Does seeing photos of happy families relaxing on their backyard deck make you green with envy? If so, you’ll be glad to know that building a DIY deck is easier and less expensive than you think.
Not only does adding a deck expand your usable space, but it also adds measurable value to your home. While you can easily drop tens of thousands of dollars on a professional build-out, it’s not a requirement! With a little elbow grease, you can create a beautiful backyard deck that’s sure to make an impression. Follow these simple tips to build the deck of your dreams without breaking the bank.
DIY Outdoor Deck: Project Overview
How much does it cost to build a deck? Like most things, the answer to this question varies widely. Generally, to have a deck professionally installed, you can expect to pay $20 to $40 per square foot. This means that for a standard 300-square-foot deck, you’re looking at a cost of about $6,000 to $12,000. However, by doing your own labor and using some creative design tips, you can often build a deck for just a few thousand dollars.
The design and materials you choose will impact both the cost and the amount of time it will take you to build a deck. Generally, you can build a beautiful platform deck in a single weekend – especially if you can recruit a few friends to help.
Here at ShelterLogic we try to create affordable and unique shade solutions and patio covers that will last more than one season. We're big fans of our Shade Sails and Shade Cloth, and we're not alone - our customers love them too.
Scott Dawson of Trumansburg, NY purchased a ShadeLogic 12 ft. x 12 ft. Square Sand Heavy Weight Sun Shade Sail in August of 2015, and it's on it's second season. We first heard from Scott last year when he Tweeted us a photograph of his backyard, showing off his stylish outdoor patio fully equipped with a ShelterLogic Shade Sail.
With the warmer months just around the corner, we wanted to ask Scott what he thought of last year's Shade Sail purchase and catch up with him to find out how well his Shade Sail is faring this season.
Scott agreed to give us a testimonial and some insight on why he chose ShelterLogic Shade Sails for his patio and how he is still happy with his choice.
Scott's outdoor patio and Shade Sail
We love that we don't have to constantly move an umbrella around our table to have good shade, and also love that it floats above our seating area without a bulky pole to hold up an umbrella," Scott explained in a recent testimonial.
We [took] it down for the winter, so the weight of the snow (which we sadly didn't get much of this year) wouldn't damage it. We put it back up once that threat was gone, in late April this year.
We have a unique configuration in our backyard, as we had two natural anchor points on our house, but none for the other two corners. I didn't want to have to put up dedicated
Canada
Scott's outdoor patio and Shade Sail
