A beautiful deck starts with careful planning and design.  The best looking deck often reflects some architectural elements from the house and uses them in the deck.  If you have multiple decks on your home consider using matching handrails and decking material for uniformity.  Consult with your builder or designer for the many options available today.

Overall deck costs tend to range from $25-$35 per square foot and cost varies due to height and complexity of construction.  The cheapest decking material on the market is probably pressure treated pine the most expensive include exotic hardwood species and top-end coated composite decking.  Here is a quick run-down on some of the decking materials available:

Decking Materials:

Redwood – soft wood prone to damage from hail, includes the removal of old growth forests that take centuries to recover.  Redwood takes hundreds of years to mature and therefore is not a sustainable wood source.  Redwood coast around $3-4 per linear foot depending upon the quality ordered.

IPE – Brazilian rainforest lumber that is very dense (hard) and durable.  It has a dark color and requires pre-drilling for fasteners.  I do not know of any that is sustainably grown / harvested lumber.  IPE costs around $4 per linear foot depending on thickness used.

Tigerwood – Brazillian or African rainforest lumber that is very dense (hard) and durable.  It has a light dark color variation (tiger striping) and requires pre-drilling for fasteners.  I do not know of any that is sustainably grown / harvested lumber.  Tigerwood costs around $4 per linear foot depending on thickness used.

Cedar – Soft wood prone to damage from hail, be sure to specify better grades of wood and tight knot or better, can come rough sawn for beams or trimmers and  works well for handrails.   Tight knot cedar cost around $2 per linear foot and the price almost doubles for clear cedar.

Pressure treated pine:  Typically made from southern yellow pine which is pressure treated forcing chemicals into the wood that resist rotting and insect damage.  The treatments usually contain copper compounds & other chemicals that are highly corrosive to metals, so extra zinc treatment to galvanized fasteners is recommended to avoid rusting.  Older treated wood, produced prior to 2004, often contain arsenic & chromium which can be easily released if burned.  It is important to allow the wood to dry out prior to staining or sealing.  Pressure treated wood is prone to warping, splitting and twisting and these qualities seem to be exacerbated in dry climates.  I believe that staining & sealing these woods can help their look and performance.  P.T. pine should be either screwed in place nailed with 16d ring shank nails all fasteners should be hot dipped galvanized.

Composite:

Should you use real wood or composite decking?  In the last ten years composite decking materials (plastic/ wood particles glued together) have taken hold of the market and are used on over half the decks being built.  Several companies use 90% recycled plastics in their products which will help reduce waste.  However, I do not know of any composites that are recyclable when they need replacement.  If decking could be continually recycled it would truly be a sustainable product, but no companies, to my knowledge, have produced such a product.  All composite decking materials rely on a type of adhesive or glue that bond all of the plastic and wood particles together.  These adhesives can be any number of polymers(resin) some which can cause environmental concern if released into the environment especially if burned.  The life span of composite decking is similar to a wood deck that is maintained, around 25 years.  Eventually all decking materials will end up in a landfill.

There are around ten different companies producing composite deck materials in the U.S. with Trex being one of the first and widely know.  These materials include decking and handrail systems and most companies offer different product lines that vary in color and consistency.  One California company even offers a bamboo composite BamDeck which uses 30% bamboo and 70% recycled plastic.

The cost of composite decking varies from $2-$4 per linear foot of decking board.  Common sizes for composite decking boards are 12’, 16’, 18’ and some 24’ lengths are available from certain manufacturers.  Try to design your deck so that no butt joints are required.  Composite boards require spacing butt joints from 1/8”-1/4” for board expansion which can be unsightly.

THE GOOD

• Composite decking does not require as much maintenance as natural wood products.
• Does not splinter or split.
• Have built in slip resistance.
• Are consistent in color, shape, and texture.
• Grooved boards can utilize hidden fastener systems which are attractive.
• Boards can be heated and bent into circular patterns.
• Boards are often made with recycled plastic materials up to 90%, which make it more sustainable.

THE BAD

• Boards without a pvc treatment are prone to staining from many different sources.  PVC treatments usually cost around $1 more per linear foot of board.
• Material holds heat and can reach temperatures that will burn bare feet in the summer.
• Material is not structural and typically requires a maximum joist spacing of 16 inches, which also limits what can be done with handrails.
• Material shrinks and swells more that wood which requires spacing at butt joints if used.
• Material requires pre-drilling in many circumstances for fasteners.
• Catastrophic failure, rapid deterioration is possible and almost all manufacturers have had to warranty their product for this reason at one time.
• Material is not recyclable.
• Polymers used to glue product together can be harmful if released into the environment, i.e. burning.

