evan9381 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 anyone wanna post some opinions? ive always liked the look of a wood deck, but searching around online, some of the stamped concrete work im seeing looks pretty sweet. just wanted to see what everyone else thinks. im hoping to get this done this year, maybe even in the next 3-4 weeks. as for uses - ill probably end up putting some sort of fire pit on the deck, my grill, and definitely some seating. i want to go to the edge of the house to about 2' short of the a/c unit which would be about 20' wide and about to the edge of that dirt off the deck (i know it looks like shit...we pulled a bunch of bushes out earlier this year) which would come out about 16' i originally wanted to do a deck so it was raised up a few inches and be flush with the door so there was no step down, but i guess if i could have a sweet looking step, that wouldnt be too bad. also, do you think a wood deck or a stone/concrete patio would add more value? fwiw, heres about the best pic of the back of my house that i have. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y267/evan938/IMG_2729.jpg?t=1250481838 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 I have a huge deck and although I like decks, I would prefer to have a stone patio. With that being said. I think a patio doesnt go with every style of house. With what you have there, I would really get ideas from an experienced designer if you go with concrete or stone. It would be easier to get a nice deck to look good vs. a concrete/paver one in my opinion and hat is soley based on the design of the rear of your home. I know a few people that really wish they would have computer generated their work to get a better idea of the finished product because once it was done it really looked like shit with their house. Although the work was good, it just didnt fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fubar231 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 I think cutting the grass, pulling some weeds and powerwashing that would make it look 10x better. Personally, i think before you go spend a bunch of money on a new deck/patio whatever, clean up what you got and see what you can do with it. You can see what could be a brick patio, but its covered in weeds. That and the other side is dirt... I worked in landscaping for a little over a year and you would be amazed how much better something can look just by pulling weeds, power washing the deck, cutting the grass then either laying down sod or making a flower bed or something. EDIT: Personally btw, i like wood patios. I like being up off the ground even if it is a foot. Although my friend has a badass back yard, where he has a round brick patio thing, with a pond/fountain kind of incorperated in it. They had a square brick patio like yours, removed 1 side so it was like ) and put a little plastic pond thing there, then finishd around the pond with just a little brick, basically a trim. I could probably get him to send me a picture of it, he also has a fire pit thing on the brick, looks real good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 what ive got looks like shit, even without the weeds. weve killed them off once. not to mention, its tiny (10x10), uneven, crappy wood framing, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Looks like theres alot going on there. Unfortunately its a smaller home which can be played up with a more grander outdoor space. One thing I would look into and it may sound weird is putting shutters on the rear windows. Go with a darker color. Its to bad the a/c unit is so profound looking and I would make whatever attempt possible to minimize its appearance. The utilities as well seem to be an eyesore which I personally would hide with shrubery. I think you certainly will get more bang for your buck with a wooden deck and accented nicely with plantings. Definately less is more when it comes to accenting a smaller home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 With whats there and $100 you culd really make that a nice space with whats there. You could outline a nice curved flower bed and built up with dirt and mulch. Small shrubery which is on sale this time of year will go along way. As a previous home flipper for hire, in my opinion if your budget was tight this would be the way I would go, and urge you to look at the potential of whats there. Whats there could be turned into the focal point of the whole house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 yeah, the utilities suck. and it sucks more that i have wires running up the house, but i guess thats what i get with a house built the year i was born. no cable ran thru the house, so its all in after the fact. shutters arent a bad idea though...will probably look into that when i replace the windows. most have the seal broken and have condensation inside. hopefully i can replace them in the next year or two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 budget isnt too tight. im using the $$ i got back from my first time homebuyers credit. im hoping to do whatever i do for <$3k. if it ends up being way less, thats sweet. i just know i want a larger solid area (deck/patio) for people to be outside and have room to move around and not have to be out in the grass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Shutters wont affect the replacing of windows and can really break up the plainness of the house. I also have wires on the outside which is taken care of with painting them the same color as the house, pulling them taunt and smartly using shrubery. You really can do a nice job with that space for $100+ bucks man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 You can go to lowes or home depot and they can generate a price and material list based on what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Take it from me, if your going to go with a deck, use composite material. Our deck is solid wood and between the dogs and the kids I restain it every year. Our deck was at one point 4 tier and now is only 3 tier. I will be replacing my deck which is large with top of the line composite decking from my dads company hopefully next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 so a concrete patio would probably be the least maintenence? ive been looking around google and theres some pretty cool looking designs. any idea on warranties for concrete, as far as if cracks ever show up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Sam can speak more on this than me. But you can minimize cracking concrete with the proper prep work and application. You need to have the proper thickness(usually 4-5"), Proper mix(not usually an issue), by making sure the ground is compacted to prevent sinking, proper grading to prevent water freezing below the slab and erosion from rain, by utilizing mesh wire within the slab, by utilizing proper control/expansion joints. All of which can be done by hiring a professional. I would say the cheapest method is a deck, then concrete, and finally a stone/paver patio. Although you can save on the concrete and bring it back closer to a deck price by doing the work yourself. Keep in mind some specialty equipment will need to be rented with almost all of these option if