all these years of Kentucky humid summers, freezing winters, and hot afternoons.

Since we’re Deck Builders in Shelby County, KY, we know how every backyard differs so much that sometimes even the neighbors living quite close to each other may have very different backyards. To be honest, some of the most beautiful outdoor areas that we have had the pleasure to work at were not the biggest or the most expensive ones. They were the ones that were planned based on how families actually live.

Backyard Problems We Experience Most

Louisville homeowners face one thing that people outside of the city may not understand very well: the weather is so changeable. One moment the backyard can be all dry and dusty and before you can say “storm,” it is totally soaked.

We have been to a lot of houses where the deck was really old and though at a casual glance the deck looked fine, it was well-hidden moisture that over time had caused quite a few problems. For example, wood boards warp, fasteners get loose, water drips into hidden places and the problems go unnoticed until they visibly worsen.

Drainage is a very good example of those things that homeowners hardly ever think about until after the rain they are stuck moving their patio furniture through the muddy grass. Shelby County is dotted with many neighborhoods where yards not only have this drainage issue but are also slightly graded which is revealed only when a deck construction project is planned.

One of the most difficult things about older homes is that sometimes the layout of the property is also quite challenging. There are properties whose backyards are very narrow leaving very little space to build on whereas some others have so uneven terrain that a simple rectangular deck would come out looking really odd. We even got to help some homeowners who thought they would be needing a big excavation job only to get their problem sorted out with a much more natural deck design.

Sometimes bigger doesn’t mean better

What we will never forget from our conversation with that family is how their initial thoughts were to build a giant multi-level deck as this was the only way they saw their backyard becoming functional. Their yard had a very apparent slope and their kids hardly played outside after it rained which was a big source of frustration for them.

We stopped at their place and had a walk around with them and it was quite apparent that they did not need a massive structure after all. What they actually needed was a better connection between the house and the yard.

They decided not to go for super big thing but instead put their energy on creating a beautiful simple design with stairs wide enough to lead into the backyard and a backyard space that would be capable of hosting an outdoor dining area plus a small seating space. When everything was done, the spot appeared larger even though the size remained quite modest.

We keep running into the same lesson here in Louisville: people most use the outdoor spaces when they are comfortable and have easy access. Big impressive decks may be the eye catchers but in fact it is the everyday functionalities that matter more.

Look at wide stairs, for instance. They very often turn into the places where people gather. Kids sit on the steps. Neighbors lean on the railings during cookouts. At parties, people naturally congregate here. It is a fact how often the so-called “extra” elements of the design turn out to be the most used parts in the end.

Why does composite keep being a topic of discussion?

During the last few years an increasing number of Louisville homeowners have been getting in touch with us to find out more about composite decking, in fact those who have already had their say about it are families sick and tired of staining or sealing wood every two or three seasons.

The Louisiana weather is one of the factors that can be quite harsh on traditional wood. After all, there are humid summers, heavy rains, winters with freeze-thaw cycles, and outdoor materials here in general experience a great deal of abuse. We have seen the most elegant wooden decks after only a short period of use start demonstrating the signs of wear far more than homeowners had anticipated mainly because the issue of moisture getting managed over time became challenging.

This does not imply that wooden decks do not suit every project. Some homeowners remain pretty attached to the natural wood look and do not mind regularly undertaking maintenance. But there is a growing number of families who are looking for decking materials that require low maintenance and at the same time the composite ones are also considered as very durable in the face of the changing seasons.

Initially, people are very worried that composite will be too artificial a material or that it will get unbearably hot during July afternoons. And yet those are really concerns worth thinking about. However, nowadays the great composite decking Louisville residents find on the market is very much better than older ones which people remember years ago and really did not like.

It is when they realize they do not have to spend as much time doing maintenance on their deck and can, therefore, spend more time actually enjoying it, use it, and love it, that most homeowners’ opinion changes. This factor is very attractive especially for busy families where time is really a luxury.

Little Things That Make A Big Difference

Sun exposure is among the aspects of building a deck that usually is left out of several homeowners’ considerations.

We have had such cases when homeowners confessed to us that they had visualized themselves having coffee out there every morning but it turned out that their deck would get so hot by noon that it was simply not enjoyable at all. On the other hand, some discovered that there were areas of their house which after storm events stayed damp for quite some time and the reason was that trees that should have been there for a while were actually blocking the airflow.

Summer kicks in rapidly in Louisville along with the humidity, and in the open backyards, the sun in the afternoon is quite a different thing. That is why even the simplest things like pergolas, partial covers, or even just the positioning of the seats can make a huge difference in how much of the time people spend in their outdoor spaces.

The subject of lighting is one other feature that often surprises owners. A good number of people consider lighting mainly from a decorative perspective. That is why they fail to see how much a deck’s functionality can be enhanced with proper lighting.

When the stairs or rails are lit up softly, the family will be able to spend more time outside by extending the outdoor usage well into the evening. The deck together with its owners move from being considered a daytime-only place to a whole new role where families fall in love with the outdoor life. Outdoors become their regular destination of choice as a result of the nature of the conversation, time together, and the ambience brought about by lighting.

Last, but certainly not least, there are some practical aspects that no one really enjoys talking about such as permits, setbacks, and neighborhood ordinances. Shelby County is a great place to live with all the different settings and HOAs that at times it may leave one scratching one’s head. Lot size, HOA, property lines - all those are factors that dictate one’s requirements and the rules always differ from one place to another. So, not something very exciting to think about but definitely one of the most important parts.

Outdoor living spaces have become even more personal

Lately, one of the things that come to our mind as the most inspiring observations in Louisville is how homeowners are actually treating their backyards. Back in the day, outdoor spaces were very often seen simply as bonus areas. Now they are considered more as an extension of the home.

Families want a spot where children can play while dinner is being cooked nearby. Everybody wants a comfortable place to unwind after work without having to leave the home. Also, they want areas where neighbors can walk in by themselves during the warm months and naturally start a good conversation.

And to be honest, simpler outdoor living spaces that often families in Louisville use end up being the most meaningful ones.

We had a client sharing with us that their favorite thing about the whole project was far from the actual deck boards or the railings. It was the simple fact that their family started to have dinner outside several nights a week. And one more told us that it took forever but they finally got that feeling of their backyard being connected to the house and not separate and forgotten.

Most of the time, those minor changes in lifestyle are the things that count the most.

As a Deck Builder in Shelby County, KY, one important lesson we have always remembered is that the best outdoor spaces may not necessarily be the most lavish ones. Rather they are those that manage to incorporate real day-to-day life, real local weather, and real families here in Louisville.

That can in fact mean selecting more durable products that require less maintenance. It can definitely mean simplifying the design and layout. And it can also simply mean paying attention to small things that people often forget to consider at first.

In the very final analysis, a nice backyard space should not seem like one’s showroom. It should be a place that you just naturally want to ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌be.