This spring Paul and Corally Sleeper paid the company that constructed their beautiful 4-year-old deck good money to tear it out and build a new one. Same size. Different material.
This time around, the Hunt Valley homeowners are convinced, they got it right.
The pressure-treated wood of the first deck looked great, but Paul quickly tired of the maintenance. Meanwhile, Corally had decided they needed to screen in a portion of it. The house is close to the woods in back, and bees were a problem.
Their old deck, constructed by Archadeck of North Baltimore, cost $9,000. To build the new one, the Sleepers spent $20,000 -- even using the original footings.
They don't have a regret in the world.
"We designed this deck with the thought that this would be our last home," says Paul. "It's gotten a lot more use than even I thought. We sit out here when it's 100 degrees. With the screened porch's ceiling fan, it's very comfortable."
The Sleepers' story isn't as unusual as it may seem.
"The deck is a family room outdoors," says Sal Alfano, editor-in-chief of Remodeling Magazine, the professional contractor's bible. Deck building isn't a trend-driven industry, he adds, but if there is one trend, the Sleepers are a prime example of it. "People have really had it with deck maintenance."
The industry has been growing steadily as more and more people have made their decks extensions of their homes. In 1999, American homeowners spent $5.62 billion building decks -- the latest figure available, according to Alfano.
The Sleepers' new deck looks much the same as the old one except for the screened porch. The structure is multi-level, with an octagonal extension. The first level has a gas grill, an umbrella table and comfortable chaise lounges. Paul can sit in the sun here till mid-afternoon when the woods in back start to shade the deck.
Although she doesn't consider herself a serious gardener, Corally fills terra cotta pots with whatever catches her eye at the nearby nursery. This year the deck is decorated with geraniums, marigolds, gerbera daisies, dusty miller and asparagus fern.
"I plant and he waters," she says with a laugh.
Up a level is the screened porch, which Corally has almost finished decorating.
"When I thought screened porch, I thought wicker," she says, so she furnished it with a Lloyd / Flanders loveseat and two matching chairs with fat, flowery cushions in yellow, green and white.
"I added the rocking chair because it reminded me of an old porch," she says, "and I wanted to break up all the wicker."
This is where the couple spend most of their time, reading, entertaining or just looking at the woods. It's also their dog Madison's favorite spot. The Sleepers are empty nesters, but they made sure the deck was big enough for their two children, their spouses, and the grandchildren when they come for a visit.
For the new deck, Jeffrey Slutkin of Archadeck used a composite material of recycled plastic and hardwood that's guaranteed for 20 years, with no maintenance other than to power wash it every so often. Composite decking doesn't quite look like wood, but the newest ones have a wood grain to lend a more natural appearance.
Though safety wasn't a primary concern for the Sleepers, many people are choosing synthetics these days because the EPA recently banned the residential use of the most widely used pressure-treated woods, beginning in 2004. (One chemical involved is arsenic.)
The alternatives are composite decking; a less toxic, more costly pressure-treated wood; and exotic hardwoods like ipe -- trade name Pau Lope -- also known as ironwood. The most high-end choice, hardwoods are also the most durable of the all-natural choices. But labor costs are high because they are, well, so hard.
"Ironwood is so dense it sinks in water," says Slutkin. For most of his customers (70 percent of them), the satisfactory compromise is synthetic.
Hardwoods may be right for you if a natural look is the most important consideration. Bees and other pests aren't attracted to them. They have a rich grain and can be maintained for a lifetime simply by applying rosewood oil, says Doug Sheredos of Maxalea, a local landscaping company that also designs decks. Of course, even that could be more maintenance than you're interested in.
"We use them with bronze tubing for balusters, which disappears into the landscape," he says. "It's a beautiful look."
Whatever material you end up choosing, expect the cost of building a deck to rise once the EPA ban goes into effect.
After building two decks in the same spot in four years, Paul and Corally Sleeper could be considered experts from the homeowners' point of view.
Here are their suggestions:
* Look at what other people have done. The Sleepers drove around checking out neighbors' decks before they made any decisions.
* Spend time looking at photos of decks the company has built. Visit some projects if possible.
* Think about space requirements. It's easy to build a deck that's too small.
* Make maintenance issues a priority.
* Consider how you want to enter and exit the deck. Do you need a door to the kitchen? Will the traffic pattern be inconvenient?
* It's never a bad thing if the company you choose has an engineering division to deal with structural problems.
When you're thinking of building a deck, Corally adds, consider all the expenses. She spent as much time and money on deck furnishings as she might for a living room -- which it turned out to be.
"I get my book and head for here after dinner," she says.
Even when it's too cold to sit out, Paul uses the deck's large gas grill to cook dinner.
"I've shoveled a path through the snow to get to the grill," he says. "I've stood out in the rain with an umbrella."
And don't forget the cost of landscaping around the deck.
All of it was money well spent, says Paul Sleeper. "It gives you a retreat to go to."
All decked out
Trends shouldn't be much of a consideration when you're constructing a deck. After all, you expect to use it when the weather is nice for the next 20 or 30 years before you build the next one. However, there are some new looks in materials, and you can be as au courant as you want in furnishings and plantings.
* The newest materials are synthetics for ease of maintenance and exotic hardwoods for beauty.
* Fountains are becoming popular, partly because they add "white noise" to cover up neighborhood and traffic sounds.
* Because railings are less durable than the rest of the deck, some homeowners are choosing to use bronze tubing or enamel-painted metal for balusters. They also add a striking decorative element.
* Ornamental gravel like smooth river jack stone has become popular around decks.
* We're seeing more perennials like coreopsis, day lilies and ornamental grasses planted in deck containers, says Doug Sheredos at Maxalea.
* As for outdoor furniture, comfort is the No. 1 customer concern, says Jackie Hirschhaut of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association. Wood tones are replacing classic white in popularity, earth colors prevail, and fabrics, although still durable, have a softer feel.
* Multifunctional deck furniture, such as carts, buffets and storage pieces, is now widely available.