Think about other amenities that will add to your enjoyment, such as a spa or hot tub, a fire pit, a barbecue area, or even an outdoor kitchen area with a grill, sink, refrigerator and countertop.

When you are working on How to Build a Deck it is always best to make a preliminary sketch. Decide the size, location of the deck, and shape of the deck. Also note utility easements, required setbacks from neighbors’ property, privacy problems, weather issues, existing landscaping, and desired or to-be-screened views. For visual interest, round off or cut off corners of rectangles and squares and add in changes of level.

Add any desired details. These include benches and tables, railings, steps and ramps, planters, and storage areas. If prevailing winds or lack of privacy will cause the deck to be unusable during parts of the day or evening, consider adding screening in the form of walls, wooden screens, or plantings. Trees or vines make excellent windbreaks.

Sketch any overhead shade structures desired, and add in other features such as a hot tub or spa, children’s sandbox, garden pool or water feature, or barbecue or kitchen area. Include water lines and any irrigation lines for spigots, fountains, ponds, and container gardens.

When considering how to build a deck it is really worth hiring a professional designer or landscape architect to go over and finalize your designs (unless of course you are aiming to feature in an episode of DIY disasters:).

Plan for any wiring or plumbing. Keep safety in mind, and make sure transition areas will be well-lit and easily negotiated.

Deck Railings are a safety feature and it is vital therefore that they not only look good but also are very safe.   If you use a ready made ’system’ be sure to follow ALL the directions.

One thing that does work really well is table salt – but it’s expensive. If you’ve got a water softener, and you have the ‘flakes’ for it that’s even better. The only bad thing about salting steps is that it will age the wood faster as it will expose the wood to ”freeze and thaw ” cycles.  It’s a good idea to also sweep the salt off your deck stairs after you’ve melted the ice.

A word of warning however – don’t use hot water – as all you’ll do is melt the ice that’s on there and make fresh ice (unless it’s above freezing).

If you want something that’s inexpensive and works very well for traction on Deck Stairs and also won’t harm them, get some grit and sprinkle it on. This works really well for a short term solution.

Some further deck ideas might be to have it enclosed with framed lattice at the ends & below. It is also a good idea to think through if you want it to look cool, cozy, very relaxing or zany wild and very energizing!

There are many places on the web to look for pictures that show Deck Ideas. The sort of things you can have around and on your deck are fantastic furniture, great lighting to create either that relaxing feel or wild energizing experience.  Maybe an object of art….or a wall hanging or free standing fountain between trellis panels, also don’t forget decorative lighting.

When thinking through your deck ideas it is worth considering if your deck has a focal point?… if it does  – is it outside the deck or on the deck? If outside, then the decoration should turn attention towards the outside focal point……an unusual tree, flower garden, etc. If not outside the deck, then you can create a great focal point within the decked area and have it be a real show stopper!

A good place to start when thinking through your deck ideas is planning the color -a red,white and  black  theme will give a very dramatic look you could also have  white and red plants which will add a lot of instant color. However if within your deck ideas you want a softer feel then pastel colored plants such as white, mauve, pale yellow and pink can be lovely. Check local nurseries for attractive plants that grow well outdoors have a lovely smell and flower for long periods – jasmine is great, as it has a wonderful fragrance as do many other plants too, so ask at your local plant store.

Further Deck Ideas might be to add either a small or larger furniture set or a small table & chairs, or just a chaise or wicker sofa, maybe with either plain or colorful  patterned seat cushions. You can buy the cushions in so many different colors just think through what all the colors will look like together.You can also add a match-stick or bamboo-looking screen. This can be either free standing or one that you can attach with screw in cup holders so you can roll it up and down from above, if there is a deck above, too.

Also dont forget the lighting when thinking through your deck ideas, you can get many different types of lighting – indoor-outdoor paper shade or battery operated lights, or string lighting with dragonflys can be very attractive and means the decking area can be used both during the day and also at night.

One alternative idea might be to create a low maintenance garden underneath the deck.  The way to do this is to initially put down heavy duty black plastic and cover this with earth and then with gravel – there are different textures & colors of gravel available and it is worth experimenting with the gravel color to get the right effect.

When putting together your initial deck designs, make sure you think carefully about the right type of plants  – particularly shade loving plants that could thrive in this environment. You can also plant a larger number of the same plant for a more dramatic effect using dramatic leaf plants.

Plant these underneath the deck either in groups or as feature plants. The plants could also be planted as a border following the outline of the deck & leaving the plastic/gravel to the back of the area.

I would initially go to your local plant/nursery and explain to them about what your planting plans are as you need to get the right type of plants that will be happy living in a shady spot under the decking.

It is essential that you buy plants that do not do any damage to the house and that do not grow too big or tall. The nursery will know how high the plants will grow.  In some areas it is very popular to plant out mondo grass as a border or succulents underneath the deck area. However, you need to look at what is appropriate for your local conditions.

Hanging baskets with plants can be used along the floor(roof) of the underneath area as well. This idea creates an easy care garden but does the trick of dressing up an unused space underneath decks.

Having said all of that, if the area is safe for head height then you could make another entertainment area underneath the deck but leave it open. So then there is the top deck & the bottom deck and double the amount of entertaining area! The possibilites are endless! Good luck !

One suggestion is to get landscape timbers and countersink stepping stones part of the way in the ground.  Then set the landscape timbers the opposite way to the way the decking is going to run. You can attach a treated 2×6 to the house as a ledger board and since it’s on concrete you won’t need any stepping stones-just shim up the ends so that it is level.

An example might be if the deck itself is about 16 feet wide and the center of the deck stairs are 2 or 3 feet further out than the ends of the stairs, giving a radius of roughly 8.5 feet to the circle inscribed by each tread. Your stair boards that sit on top of the stair joists need to be cut to shape. Also your stair joists will need to be cut to the correct shape to provide support under each stair board.

I’d recommend using three stair joists. A long one in the center and two shorter ones on the ends. Then if you want to add a finish trim underneath the stair boards, you will have to bend them.

That is normally done by steaming the board then bending it around a form that bends the ends slightly more than the amount they will be bent on your Deck Stairs. You then pin your board in place after bending it around the form and let it sit for a while to gain the bent shape. Once you release it from the form it will bend out a little, just like a spring would. Then just nail your bent trim in place.

One further point – remember on your stair joists to account for the trim width if you are going to add trim.

Pressure wash the deck railings, let them dry for several days, then prime and paint with 2 coats of exterior latex paint.

One further idea for a very thorough colour would be a solid color stain. It soaks into the wood more than the latex paint which tends to just sit on the surface of the wood. Painting the wood with a solid color stain will also help the wood resist blistering and will mean it will last longer than paint.