Decks are, without a doubt, one of the best extensions you can add to your home. Aesthetics aside, these structures can also improve the resale value of the property as well. Once you’ve established the potential value that a deck can add to your home, the next step is figuring out how you want to go about the process.
One option homeowners have explored over the years is DIY deck building. Needless to say, there are several pros and cons to going down this road. To help you make an informed decision, we’ll be going over the beauty and danger of DIY deck building below.
A Brief Introduction to DIY Deck Building
DIY, short for do-it-yourself, involves trying to design, create, repair, or customize something without professional training. Applied to deck building, it’s all about building and adding this extension to your home all by yourself. While it does sound a bit challenging, it’s far from impossible and a lot of people pull it off quite successfully.
The Beauty of Deck Building
There are several noteworthy benefits to constructing your deck yourself. Maybe the most obvious, it’s a great way of saving costs. Since you won’t be paying anyone for labor, you can divert those funds into getting even better materials.
Also, you get complete control over the design and customization of your new outdoor space. You can change your mind as you go much more easily if you’re the one doing the work! Thanks to this, you’ll be able to build something uniquely suited to your needs and preferences.
Building your own deck is also a perfect way of improving your hands-on skills and experience. Completing a deck construction is serious business, and if you pull it off, you can rest assured you’ve improved your skill level. You shouldn’t overlook the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing such a major undertaking!
The Danger of DIY Deck Building
But on a similar note, there are quite a few risks that come with opting to take this approach when building a deck. The biggest of these, by far, is the level of complexity and detail that goes into such a project. Outside the sheer number of tools you’ll need, you also need to have a functioning understanding of things like the local building codes to ensure compliance. You also need to know how to take precise measurements and make accurate cuts.
You can also expect building your deck yourself to take a lot longer than it would if you outsourced it to a professional team. This is more so the case if you aren’t quite experienced with construction work and/or are working around your normal full-time work schedule. On top of it taking longer due to lack of experience, you should also consider safety. The various tools and materials used in this process can be pretty dangerous, especially in unskilled hands. Beyond this, the lack of knowledge and experience in this area can potentially lead to building a defective deck. This can lead to unfortunate and avoidable accidents later on.
DIY Deck Building – To Do or Not to Do
Whether or not you go down the deck building DIY route boils down to a couple of things. The biggest of these is building experience, time, and the available tools. If you have all this, then DIY deck building might be worth a shot.
However, if you want to be sure you cross your t’s and dot your i’s, then you’re better off getting a competent team to handle the job. Contact Deck Builders Madison WI