Deck or Patio- Which is the Right Outdoor Space for Your Home?
Both decks and patios are good choices to create an outdoor living space. They provide an easy backdrop for entertaining spaces and relaxing with friends and family while enjoying your personal outdoor space.
Maybe you are wondering how these two outdoor living areas differ because they are used for similar purposes. The biggest difference between a deck and a patio is that the patio is most often flush with the ground while a deck is raised up and most often traditionally made ofes wood.
Here are more of the differences between decks and patios to help you decide which would be more ideal for your outdoor space.
Decks provide great views while patios tend to offer more privacy
The views from your deck or patio will differ depending upon the home’s location and the surroundings in your yard where you are planning to place it. Decks, being that they are raised from the ground offer better views of the surrounding area. From a deck you are able to more easily look out onto your yard and see further into the horizon. A deck is a great choice if you have an appealing view around your backyard like mountains, the forest, or a body of water.
A patio built at ground level will limit your eyesight which is a huge plus if you are looking for more privacy. If you have a tall fence around your backyard for example a ground-level patio can give you complete privacy to enjoy an outdoor living space in your yard without neighbors looking in on your activities.
Related: Maximize your deck space
Permit requirements
A permit or inspection may be required when building a deck because it is attached to your home in most cases and it impacts the exterior structure and appearance of your home. It is important to check with your local zoning laws to determine if you will need a permit before constructing a new deck at your home. In some areas and depending upon the deck blueprints or construction plans you may need to attain inspections at certain process points throughout your project to ensure that the deck is built to code. If there are deck zoning laws in place where are you live and you failed to meet the requirements it could cause trouble should you decide to sell your home in the future and may result in a fine or having to remove the deck.
Patios do not require the extensive safety measures that a deck would require as the structure is sitting right on the ground. It is however always a good idea to make sure that there are no building codes for patios for your particular property before beginning construction.
Building on uneven ground
It is much easier to build a deck in an uneven yard then it is a patio. If you are set on a patio the ground will need to be leveled or a retaining wall put in place to be able to level a small area of the yard to make the patio possible. With a deck it is much easier to build a flat surface raised up off of the ground to enable you to have an outdoor living/entertaining area.
Related: Great Outdoor Patio Projects
Use in hot temperatures
Being that most patios are made of poured concrete or concrete pavers, patios will create a hotter or much warmer surface and area to hang out in. It also makes for an uncomfortable surface to walk across in the heat. A wood deck is much more pleasant to walk across with bare feet in the heat and does not create such a warm atmosphere when you are hanging out or lounging on it as a patio does. This is something not many people consider when building a patio or deck and most people tend to use these spaces in warmer weather.
Resale value
Decks typically are more expensive to build then installing a patio, but they have a much higher resell value should you decide to sell your home in the future. This is especially true in areas where outdoor living spaces are very popular and people enjoy spending time outside.
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