A deck is a great place to enjoy a barbecue, spend time with the family or soak up sunshine. Whatever you decide to use your deck for, you want it to last for years to come. That's why hiring a quality deck building contractor is so crucial. If you're skeptical about the price of hiring someone else, don't do the work yourself. Consider using these ideas for saving money when hiring a deck-building contractor.
Shrink it Down
The biggest budget problem with any deck design is its size. Everyone wants a big deck, but can't always afford it. By tweaking a few deck design elements, you can still have a deck that's the same size, but costs less. Shrinking a decks overall height to near ground level reduces the need for handrails. This shrinks the handrail budget to nothing and you can shift the money to increase the decks square footage.
But reducing the deck height isn't the only clever solution to keeping deck square footage intact. Adjusting design elements to incorporate board length specific sizes can help you save money when building a deck as well. Use support boards strategically to build continuous eight-foot deck sections versus chopped up sections of deck. This way fewer materials are wasted and less labor is spent on the saw.
Cheaper by the Dozen
When purchasing decking materials, it's always wise to keep your eyes peeled for sales. But more often than not, buying materials in bulk can be one of the best ways to save money when building a deck and many times can be cheaper than weekend sales. Another added bonus that large building material warehouses offer when buying materials in bulk—free shipping.
Decking planks are the most expensive part of any deck building budget, simply because of sheer numbers. Buying an entire bunk of decking planks may seem like overkill, but it could be the best alternative to buying smaller amounts of more expensive material. Don't forget to use your deck builder's in-store discount for even more savings.
Lumber isn't the only deck material that's cheaper to buy in bulk either. Materials like wood preservation sealants, lag bolts, decking screws and concrete dry bottoms can all be purchased in bulk amounts to save money.
Get your Hands Dirty
By rolling up your sleeves and pitching in, you can save significant amounts of money. And you don't need to be a deck building pro to lend a hand. Ask your deck contractor before you sign any contracts if they will take off a portion of the bill if you do some of the work yourself.
One of the easiest tasks any homeowner can do to help save money on building a deck is to haul away debris. Every deck-building budget accounts for some debris removal. Throw it out yourself and save money to shift around in your deck-building budget.
Another great DIY deck building project you can complete to help save money is screwing the decking planks to the joists. This labor-intensive process can suck up funds quick in any deck building project. Rent an extended head screw gun with screw clips for the ultimate in high-speed deck installation that takes your deck building money savings even further.
Posted by: TrustedPros
