markmack

A beautiful use of decking material. It simply gets you down to the yard and patio level. No large expanses of deck, no railings to block the view or to keep you from nature.

It looks like you added this to an existing patio area. You may want to suggest to your homeowners to soften the amount of hard space in the large patio area by removing some of the concrete near the house and a/c and incorporate some plantings. They could even plant some with height to mask the a/c unit.

Nicely done!

Hi Kenny,

If it's any consolation, the flooring, casing, cabinets, appliances, window and sliding door were donated to the local reuse center. I even hired the reuse center workers to remove the materials. I also recycle all cardboard, paper, bottles and cans on every job. If I could recycle more I would gladly do it. Any ideas?

In a way, I am flattered that you perceive this as a wasteful kitchen. I really do get where you're coming from. This was a relatively inexpensive kitchen, but it packs a ton of design and good execution to deliver a beautiful kitchen. The sad thing is that the quality of the old kitchen cabinets were so poorly constructed for a home in this price range.

I hope you're not proposing that a kitchen with oak cabinets must always stay a kitchen with oak cabinets forever and ever. The cabinets in this kitchen were cheaply made with bare particle board shelves. It's tough to change oak cabinets without filling the grain before painting them. It can also be tough to reconfigure an existing set of kitchen cabinets into a new configuration.

Regarding what's wasteful, it's really very subjective. I would contend that 95% of what you and I do everyday regarding remodeling is considered wasteful by the 95% of the people who have little or nothing. I don't know how to alleviate that. I will tell you that on every job I bid on I always look on repurposing existing spaces and discourage additions. I do this because I think it is the right thing to do.

Anyway, we all struggle in a variety of ways to be good stewards as best we know how. Are we perfect? No. Do we have double standards? Most likely, yes. We are products of our times. As we become more aware of how we impact our surroundings, we try and change for the best. I'd like to hear how you resolve the contradiction of making homes more beautiful and using your construction and design talents with the fact that materials replaced functionally may not need it and the new materials are more than is practically needed. There are very few jobs that have a positive or neutral impact on our earth. I regularly struggle with this dilemma, and have no good answers.

I'm glad you liked my other kitchen. Thanks for both comments:)

Trying to make heads or tails on which decking material suits a particular need is daunting. I'd like to suggest an alternative to decking materials, how about a well designed patio? I am aware that there are such things as beautiful decks, but in my humble opinion not enough. Yes, I know a patio doesn't meet every need such as an elevated deck on a walk out, but for decks that are near ground level, it may be worth thinking about. Here's why:

1) Most decks have railings, not only are they hard to maintain, looking through most railings is like peering through jail bars. A well designed patio can have a single or multiple levels and be designed with landscape beds or grading to eliminate railings.

2) Most decks are large barren spaces devoid of what you really want a deck for - to connect with nature. They contain some furniture, the grille, and maybe a few plants - that will probably croak if you forget to water them very often. The real nature is off the deck. A well designed patio can have plants, even trees to provide shade, integrated into the patio footprint. And because the plants are in the ground they will grow better and can usually survive if they miss a few waterings.

3) Most decks are angular in design. A patio can suffer the same design fate, but it is easier to incorporate curves and other soft edges that are more harmonious with nature.

4) In my opinion, decks intrude into nature. They impose themselves on the landscape. Patios lend themselves to blend with the yard, to carve out multipurpose uses such as an area large enough for a table and chairs, another for a bench under a tree to provide shade from the afternoon sun, another for a view of the butterfly garden or bird feeders, or a bistro table near a water feature to enjoy a cup of coffee and the paper.

5) Near ground level and several feet off the ground, a patio can be tiered. Grading can alleviate some of the height issue. I understand that costs may be higher, but my idea of stepping out my back door is to enjoy the out-of-doors and be among nature, not trapped on a sterile, angular surface staring at the nature through bars and the horizontal railing that is at eye level when I sit.

6) As this blog so aptly purports the durability of the materials are questionable, and the maintenance is can be high, maintenance on a deck is just not fun period. But a patio's material is typically more durable and not so much work to maintain. In fact, maintaining a well designed patio incorporated into the landscape usually involves a gardening activity, and I don't know about you, but when my hands are working the soil or tending a plant my troubles melt away...I don't think I ever felt that prepping or staining a deck:)

7) It's hard to improve an existing deck, beyond a few additional construction projects that still leave it an imposing angular structure. Whereas a patio because it melds with nature can morph as your creative juices flow as you add a new feature whether living or inorganic.

8) Why do we build decks in the first place? The same reasons we install whirlpool tubs, build dining rooms and living rooms...because we can; because everyone else is; and because realtors tell us we have to for resale.

So you may wonder if this lover of patios has a patio or a deck. I have a deck and will someday get my patio. Until then I curse the day the previous homeowner installed it and causes me to spend one of my summer weekends each year maintaining it.

To you deck lovers, do your best to blend with nature in whatever way possible. I know that many of us build decks for a living; think outside the "box". Incorporate planters for flowers into the deck, build around a tree, experiment with different shapes and levels, and once in a while build a patio. Builders, find a good landscape architect to offer suggestions for deck or patio landscaping.

Thanks for the opportunity to wax on patios.