5 Deck Design Trends for 2016

As homeowners are looking to extend their outdoor living space, contractors that are informed and offering trendy suggestions are in hot demand.  Your clients will probably have a few ideas printed off the Internet from popular sites like Pinterest, HGTV and Better Homes and Gardens. Showcase your knowledge of what’s hot for this year by reviewing some current trends in deck building.

HGTV is a premier source for home-related inspiration, instruction and entertainment, and we can bet that many consumers have browsed hgtv.com for deck design ideas. So let’s take a look at a few trends they suggest that take decks from functional to fantastic.

Larger Decks

The biggest trend in deck construction right now is the increase in square footage. It used to be that homeowners were satisfied with a 20 X 10-foot deck for a grill and some patio furniture. Now it's not unusual to have a deck design that rivals a home's indoor square footage and includes multiple levels for different functions, pergolas and walls that define "rooms" and provide privacy, built-ins that offer additional seating and storage, and planters that beautify the space.

Fully Functional Kitchens

After baseball, grilling might be considered the next Great American Pastime. The outdoor kitchen trend is taking grilling to a whole new level.  Some consumers are looking for it all: a grill or cooktop surface, cabinets and storage, countertop, refrigerator and sink.

More Time Outdoors

Outdoor enthusiasts don't have to abide by Mother Nature. In temperate and tropical climates, it's not unusual for people to use their decks year round. These days, even in colder areas of the United States such as the East Coast, Midwest and Mountain regions, homeowners can begin using their decks earlier in the year – often as early as February and March – and continue through October or November, thanks to the warmth provided by outdoor fireplaces, which are safer and easier to use than freestanding fire pits.

Lighting has lengthened the amount of time people spend using their decks on a daily basis. Forget kitschy tiki torches; they're a relic of the past. Today's lighting is much more sophisticated as low-voltage lighting wired into the deck's steps and posts provides illumination for conversation and safe walking.

Add Water

Many homeowners feel it's important to include a water feature in a deck's design. The soothing sounds of a fountain, for example, can add to the relaxing atmosphere of a deck, while a hot tub or a pool provides a bit of a backyard escape. The sound of running water also helps mask any noise from nearby streets, adding to the illusion of a getaway destination.

Modern, Contemporary Style

Deck designs are beginning to follow the home-building trend toward modern, contemporary style. This increasingly sought-after look is all about clean lines, absence of ornamentation, and mixing of materials including glass, metal, wood and composites.

With all the deck options available to builders today, you are not just going to build a deck; you really are creating a house outside the house. The deck as an outdoor room (kitchen, dining room, living room and even media room) has come a long way from a platform with some patio furniture. 

You have design ideas to wow a client.  Now impress them even further by using quality, weather resistant fasteners.  Whether you are looking for systems for hidden or face fastened decks made from wood or composite material, the SCRAIL^® deck fasteners are designed in a way that allows you to remove them, readjust them and reuse them, all without damaging your decking material.

And what’s even better?  While time consuming screws have to be driven in manually one screw at a time with conventional blind fastening systems, InvisiDeck^® SCRAIL^® fasteners installed with the pneumatic InvisiDeck^® tool are up to 5 times faster resulting in reduced labor!

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