Add Style - And Value - To Your Outdoor Space

Posted 22 August 2014 2:24 PM by Universal Forest Products

You spend enough time indoors, right? So get yourself outdoors! A great way to get outdoors more is to create a comfortable outdoor space – or improve the one you have. Plus, you’ll add a lot of value to your home. According to Remodeling Magazine, deck additions are among the best home improvement projects for generating a return on investment. Here are a few ways you can create an engaging and valuable outdoor space:

Add a deck or refresh one

Decks add living space to your home. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2014 Cost vs. Value Report, wood deck additions recoup 87.4 percent of their cost, and composite deck additions recoup 74.3 percent, both great investments.

If you have a deck, refresh it. Clean it with a power sprayer and/or stain it. Update your balusters with new styles, colors and materials (such as aluminum, glass and lighted balusters). Add lighting to stairs and posts. Deckorators^® offers many lighting options for wood and composite decks.

Makeover your patio

If you have a concrete patio, start your makeover with a good power-washing or by applying concrete stain. Next, make over your existing patio furniture (by repainting and changing the cushions), or buy new furniture. You also can enhance your patio by adding solar lighting along pathways or highlighting notable landscape features – such as fountains, flowerbeds and statues.

More outdoor ideas

For more function and enjoyment on your deck or patio, consider these additions:

• Gardens – Install planter boxes on deck rails or create a wall garden with plants hung independently or on small shelves at different levels.
• Pergola – Typically installed on patios and low-level decks, pergolas provide a focal point and shade in sunny places. Dress up a plain pergola with Deckorators postcovers and vine plants that grow upward.