If you are planning on building a deck in your backyard there are a few things that you must consider before you can begin building a deck. First off the best deck design is one that can be incorporated into the overall design of your original home. You want your deck to look as though it is an extension of your existing home, and not look as though it was an afterthought, something you just decided to add onto the house because you realized that you needed more space.

First off before you begin building a deck, you have to decide whether you are planning on building the deck yourself or if you are going to be hiring a professional to do the job for you. Obviously if you were to hire a professional you would not have all the stress that it would entail if you were to be building the deck yourself. The professional would be someone who has years of experience in deck building and would no doubt produce a well planned and well designed deck. On the other hand if you are a person who is very handy and comfortable with building things yourself, then you should be able to produce a very well designed and professional finished deck.

So what is your criteria for building a deck, do you want to build the deck as part of an extension to your house, or do you want a standalone deck, somewhere where you can sneak off too to be alone and relax and read a book. Another choice would be to build a connector deck, this type of deck will consist of several small deck that are conveniently connected to each other. If you are going to build a standalone deck your first priority would be to determine if you have enough space in your backyard to accommodate the deck, choose a location where there is a very nice scenery or maybe a little brook, so that you will be able to enjoy the sound of the water trickling down as you sit in your deck.

If you are going to be building a deck which is attached directly to your house, well then your best choice would be to build an outdoor patio deck which can be easily attached to the kitchen or some other part of the house. For this type of deck you may also be able to install doors that open from your kitchen right onto your patio which will make your home seem much bigger that it is, and your patio deck will appear as though it is in fact an overall part of your house.

What type of activities are you planning to use the deck for, are you going to be hosting lots of BBQs or is it going to be used for family dinners, or a place where the kids will be able to run around freely, and entertain friends. What type of BBQ Pit are you thinking of installing, do you want one of those modern state of the arts BBQ Pits or will you settle for an old fashioned style pit. What type of deck floor are you thinking of, wooden or tiles, vinyl or composite decking boards etc.

Also when building a deck you will have to find out from your local office if there are any building codes with regard to building a deck, before you start you actual building. And remember there are many websites that offer good deck building ideas so you should check out as many as you can before you start building a deck.