People often ask me what is the best composite to use and to be honest I don’t know.  The reason for this is that almost all of the companies making composite materials have produced materials that have failed and needed to be replaced.

In 2009 Louisiana Pacific recalled around 48 million linear foot of decking that was sold under three different trade names (WeatherBest®, ABTCo., and Veranda®).  Many other companies have had warranty claims for products that are less than five years old.  When composite decking fails you will often notice that the color comes off like chalk when you rub it with a finger.

Once composite decking boards start to fail, they can simply start to rot or you may notice flaking, splits, bubbling or other abnormalities.  Boards can also break between joists in extreme failures causing injury.  Warranties vary from company to company, but in general you can expect a limited 20 year warranty.  One thing to note is that the manufacturer’s warranty will only cover material replacement, not labor to remove the old boards and replace them, which can be a substantial cost.  Therefore, do your homework and make an informed decision based on a company’s track record.

Some things you should consider if you are planning to use composite decking:

• Texture (slip resistance) especially in frost prone areas.
• Color – try to compliment your homes color.  Most composite deck materials fade 30% in the first year and then stabilize.  Some even change color so look at samples that have been weathered when possible.
• Cost – almost everyone is on a budget so pick the best material you can afford.
• Warranty – since there have been failures in the past research the company’s products that you are considering and find out their track record and read the fine print on warranties.
• Maintenance – consult manufacturer’s suggestions but most can be cleaned with mild soaps and water.

There are a lot of things to consider when it comes time to build or replace a deck.  A new deck can cost as much as a new car so take the time to weigh your options and hire a competent builder.  I suggest that you not only talk with a builder’s past client but also take the time to see one of their completed projects.

No decking is completely environmentally friendly or sustainable.  In general, many of the natural wood decking products available are from hardwoods or slow growing softwoods which make them less sustainable.  Pressure treated southern yellow pine is a faster growing, more sustainable wood product but it utilizes chemicals for rot and insect resistance.  If the composite decking industry can develop a product that is recyclable and will consistently perform it will climb to the top of the sustainability chart and my “A” list.

This is a guest post by Bruce Kehr.  The owner of Sunlit Builders, LLC, Bruce is one of the top deck builders in Colorado.  You can reach Bruce via email at info@sunlitbuilders.com.

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Aunt Bethany:  Is your house on fire, Clark?
Clark:  No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

While anyone can load their house up with a gazillion flashing holiday lights and plastic reindeer, there is a lot of planning and work that goes into decorating a home tastefully for the holidays.

Ideally, the entire curb appeal should work together to create a scene that enhances the building and looks like it belongs there.  The shrubs, trees, and other landscaping (along with the structure) are important elements to the scene you are creating.

So, how can landscaping enhance the holiday decor?  Here are 5 ways to plan your landscape to work well with holiday decorations.

1.  Select plants that have good winter interest

Try to use a variety of plants that not only look good in the summer, but also have good winter interest.  There are many trees and shrubs available that have interesting bark and stem color (think red twig dogwood).

Utilize ornamental grasses, shrubs, and perennials that will catch the snow on their stems and branches.  On a cold day or night the snow will glisten in the sunlight or from the glow of holiday lights.

Also, use a mixture of evergreen and semi-evergreen shrubs.  Semi-evergreen shrubs are those such as Fernbush and Broom that have green stems and whose leaves may persist into the winter.

2. Add power receptacles to outdoor spaces and planting beds

Consider adding outlets to the outside of your home (remember to use the GFCI type outdoors), and even running them off of switches that give you the ability to turn them on and off from inside the home.

If you are building a new home, and you intend to run a lot of holiday lights remember to up-size your breaker box accordingly (or you might end up like Clark Griswold).

If you have a large lot and you want to have lighting a long distance from the home, you might add GFCI outlets in selected landscape beds, or below trees that you wish to light.  These can be installed on low wooden posts so that they are not noticeable during the day.

3. Create “layering” in the landscape

Many of the same considerations that go into good landscape design are also applicable here.  You want to think about how a visitor or viewer of your holiday decorations will experience and move through the space- do you live on a busy highway where viewers will be primarily be in cars and moving at high speeds?  Or are you in a more intimate setting where you will have pedestrians and visitors that come to your front door- or both?

Layering in the landscape is created by having foreground, mid-ground, and background plantings.  Holiday decorations can be arranged in the same way, with lights and clusters of decorations placed on and around the landscape elements.

