Are your decks and patios in need of a little love and attention? Adding a deck or patio to your home can add thousands of square feet to your property without the hassle of losing all your hard earned money fixing it up later. If your home is in desperate need of an outdoor area, adding a deck or patio can definitely increase your usable living space without robbing your kids of their new college educations. In this series, we will look at the multiple advantages of decks and patios, so hopefully your toughest decision will finally be where to put the grill.

First, let’s talk about the pros of a deck or patio. There are actually several pros to adding a deck to your home. First, they are very easy to install, and depending on the size of your deck, you could have it up in as little as a day with the help of professionals, or as long as one evening with your friends and family. This factor alone makes a deck or patio a solid investment.

Another advantage of a deck or patio is that it gives you a lot more room to socialize and enjoy your time outside. A deck or patio does not require a lot of upkeep and can be left in its natural state for months at a time. Decks and patios are usually paved on a raised ground level, which makes them perfect for entertaining because you can have a lot of fun just standing around chatting with your friends, and the heat from the fire makes standing out in the cold a lot more enjoyable. Finally, decks and patios are very convenient because you don’t have to worry about walking around on the slippery surface, and often you won’t even need to lock the door because most decks are built with a sturdy frame and a series of rails on the exterior of the deck to prevent people from coming in or going out without knocking.