A Canadian’s deck should always be the centre point of any outside space at home. Looking out over your deck as the summer sun rises, you may be thinking about how nice it would be to spend the day outside, lounging and playing in the heat. Nothing beats being outside in the summer months, and your deck is the natural gathering point for friends and family. However, we all know the reality of the Calgary summer is that bugs, extreme heat and unpredictable weather get in the way of the best laid outdoor plans. This, therefore, may be the year that you convert your deck into something that provides protection against these factors, allowing you to fully live your best summer life. The following are some simple deck ideas to convert your old deck into a summer oasis, ranging from simple patio covers all the way through to adding a brand new room to your home.
Patio Cover
If you’re looking for a simple way to generate some cool shade, then the first of many backyard deck ideas is to install a free standing patio cover. This structure screws into footplates on your deck and provides simple overhead shade. Roofing can be made from plastic, metal or fabric to suit your needs, and it’s one of the quickest and easiest deck ideas to install due to its lightweight construction. It is open all the way round, meaning that you won’t get coverage from the bugs or any sudden rainstorms, but it’s one of the cheapest options and you can have it installed in next to no time.
Hybrid Patio Cover
If you want a bit more flexibility in your deck ideas, a hybrid patio cover gives you both the solid roof of a patio cover combined with the more traditional lattice structure associated with pergolas. This hybridization gives you total control over the amount shade and light that your outdoor space will get. You get all sorts of decisions to make, from the size of the lattice to the materials of the hybrid patio cover frame. For example, you could have a tight lattice frame (ones with small holes) with an aluminum cover to give you plenty of protection, or a loose lattice with fabric cover which will let more heat and light in. All of these options means this is one of the most customizable deck ideas, so it’s a great place to start if you’re unsure about what the design. The team at Desert Sun Patios will help you to figure out your perfect combination to truly transform your deck into a magical outdoor space.
3-Season Sunroom
For some people, however, these coverage options don’t deal with the biggest pain of the Calgary summer: the bugs. No number of citronella scented candles can make your deck a pleasant place to be some nights, and no size of lattice is going to keep the bugs out. If this sounds like you, then a 3-season sunroom is a perfect plan for using the bountiful Calgary sunshine to heat your new room without having to worry being eaten alive all summer long. The sunroom sits over your existing deck with solid walls and roof just like an extension of your home. What makes it 3-season is that it is entirely reliant on its heat-retaining properties for warmth, meaning that you can’t use it once the temperatures start to drop. However you get plenty of time during the long Calgary summers with the big windows that give you the best views of the garden, and these big windows act like enormous heat traps keeping the sunroom warm long into the evening hours.
All-Season Sunroom
Like most people, the natural question after finding out about 3 season sunrooms is “how do I make it so I get to use this room all year round?”. If you asked this, and you also like the idea of having an extra room that you can use year round sounds like one of the best deck ideas you’ve heard, an all-season or 4-season sunroom will be ideal. Like the 3-season sunroom, it sits on top of your deck and gives you great views without the bugs or the heat. It goes one better by attaching to your home’s HVAC system so you can sit in there throughout the winter months too. The 4 season sunrooms tend to be better insulated and come with more design options as they’ll be a full extension to your home. The design team at Desert Sun Patios will work closely with you on either your 3-season or 4-season sunroom to help you live your best indoor outdoor life.
Screen Room
The major downside for either version of the sunroom is that you lose the scents of summer, and those glorious late night warm Calgary breezes as you’re effectively living inside. What you’re looking for when you’re looking for second story deck ideas, a screen room may be a great solution. It’s a simple structure; post and beam walls and ceiling, but with enormous screens instead windows. You’ll get the heat and views of the garden that you’re looking for in summer without the bugs or UV radiation. Screen rooms are lightweight constructions, making them ideal for second story installations, but you can also install them directly on top of your deck like a sunroom. They tend to be a lot cheaper, but with the downside that you are at the mercy of the elements, and you definitely can’t use them once summer starts to draw to end.
Whichever of these simple deck ideas you choose, you’ll be making an investment not only in your property value, but also in your family. The average return rate on the money invested is at least 50%, but there’s no putting a price on the value that you and your family will get from a more efficient use of your deck. The addition of an extra room will give you all much more space, as well as giving you a new place for entertaining, relaxing and creating new memories.
