Welcome all ye travelers and surfers. You have arrived at the online surfer hut of Remodeling Guy. It must be your lucky day!

For some, this is your first visit to Remodeling Guy, so you’ll have to look around before you can truly grasp the extent of your good fortune (and the even greater extent of my unusual and sometimes entertaining sense of humor). For the rest, those who have been here before, you may be wondering… “where did you go?”

I have been very quiet lately, that’s for sure. I’m very thankful that you’re here today anyway! Thanks for coming back.

Without further ado, let’s just talk about house stuff. I received an email the other day from BHG.com. They wanted to be sure I knew about a section on their huge and informative website that was all about decks. And they got my attention the right way by sending me some really pretty deck pictures.

I like pretty pictures. Especially of wood.

So, you can go to BHG.com to get some detailed info and I’ll tell you what I think about these pictures.

The deck above is great for a sloped lot or if you have a main living area upstairs that would open onto this deck. I’m always amazed at the difference in the feel experienced from a higher elevation of even a few feet.

In one minute or less so I’ll tell you what I like and what I don’t. Because I know you care.

Thumbs Up –

The Stone Columns – I love the look of a little stone mixed in with wood. The overall natural feel just resonates with me and it’s like being in the mountains on a great hike. Works for me.

The Use of Real Wood – As much as I admire the overall longevity and other benefits of composites and manufactured material, my love for natural products wins every time. Real wood feels real and we need as much of that feel as we can get in this world.

The Wide Stairs – I like the use of wide staircases. Why not! Generally outdoor projects don’t have the same size restrictions as indoors, so why not go big? It makes the whole thing seem more spacious and inviting. And just think of the family photos you can get without having to go on a cruise ship. It actually saves you money!

Thumbs Down –

The Use of Glass – Maybe it’s acrylic (Plexiglas), but no matter to me. It’s a pain in the patootie. (spelling on patootie?) It might look great for a few days, but after that it’s a cleaning nightmare. Acrylic can be easily scratched and glass can be dangerous. I’m much more appreciative of a the way some great looking stainless cables would work here.

The Stair Rail – I can see that the designer was thinking “post and beam” when he or she designed this rail, but I don’t think it’s the best option. In your minds eye, picture a nice rail that sloped with the stairs and extended all-the-way to the bottom step (like a normal rail). To me, that would look much nicer and would certainly be more conducive to the aforementioned family pictures.

More Tomorrow

Well, I had in my little mind to write my thoughts about three more deck pictures today, but I’m flat out of time! So I’ll just do another one tomorrow. Maybe if I can get a post up a few days in a row, I’ll be back in the habit.

Until then, you can check out some great resources at BHG.com all about decks.