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Show ' " ' Because of difficult economic times and the new home market being what it is, more and more people are upgrading existing homes instead of moving to more expensive homes. More popular improvements include patios, upper decks, cantilevered decks over sloping terrain, water fountains, garden furniture and all of the other outdoor out-door amenities that make for gracious outdoor living. Decks and patios are great for outdoor eating events, dancing and parties. Randy Bates, owner of a landscape firm, says, "Business is the best it's ever been for us in the older home field. People can't afford the bucks for a new home." Money is definitely tight. Which means the home owner is more likely to build his own patio or deck with professional plans and a little advice. The cost of outdoor improvements depends on how grandiose the project, whether a contractor does it all or the home owner helps or the home owner does the complete job. Plans for wood deck or concrete-based patio arrangements can be purchased from landscape designers and materials purchased pur-chased from lumberyards and retail outlets. And it is not impossible for the home owner to comnlete a modest outdoor livinu DECK--C. Barranco admires his carefully landscaped yard from an upper deck added f to his home. CNS photo by Tony Doubek. I scaping firm, says landscape firm manager Vivian Akers. If the plans are simply general guidelines for the placement of the deck or patio and plants, the price could be as low as $350. For schematic diagrams with all building specifications included, prepare to pay Continued on page 12 design over a period of severai weekends with diligent, sustained effort, providing he or she has a sensible plan. The cost of such an effort might be kept under $1,000. But an ornate development with features including lattice roofs, redwood decking, furniture, water fountain, shrubbery, trees, fencing requiring substantial materials and the talent and labor of professional landscape land-scape architects and craftsmen could cost in the range of $35,000. Concrete patios also very in price, depending on materials used and the size of the project. Total cost rests on several factors. Will it include landscaping, lights and other special features? Price depends, too, on materials used, redwood being more expensive ex-pensive than some other woods. Do-it-yourselfers can bring those costs down considerably, as much as 40 percent of what a landscaping firm must charge for labor and expertise, says Charlie Turner, manager of a landscape firm. Residents who are thinking about deck projects on their own would do well to purchase plans from an architect or land- Deck Cont. from page 7 about $2,000, again depending on how elaborate the project. Of course, the home owner with an artistic artis-tic eye, a knowledge of plants and a knack for building might produce an outdoor living liv-ing arrangement with a charming effect at a tremendous savings. There are two reasons home owners think about creating outdoor living space -to make life more comfortable and to enhance the value of the home, "a real asset when the time comes to sell," says Akers. Water is an increasingly popular accompaniment ac-companiment to decks and patios, with the trend toward Jacuzzis and self-contained waterfalls and fountains. For those desiring elaborate decks, they may choose to have them contoured, rather than square, and build on several levels with step approaches, rather than rising only a few inches off the ground. For home owners who want to use water sparingly and grass sparsely, rock-scaping is the answer. Tom Cullington, a landscape architect, says the creation of outdoor living environments en-vironments is an art, each project to be tailored to the particular physical requirements of the residence for best effect. "Much depends, too," he said, "on the home owner's personal taste, whether he wants a closed roof, one with a skylight, a glass-enclosed patio, lattice roof, fenced deck and so forth. "In any case, the deck should be designed to fit the back. We just don't build a square deck unless that's what the home owner wants." |