Our prejudice is completely in favor of the raised, wooden, DIY deck experience; so if you are looking for a "pros and cons" article, this is definitely not for you.

We are so happy with our two year old deck that objectivity is no longer possible.

And we'll admit that the original impetus for the deck was not "inspiration" as much as "imitation". Decks are becoming more and more popular throughout America----here in the Sunny South, they are almost an expected architectural feature. It's not unusual to drive through neighborhoods where the majority of the houses have been "decked".

After a weekend at a friend's house, where the deck quickly became the obvious gathering spot, my wife suggested that we forego our summer vacation trip in favor of our own "modest deck"-----attached to the back porch........and just big enough for a table and some chairs. What she described originally would have been more of a "viewing stand".

We are both very proud of the landscaping that we've done to the "back forty".

Come to think of it........our summer vacation trip has been foregone every year since we've been here in favor of one project or the other.........trees first, then the ponds, then the flower beds and vegetable garden.

And now.....the sights, sounds and smells of our backyard are so much more enjoyable than they ever were through the windows that previously framed and limited the experience.

We are outdoor people, so it probably was to be expected that the original plans for the "viewing stand" would expand. So far we've grown to include room for two sets of tables and chairs (one set for dining----the other for more casual activities); and, of course, what dining area would be complete without the grill? And then over in the corner, room for the hammock. Did I mention the railing with attached flower beds? And how about the solar lamps to outline the area after dark?

The South Carolina sun necessitates shade; but, the summer "breezes" (some at 40 mph, straight out of the North Carolina mountains) tend to destabilize any umbrella installation---------soooooooo, half way through the first season, a roof was added to our ever-expanding "viewing stand". The new roof covers 80% of the deck.......leaving plenty of room on the east end for the proposed "one-woman" green house.

Yes, we are outdoors people and love our time in the sun.

We are also outdoors people who have experienced over 120 summers between us. That's just another way of saying that we love the fact that our "viewing stand" provides such easy access to the air-conditioned, cushy indoors------i.e. bathroom, kitchen etc.

The actual construction, though somewhat intimidating, up front was actually much easier than we expected.

Practically all the components of just about any deck configuration are available at the local building supply store. Nearly everything required comes pre-fabbed, pre-cut and pre-priced. You can actually go online at one of the major stores and use their "deck building software" to "pre-build" your proposed deck. You enter the your "specs" and then print out just about everything you need........plans, tools required, building supplies (right down to the last screw and nail), cost estimate, etc.

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