Deck Designs: Plus Pergolas, Railings, Planters, Benches [Paperback]

Steve Cory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2005

For homeowners, one of the most challenging aspects of building a deck is choosing a design that works both functionally and aesthetically. Deck Designs, an updated and expanded edition of Creative Homeowner's leading deck book, offers a comprehensive guide to planning and choosing a deck that enhances the home while also serving the family's needs.

The first part of the book covers topics such as how to decide on a design, tips on identifying uses for the structure, and common building themes and variations. Part 2 offers readers some of the best designs from four of the top deck builders in the country. Featuring 31 professionally-built structures, more than 280 full-color photographs and illustrations, Deck Designs provides countless ideas for creating these beautiful additions. Amenities like overhead structures, railings, benches, and planters are also detailed, making this book a complete, one-stop resource for planning and choosing a new or remodeled deck.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

For homeowners, one of the most challenging aspects of building a deck is choosing a design that works both functionally and aesthetically. Deck Designs, an updated and expanded edition of Creative Homeowner's leading deck book, offers a comprehensive guide to planning and choosing a deck that enhances the home while also serving the family's needs.

The first part of the book covers topics such as how to decide on a design, tips on identifying uses for the structure, and common building themes and variations. Part 2 offers readers some of the best designs from four of the top deck builders in the country. Featuring 31 professionally-built structures, more than 280 full-color photographs and illustrations, Deck Designs provides countless ideas for creating these beautiful additions. Amenities like overhead structures, railings, benches, and planters are also detailed, making this book a complete, one-stop resource for planning and choosing a new or remodeled deck.

From the Back Cover

Deck Designs

• See full-color renderings of 31 unique deck designs from four of the country’s top deck designer/builders, each of whom represents a different region of the country.

• Each design features a plan view, design and construction guidance, and a unique construction detail you can use on your own deck.

• A detailed design guide gets you thinking like a designer so that you can create the deck of your dreams.

• Browse over 280 photos and illustrations that showcase the latest in deck designs and trends.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Creative Homeowner; 2nd edition (December 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580112692
• ISBN-13: 978-1580112697
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have before building a deck, August 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Deck Designs: Plus Railings, Planters, Benches (Paperback)

I almost made the mistake of letting the contractors design my deck. They came up with a big boring rectangle. Thank goodness I bought this book first! It is packed with many wonderful ideas, including photos and tips to making a deck interesting and functional. It covers layout, railing design, and yard and use considerations. It is a very small investment for a big project, I suggest that anyone building a deck take a look at this book before proceeding.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vastly improved my boring low-end project, September 7, 2003

By 

L. Blackmore (Norwich, VT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Deck Designs: Plus Railings, Planters, Benches (Paperback)

If it hadn't been for this little gem of a book, I'd have ended up with exactly what I thought a deck was: a 10x30' rectangle on stilts outside my back door.

Thanks to the inspiring designs outlined here, I was able to upgrade my $4K do-it-yourself deck with some snazzy details and useful layouts with little additional work and expense. Please do yourself the favor of flipping thru the pages of a book like this - if for nothing else than to see how it can be done by the best designers and builders.

No, just like me you will never be able to afford the hand-sanded grade A redwood beauties that are featured on a couple of these spreads - materials alone would run into six figures. But you will be able to steal the design of the railing, or perhaps the notion of a split level or a nifty little nook for a bench or some other detail from the top end decks. There's enough closeups and sketches of the design to run with a concept that you find appealing, and the narrative will help you think thru the elements of your design that might open up new possibilities.

After reading it from cover to cover a couple of times I shared the book and my comments on post-its with the contractor I had hired to help me complete my project, and it inspired him to come up with some ideas of his own, as well as better understand where I wanted to go with the project.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packs in a wealth of deck design ideas and patterns, March 5, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deck Designs: Plus Railings, Planters, Benches (Paperback)

Deck Designs packs in a wealth of deck design ideas and patterns, featuring designer's unique approaches and their tips on how the deck feature was achieved. Color photos of patterns and decks supplement information on design considerations and details on construction techniques for the homeowner who wants to create his own custom deck.