Decks have a special purpose for a home. They’re meant to provide a comfortable living area on the outside. They take a beating being exposed to the elements year-round. A poorly constructed deck can lead to years of headaches for homeowners. Loose boards, shaky foundations, and protruding fasteners are all problems that can be avoided with proper construction. Here are six tips to make sure your decks last all summer (and winter too).

With Spring officially beginning, it’s time to get geared up for deck building season. As the snow melts, customers will start requesting estimates for their deck builds and renovations. We want to give you some inspiration for upgrades you can offer to set your bid apart from the pack.

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.