Building a deck can be an expensive process. May factors can impact how much your new deck will cost, including the materials you choose, the deck’s size, and the terrain it’s built on. Luckily, you can still create a fabulous outdoor space within your budget by following these tips for building a high quality, affordable deck.
Build Your Deck During the Right Season
Instead of building a deck during peak seasons like spring and summer, try building your deck in the fall and winter months, it may seem counterintuitive, but most people don’t consider doing construction projects during the colder periods. That means that fall and winter are slow for contractors. Since labor and material costs often go up in the summertime due to high demand, contractors will be more likely to work with you on pricing during the slower times of the year. The extra outdoor spaces of the deck will add tremendous value to your home, and building it at the right time of year will help you in the long run.
Use Wood Materials
When building a new deck, you’ll want to get secondhand reclaimed wood that’s been gently used. Wood decking indeed requires more maintenance, but you’ll certainly save in upfront costs. You can also repurpose wood from construction sites or ask around your neighborhood for people willing to sell you some at a low price. Look for wood from nonprofits—some of them sell reclaimed wood at an affordable price that you can’t pass up. This is the best tip we can give you for building an affordable deck.
Don’t Skimp on Quality
It should be noted that affordable does not mean low quality. Don’t buy poor-quality wood or try to build the deck yourself. Building it yourself can cause more problems than benefits unless you’re a construction worker or qualified handyman. You might end up with loose planks uneven nails popping out of your deck. These are safety hazards that you can avoid with the proper precautions. Hire a reputable company that can help you with cost-effectiveness.
A poorly constructed deck can also cost you a ton of money. If you use low quality wood or—even worse, do it yourself—you might still have to hire contractors to fix any errors you’ve made in the process of installing the deck yourself. This will cost you even more money in the long run.
In short, building an affordable deck isn’t difficult. Keeping quality in mind will allow you to enjoy the benefits of a high-quality deck with the value that will save your wallet. Make sure you heed these tips, and you’ll have much to look forward to when you use your deck.