Julia Gerke
The Suburban

With the spring thaw slowly giving us back our lawns, it’s time to think about those wonderfully warm summer evenings — and how to get the most out of them.

The back yard has long been the main gathering point for barbecues and fun-filled get-togethers. Increased media coverage on how to “bring the indoors outdoors” with a focus on design, decoration and style has helped to propel the often overlooked backyard patio or deck into the spotlight.

“I think it’s because of a trend,” says Neil Paznokaitis, who goes by the name Neil Paz and has been building decks for more than 20 years. “We’re becoming more health conscious and we are spending more time outside. A deck gives you so much more comfortable living space, instantly.”

If you think about installing a deck, plan ahead, Paz advises. Most decks cost between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on the size and the materials that are used.

In the past, choices were limited to treated wood, cedar or redwood, but today, composite decking made from recycled plastics or other materials is also available, which give homeowners more choice in terms of look and design. Composite materials tend to last longer, Paz says, but they also come with a higher price tag.

“I don’t personally like them, but I’ll use them if my clients want to,” he says. “I don’t like them because when they get wet, they get very slippery; they get very hot in the direct sun, so you always have to wear something on your feet; they are more expensive and for many, you’re still building a wooden frame which holds them up. Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking it; some of it is very beautiful.”

Paz says he prefers to build decks out of Cedar wood, which is “a nice wood to work with,” smells great and has natural toxins in it which repel bugs. But Cedar is becoming more rare and is also getting more expensive, according to Paz, so many people opt for pressure-treated lumber instead.

A well-constructed deck will last more than 20 years, Paz explains. Some of his earliest projects are still standing and doing fine, and he was proud to say that none of his decks came crashing down after the 1998 ice storm.

“It really depends. Some decks last more than 20 years and just show the normal wear and tear,” he says. “Others fall apart. That’s because of the way it was built. It’s about structure. I always tell people that you’re supposed to be able to park your truck on your deck and it’s not going to fall down.”

A party with 40 people or more can put the equivalent weight of two mini-vans on a deck — which can cause many not-so-sturdy decks to crumble, as Paz has observed over the years.

When it comes to maintenance, keeping your decks in top shape should be easy enough.

“The most important thing that I can say is, ‘keep’ em clean!’” Paz says. “You don’t necessarily need a pressure washer; there are products you can buy [at hardware or box stores] that you can apply and then just hose it off. It keeps it looking better and lasting longer.”

More maintenance work is required when your deck is stained, he says.

“Once you start staining your deck, you have to continue doing so at least every other year,” he says. “The stain will not last on flat surfaces, where you walk, and you have to clean off all the dirt and reapply the stain according to the manufacturer’s instructions.”

One of the biggest misconceptions that people have is that they think the deck will always look like the day it was built.

“I have people calling to complain that some of their floorboards have cracks in them,” Paz says. “The floorboards in my own deck have cracks in them. It’s a natural, living, breathing product that has been processed wet until it comes to the consumer, which is me, and turned into a deck. When you take wet wood and let it dry, you can be sure that it is going to crack. For me, that is part of the inherent beauty and charm of wood.”