You’re ready to watch the seasons roll by from your porch on your new deck. Northern Virginia hosts beautiful seasons, milder winters than our northern neighbors, supple springs, steamy summers, and fantastic fall foliage. Building a deck in a four-season state is a little different depending on when you get started. Although we can build a deck in any season, we’re here to help you understand how the season will slightly influence your timeline, cost, process, and main challenges of the build.
Deckscapes builds beautiful outdoor living spaces like decks, pools, porches, pavilions, and more for our neighbors in Fairfax and throughout Northern Virginia. We don’t dabble in working hand-in-hand with mother nature. We specialize exclusively in luxury living in the great outdoors, so we’ve got plenty to say about the nuances of building a deck through the seasons.
Building a Deck Through the Northern Virginia Seasons
Here’s the short answer. The best time to build a deck is before you need it. Here’s a little more about building a deck in every season.
Building a Deck in the Spring
Spring and summer are some of the most popular times to build decks, porches, and patios. Starting in the spring means you’ll likely have a finished deck to enjoy during peak grilling season. You’ll have softer ground in the spring, but you’ll contend with mud and extra rainy days where we can’t work outside. You shouldn’t work on your deck during extreme weather in any season.
Building a Deck in the Summer
Summer is a very popular time to build a deck because it’s easy to work outside, and the siren call of summer sunshine often highlights the elements we’re missing to fully enjoy it. You’ll have sunny days for building, but your deck-building contractor will likely be extra-busy, so you may spend the summer waiting to get on the schedule.
Is Fall a Good Time to Build a Deck?
Fall is an excellent time to build a deck. Your deck-building contractor will experience slightly less demand in their schedule and may be able to fit you in sooner. If you build a deck in the fall, you can step out into your outdoor oasis after the first thaw and enjoy your deck on every warm day after winter.
Can You Build a Deck in the Winter?
Many people mistakenly believe they shouldn’t build their deck in the winter. Building your deck in the winter is not only possible but also has a few advantages. First, the national demand for building materials like lumber for outdoor projects falls in the winter, and prices for exterior lumber are slightly lower. Quality contractors are less swamped and might be more quickly available to build your deck. As with building a deck in the fall, building a deck in the winter allows you to enjoy your new outdoor space as soon as the weather breaks instead of waiting to get going.
What Should You Not Do When Building a Deck?
DIY Without Experience
Many folks mistakenly believe it’s easy to build a deck, so they plan to build their backyard deck without much experience or planning. We’d hate to see you struggle with structural concerns, waterproofing, and material waste that comes with taking on a more extensive deck project than you’re educated to execute.
Hire the Lowest Bidder
We don’t recommend selecting your deck-building company based on price. Either you will receive a product that reflects this price or end up paying much more than you bargained for after extra fees, upcharges for quality materials, and other surprises roll in. Hire a reputable professional with an established track record in your community to build your Northern Virginia deck.
Build Something Generic
Building a deck is a unique opportunity to craft a personalized space for play. Don’t build the same basic deck you can find tacked on to homes all over the block. Add seating, distinct zones for different purposes, fire bowls or other fire features, a covered deck space, or anything else on your wishlist. The joy of working with outdoor professionals like Deckscapes is that everything we build is completely custom. Our design-build deck services take you from dreaming of your deck to enjoying your deck.
How Long Does it Take to Build a Deck?
A professional deck company can build your simple deck in as little as 2-3 weeks. Building a more complex deck with integrated elements and upgrades takes quite a bit more time and care. The pros could take 2 months or more to complete a complex outdoor remodeling project.
Deckscapes is Northern Virginia’s Deck and Outdoor Living Space Experts
No matter the season, Deckscapes would be thrilled to talk to you about the deck, porch, pool, patio, or other custom outdoor living spaces. Let’s connect today to get started!