you choose to do any of these projects yourself. I am available to assist with any if you need it. I have experience with all of them but not an expert. There is a guy on here who does stnework for a living, and I think eric(24/7) and maybe sam do as well. And of course you ave sam for all the concrete needs. Sounds like you need to pick what you think looks best. Most people go with what they can afford but it doesnt sound like that will be your determining factor. Also in todays uncertain market, do upgrades in which you will see a return on your investment. Thats what homes are essentially. You would never see a huge return on a $20k patio as much as a $1500 deck. Concrete is the least maintenance unless you use a composite decking in which I would say is comparable to concrete. A stone one would require some mainyenance overtime. I have seen even the best layed ones have weeds shift pavers and lose sand compaction due to rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 i PMed sam a week or two ago. right now i just have to make a choice as to whats going to look bestand suit my needs best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokin5s Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 dude, seriously, landscaping around that patio and maybe leveling it, and even expanding can make it look 100x better you just bought the house, you have time to make upgrades if you don't like the patio....as far as concrete, it's the least amount of maintence, but you still have to pressure wash it (my parents pulled out their deck and put down a big slab... they didn't think they needed to do anything and the tree's leaves and other shit has now stained the slab) I have a brick paver which is nice, but you have to brush sand into it and make sure the bricks stay level.... and a deck, you have to deal with treating the wood / pressure washing it... you have issues with either... so if it were me, I'd fix what I have first, enjoy that for a while and then worry about that... the summer is almost over, make that a spring project for next year... either bank the spare cash or use it for something inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Like Jason said earlier. Get the dimensions you want and head over to Home Depot or Lowes. They will punch all that in the computer there and spit out several ideas. on what you can do. It's pretty nifty. You could do the deck and get a retractable awning or something like that. I I have a roof on my deck in the back (previous owner did it). It's nice to sit out side when it's raining and just chill and not having to be worried about getting wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Cranium Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 (edited) I'm in the process of adding a patio next to my deck. I love the deck, but a fire pit/ring will really screw up a deck. The combination will be HUGE when it's done though. http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq260/01fxst/patioform.jpg That's looking at the back of the house right now. Edited August 17, 2009 by Richard Cranium direct link to photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Cranium Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Oh, and if you like the look of wood, but want concrete, there is a stamp they can use to make a patio look like a deck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tbutera2112 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 one thing to consider, you have to stain a deck atleast once a year to keep it looking good....pain in the ass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 one thing to consider, you have to stain a deck atleast once a year to keep it looking good....pain in the ass You could do what the previous owner my house did.. paint it shit brown . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tbutera2112 Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 You could do what the previous owner my house did.. paint it shit brown . our deck is brown/red-ish....but it still starts to get faded looking....like a black car that is oxidized has a faded grey color Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bam Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 I had this decision to make earlier this year...except I didn't want to spend this much money. Everyone told me not to do a deck because of staining every year, nails popping up, splinters, and eventually rotting. For my size, 24x12, a poured slab was going to be more than I wanted to spend, so I did the next best thing. Lowes and Sutherlands has 24"x24" patio pavers in a few different designs. They are $10/each and weigh about 100lbs. They are large enough to span over slight ups/downs in your yard and heavy enough that they don't move. We didn't have anything so we killed the grass, leveled the dirt w/ some topsoil decently and just laid them down all lined up. Took us a Saturday to do, and cost me like $6-700. It looks great, is very nice to walk on, and overall I'm very happy. We ended up having to fix like 4-5 pavers that would 'wobble' if you stepped on them, but all we did was tilt it up and throw some topsoil under the lowspot and set it back down. Very easy and cheap, not sure what the long term will be, but we'll only be here another couple years, so I didn't want to spend a ton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 my deck is 16x20 and we spent just over $2000. That was for the deck itself. But that was 5 years ago so I'm not sure how much more the wood will cost today. Also if you plan on using composite decking plan on doubleing your cost. The site is not cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokin5s Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 I had this decision to make earlier this year...except I didn't want to spend this much money. Everyone told me not to do a deck because of staining every year, nails popping up, splinters, and eventually rotting. For my size, 24x12, a poured slab was going to be more than I wanted to spend, so I did the next best thing. Lowes and Sutherlands has 24"x24" patio pavers in a few different designs. They are $10/each and weigh about 100lbs. They are large enough to span over slight ups/downs in your yard and heavy enough that they don't move. We didn't have anything so we killed the grass, leveled the dirt w/ some topsoil decently and just laid them down all lined up. Took us a Saturday to do, and cost me like $6-700. It looks great, is very nice to walk on, and overall I'm very happy. We ended up having to fix like 4-5 pavers that would 'wobble' if you stepped on them, but all we did was tilt it up and throw some topsoil under the lowspot and set it back down. Very easy and cheap, not sure what the long term will be, but we'll only be here another couple years, so I didn't want to spend a ton. I hope you put a tarp under it and then filled in the cracks with sand... if not, you're going to have a weed problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bam Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 ^No I didn't. But it's been 4 months and so far we're good, I guess we will just have to wait and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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