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b r e a k i n g n e w s a t L EA D ER P O ST . C O M S ec t i o n F
S at u r day, J u n e 27, 2015
Photos: ANGUSMCRITCHIE.COM
This deck on was dropped a few steps from the kitchen level to eliminate the need for a railing.
Getting all decked out Decks help maximize living space Joanne Penhale Montreal Gazette Decking out a home maximizes its livable space in the summertime — but there are a number of important considerations before installing a deck. Circulation, materials, maintenance, stability, comfort and esthetics all affect design, as well as costs, of course. Nicole Valois, a Universite de Montreal landscape a rch i t e c t u re p ro f e s s o r, traces the development of modern residential decks to the period before the Second
World War, when suburbs began sprawling away from city centres, and there was a movement to build functional outdoor spaces. Valois credits California landscape architect Thomas Church for influencing how we spend our time beyond the threshold of our home. “His view was that the outdoor space was the extension of the house, and very functional. “And decks are becoming more and more multi-functional,” Valois said. They now include outdoor kitchens, living areas with outdoor furniture, like sofas and hammocks, space for parents to sit and watch children play. And with this trend, Valois said, “Decks are getting bigger and bigger.” Montreal landscape architect Stuart Webster agrees.
“More and more, people want to take their whole living environment and lifestyle outside,” he said. His clients are also looking for decks that are low maintenance. Residential back yard decks are often desirable when the main floor of a home is well above ground level and people want easy access from their kitchens to a comfortable outdoor space. But raised decks with tall staircases can be uncomfortable; Webster said he prefers to design decks that get his clients closer into their gardens, as he did with a recent deck on Nuns’ Island. By dropping the deck a few steps down from the kitchen, the height of the deck was less than 60 centimetres from the ground, which means railings are not required.
“Railings are costly, and break the visual flow between the deck and garden,” Webster said, adding his clients can now sit on the deck and still feel like they are in their garden, which also includes a small pool. A bench with rectangular openings underside that let light through at night is used as a barrier between one edge of the deck and the pool. In deck projects without railings, Webster explained, he’ ll often incor porate plantings around the base of the deck, with plants that come up 90 to 120 cm. “That planting bed feels like it’s part of the deck when you’re on the deck, and par t of the g arden when you’re in the garden.”
See Decks, F2
Circulation is an important consideration in deck design. People need ample room to safely push back their chairs.
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