Vinyl Decks - Project 2

Vinyl decks look great and perform well in dry or wet climates. West Coast vinyl deck with mountain views, aluminum and glass railngs and a sunken hot tub make a huge living area.

Before

This was a new house on a steep mountain slope without much usable land for a backyard. What do you do in a case like this?

Great views from a large vinyl deck Take advantage of what you do have - great views. This house was a one storey home with a basement that opened up to the grade in the backyard. It was also quite a wide home.

In a case like this a small deck against such wide wall would look odd. It would make the house look even more dominant. So you should seriously consider building a deck that is more proportionate in size to the house.

This creates equal visual weight between the home and the deck.

The Site

View of deck from side The backyard was non existant. It sloped steeply down and had a north-north west exposure. This meant sunshine was going to be at a premium. Another reason for a larger deck so as to capture the sun when it was available.

This location was on the west coast and rainfall was just a fact of life. During the winter it rains - sometimes for weeks on end. So a regular wood deck would have about half the life span as a similar wood deck in the east or central regions of the country.

Vinyl decks are really the only sensible solution in this type of climate because of the reduced maintenance but are proving to be beneficial everywhere else too.

But a deck in this location would offer spectacular views...

The Clients

The clients simply wanted useful space and to capture the essence of west coast living. They wanted a large vinyl deck with aluminum and glass railings to give them the space and view they desired.

The vinyl surface was a 40 mil flooring product available in 5' widths and with 1/2" overlapped heat welded seams to ensure no water dripped underneath the deck.

Vinyl decks offer this benefit - a dry storage or outdoor living area beneath if so desired. They also wanted their hot tub in the deck to complete the project.

The Layout

This vinyl deck was a straight forward rectangle - since function was the primary concern for these clients. It maximized the usable space. The only variation from this simple layout was the bump out created for the large deck stairs along the east side of the deck.

This layout allowed the long stairway to come back to the house and be a little less noticeable rather than running alongside the front edge or otherwise.

If you are building a deck that is high above grade, think carefully about where you will install your deck stairs. Bigger stairways ought to be useful but not seen - or at least not become part of the main focus of your deck.

With vinyl decks you must consider the orientation of the vinyl material since it is only available in 5' widths. The usual and proper thing to do is run the vinyl parallel to the side of the house, starting from the outer edge of the deck and overlapping each successive run of vinyl about 1/2" like shingles on a roof.

After

View of deck from bottom of slope Voila! Certainly the largest deck in my portfolio. Great expansive views of the valley and surrounding mountains. A hot tub set into the deck for year round usage. But best of all, useful space over an area that would have been unusable.

Imagine if this had been a wood deck. The annual maintenance of a deck this size would have been overwhelming.

Vinyl decks like this require only minimal maintenance like a scrub with some soap to brighten it up in the spring. The aluminum railings will never have to be touched again. Not so if they were wood deck railing posts set into the joists or mounted externally to the rim joist.

When you begin to design your deck consider the benefits that vinyl decks offer. It may be the right choice for you.

Top of Vinyl Decks - Project 2

The Most Advanced Wood Post Anchor system available. Learn more... And see our brochure.

The Coolest Backyard Deck Contest. Win $500.

Enter Now!

Exotic decking materials and fine building products. Make your deck last a lifetime. Learn more...

No Concrete, No Mess, No Fuss. Best in its Class. Learn more...

Calculators

Use our concrete calculator for volumes of cement for deck footings or our angle and unit conversion calculators. Learn more...

Testimonials - Titan Post Anchor System

Titan post anchor from testimonial "Thanks again Richard for FedExing the other shipment of the Titan Anchors. They are installed, sturdy and look great. I am really happy with them here is a picture of the deck."
Kyle D. - Richardson, Texas