A back deck is a special place! Many people wake up in the morning, take their coffee out on their deck and watch the sunrise and listen to the birds wake up. Those same people will likely end up back on the deck as the sun goes down in the evenings. It is considered a tradition in the south, where I was raised up from, to “porch sit.” The decks attached to our homes are gathering places; areas to entertain guests, host neighborhood cook-outs, and in many cases a venue to help our communities grow closer. Decks can come in any shape or size that your home could possibly work with. Here I will talk about the several types of desks you might consider adding to your barndominium house plans when it becomes design time.
Wraparound Barndominium porch:
My all-time favorite style is going to be the wraparound deck and by a long shot. I love a nice wide wrap-around deck with plenty of walking room, you see I like to pace when I’m on the phone and many of my homes have had wrap-around porches and I must say, that I certainly used them a lot and much prefer a wide wraparound that I have plenty to view as well. I’ve grown up in the south my whole life where large wrap-around porches are king, almost every old farmhouse had some style of a large wrapping porch. When it came to the most beautiful wrap-around style victorian era homes are known for their ornate spindles and intricately cut decorated posts, I find the workmanship fascinating. Back to actual porches I think having the extra wide space to move and enough room to have a little stroll the extra space is worth every penny that it might cost. With large wraparounds and even smaller ones You can still choose to sit anywhere you want, never getting tired of the view and always having a different one right around the bend. Maybe you would enjoy a swing on one side, rocking chairs on the front with a nice cozy relaxing nook area in the back with seating and pillows. Wood is the preferred decking material for a wraparound porch, but I always have my eyes on innovative technologies and new materials that rise to the forefront of the market. One of those materials that have become pretty popular in recent years, is composite decking. Composite decking is an extremely durable, flexible, and very long-lasting material that happens to be made from recycled plastics such as milk jugs and water bottles. As the “Go Green” movement is gaining traction, more people are looking for environmentally friendly, building materials.
Attached Porch:
An attached deck is standard on almost everything from shop houses, barndominiums, cabins, and even newly constructed dream homes. This type of deck is what your gonna find in most homes, it’s a go-to decking option for many Americans and it’s a great option to choose. With all the different decking materials on the market to pick from it’s no wonder most people go for the most simple straightforward option you have, it’s simply a deck anchored to the house. Some attached decks are designed with a little more spice, adding additions and pool houses, the porch can be anything you want it to be. A covered roof or screened-in deck allows it to be used year-round as an extra entertaining space, or a playroom for kids, With all that extra room I’m sure you can find a fantastic use for it, everyone has their own special hobbies and family activities. One of the attached porches on my personal home I have dedicated solely to cooking, so this is a space that holds things such as my grill and my big barrel smoker, those things being on their own mini porch was a nice idea that I’m glad I did, when I’m cooking on the grill or the smoker for my guests it’s nice to have the smoke far enough away on a different deck to not choke my friends and family to death before their meal. Simple design features like that can really make living in your barndominium a pleasure. making things easier by placing rooms and features in logically thought out places during the design process can save you headaches later once you move in and start to use things on a daily basis, you can take this same concept of simplistic design straight to your deck as well.
(Barndominium blog-Composite decking)
Detached deck area:
A detached deck is a nice area for an outside fireplace or swing. A raised patio area is also considered a detached entertainment space. My mother had a raised covered patio area when I was a child. She placed a nice glider swing right in the center of the detached deck with flower beds that surrounded the perimeter. We would convert it into an entertainment area when guests would come to visit, complete with a small fire pit. Remember a detached deck is way more suited for a fireplace or fire pit since it should be a safe distance from any structure. Be cautious when considering if your entertainment area is a safe distance from your home and also when considering the materials used for construction.
2-story/ multi-level:
This can be complicated as a DIY project, it’s a job more suited for a specialist. There are a bunch of different ways to do multi-level decks. You can have stairs that span from bottom to top, or you can have entry to the deck only from the home with no external stairs at all. I’ve seen many barndominiums built on the sides of hills with three separate levels of decks allowing for some spectacular views.
(blog on decking and railings)
No matter what type of deck you decide to build with your barndominium build, BuildMax can help your dreams become a reality. Your vision will be sketched out, put into a computer program, and come to life right before your eyes. If you are interested in starting your barndominium house plans today, contact us at BuildMax.com