4. Tree selection and placement

As you already know, there are numerous ways to hang lights and decorations on trees in the landscape.  Deciduous trees can be draped with handing lights, or lights can be wrapped around trunks.  And evergreens can be decorated like Christmas trees.

Remember that in the winter there will be no leaves on deciduous trees, so consider placing evergreen trees and shrubs to screen utility areas and to block an undesirable views.

Also, evergreen shrubs and trees that are not lighted can be used as a dark backdrop for lighted decorations.

5. Utilize traditional landscape lighting for holiday decoration

This is a good one for commercial properties as well as houses.  Landscaping lighting such as path lights, up-lighting, and flood lighting can be a beautiful way to accent a building and landscaping all year round.  If you have a nice lighting setup already in place, then you can simply swap out red and green bulbs or lenses for the holidays.

A few good examples of this might be doing a light “wash” of a building wall with colored light, using up-lights at the base of a tree to highlight the trunk and branches, or replacing house number lights with colored bulbs.

Of course, there are many other considerations, but this list is a good starting point.  Do you have any other ideas?  Let us know below in the comments.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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How can this be applied to our own residential and commercial landscapes?

Brad advocates a change in the way rainwater and storm drainage is thought of. Often times buildings are designed to get water to drain off of the site as quickly as possible, and into an elaborate system of storm drains. This approach treats rainwater as a nuisance, where it is not being used on the site at all. With a landscape design and drainage design that captures and directs water so that it can be used for gardens, flowers, and trees, this water can be utilized on-site as a valuable resource.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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• Why Do Water Providers Want You to Use Less Water?

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When large trees are planted directly under power lines the utility companies will hack them back with no regard for for aesthetics.  In general, it is always best to avoid placing trees too close to any utilities or permanent structures.

Here are a few guidelines and things to remember:

1) In addition to being aware of overhead wires, always call for underground utility locates (dial 811 in Colorado) prior to doing any digging or planting any trees.  These fine folks will come to your property and locate with markings all of the underground utilities.

2) Consider the full mature size of the tree.  Many trees are planted at 1-1/2″ to 2″ caliper size, and look quite small when first planted.  But in 10-20 years many full size trees grow to heights over 40′ tall.  Evergreen trees like Colorado Blue Spruce get very wide at the base (20 feet wide or more), and I often see them planted too close to buildings or utilities.

3) Consult with a local professional for advice. You local nursery or landscape architect will be happy to share ideas on other options to landscape the area, or for varieties of trees that grow shorter or narrower.  There are some trees such as Chanticleer Pear that grow very narrow and compact- you might be able to offset these trees a few feet from the overhead lines and avoid major future conflicts.

4) If in doubt, stick with groundcover, perennials, or ornamental grasses. These plants have shallow root structures and non-woody branches that are more forgiving to the objects around them.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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• Spring Clean-Up: The Most Important Landscape Maintenance Tasks for Spring

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Juniper bushes are common in older landscapes. Here they were not given adequate room, so they have been sheared off along the walkway.

Why is this?  I think there are a few main reasons, aside from the fact that they are prickly beasts that we have all tangled with a one point (either landing in one while playing as a kid, or getting that annoying rash on your arm while trimming them) :

1) They were simply overused in the past.  People are just tired of them and want something unique and new.  And since they live for ages and rarely die, they are often the only living survivors guarding the front doors of homes in any older neighborhood.

2) They were not planted with enough room to grow.  Many of the varieties get quite large after say, 20 years, and quickly outgrow the planting bed.  Because they grow too large for their setting they require excessive pruning to keep them at a manageable size.  This pruning then exposes all of the dead old growth inside the base of the plant- ugly!

3) The aforementioned prickliness.   And good luck getting the baseball you were tossing around out of the center of that green monster.

Given these negatives, why then should you consider using Juniper plants in your landscape?

1)  They require little water and are very well adapted to the western and southwestern United States.  That is why in places like Eastern Colorado (where few woody plants survive, and water is a scarce resource) they are used by landowners and farmers for windbreaks.  They are an excellent Xeriscape plant.

When used correctly, such as in this Denver Xeriscape, Junipers can be an attractive addition to the landscape.

2)  They are long-lived plants.  In some places native specimens have lived for several hundred years in the wild.

3)  Given an appropriate amount of space, they require almost no maintenance.

4)  They are evergreen, so they provide good winter interest.  They can be used to add texture and scale to a landscape, and make terrific visual screens, hedges, and windbreaks.

5)  There are many forms and colors available that offer endless design possibilities, ranging from narrow upright forms to low mat-forming spreading varieties, and everything in between.  Colors can range from dark green, to blue-gray, to bright green, to yellow green, with some varieties changing to purplish-red shades in the winter months.

So, the next time you decide to tear out those old Juniper shrubs, consider re-introducing them into your new landscape design to enjoy all of the benefits these versatile plants have to offer.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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Delosperma (Red Mountain and Mesa Verde Iceplant) and Actostaphylos x coloradoensis (Panchito Manzanita)

Dry Xeriscape Garden

Erigonum umbellatum (Kannah Creek Buckwheat)

Delosperma (Red Mountain and Mesa Verde Iceplant)

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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Below is a photo slideshow with before and after images of a residential landscape renovation that we completed in fall of last year:

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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Many businesses and homeowners are looking for ways to be more sustainable, to save water, and to conserve resources to help their bottom line.  I have been surprised to find that many people are not aware that collecting rainwater- even in a simple “rain barrel” system from your roof for use in watering a garden, is illegal in Colorado.

Historical Precedent

I think the Colorado Division of Water Resources website summarizes well the historical precedent in layman’s terms:  “Colorado water law declares that the state of Colorado claims the right to all moisture in the atmosphere that falls within its borders and that ‘said moisture is declared to be the property of the people of this state, dedicated to their use pursuant’ to the Colorado constitution.  As a result, in much of the state, it is illegal to divert rainwater falling on your property expressly for a certain use unless you have a very old water right or during occasional periods when there is a surplus of water in the river system.  This is especially true in the urban, suburban, and rural areas along the Front Range.  This system of water allocation plays an important role in protecting the owners of senior water rights that are entitled to appropriate the full amount of their decreed water right, particularly when there is not enough to satisfy them and parties whose water right is junior ro them.”

The New Laws

Senate Bill 09-080, which was passed by the general assembly and signed into law by the governor this summer, allows for limited collection and use of precipitation, but ONLY if the following conditions are met:

1. The property on which the collection takes place is residential property, and
2. The landowner uses a well, or is legally entitled to a well, for the water supply, and
3. The well is permitted for domestic uses according to section 37-92-602, C.R.S., and
4. There is no water supply available in the area from a municipality or water district, and
5. The rainwater is collected only from the roof, and
6. The water is used only for those uses that are allowed by, and identified on, the well permit.

ALL of the above criteria must be met.  That does not allow anyone who is connected to a municipal water supply (ie. most homeowners) to do this.  I don’t really understand the reasoning behind this law.  I have a hunch that they set out to create this law to allow the average residential homeowner to collect a limited mount of rainwater, but then in the negotiations the bill was paired down to its current form- and we ended up with a meaningless law that effects only a handful of people.

Regardless, there is a lot of confusion about this law that should be cleared up.  Many people I have talked to now believe they are allowed to collect rainwater when in fact they are not.  Soon after the law passed, Home Depot even began selling rain barrels in their Front Range stores (and they have over 10 different models to choose from on their website).  I have found the reaction of most people when they find out this is illegal is first surprise, and then usually a comment such as “well, I would probably do it anyway”, and “they would never know.”

If you are so inclined to install a rain barrel (do so at your own risk), here is a tutorial I discovered on how to make your own.  Another good alternative (and perfectly legal) is to create a bioswale in your landscape.

House Bill 09-1129 has the potential to make a much bigger impact.  This law allows for developers to apply for approval to be one of 10 statewide pilot projects that will capture rainwater for use in non-essential use in the subdivision.  The Sterling Ranch development, in Douglas County, was one of the early applicants for the program.  The developer hopes to save the development’s use of municipal water by 50%.  It will be interesting to see the results of these pilot projects, especially for those of us in the planning, design, and engineering community.

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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Notice the overgrown and poorly placed shrubs that the builder had originally put in (in the “before” slides).  Not much thought went into the original plant selection.  I can’t blame the builder entirely, as they typically hire a landscape company to knock out a bunch of inexpensive landscapes in one fell swoop.  But this goes to show that a poor landscape design can have a negative lasting impact on a builder/developer’s image.  It may have looked OK the day it was installed, but they chose plants that were too large for the space- not to mention downright boring.  A couple of rows of 4 shrubs of the same species doesn’t cut it if you want to be competitive today with buyers and homeowners.

With our help, the owners now have a well thought-out landscape that will also require less maintenance and water.  No more mowing and trimming all that sod right up against the back fence-  instead they can enjoy plantings and a water feature to look at out their back window and from their deck!

This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects.  For more information about our business and our services, click here.

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• Compliance with New ADA Standards May Mean Costly Renovations

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