Weather conditions are often overlooked when it comes to home improvement projects, and most people tend to wait for the spring or summer season to get something done around the house, and that usually extends to the late autumn, when homeowners expect all major work to be done.
This leaves us with winter, often a severely underutilized time of the year for any construction or home improvement work, unless we’re talking about deck construction.
What Is the Best Time to Build a New Deck?
Any time is the best time to build a deck since it’s one of the projects that can be completed at any point during the year. As with most home improvement projects, most people assume that the best time to build a deck is during the warmer spring or summer days, and those assumptions generally aren’t wrong.
However, finding a deck builder during hotter months in peak season is challenging because deck contractors experience heightened demand during that time. Not only that, but the decking materials, such as lumber or composite decking, are also harder to purchase during the high-demand months.
This projects your deck project into off-season months, which is actually good because you’re more likely to find an available contractor for your customer deck, and given that their demand is lower during the winter months, you’re also likely to get a discounted price.
Is Winter the Best Time to Build a New Deck?
Most people argue that building your deck is best done during the cold winter months when homeowners end their annual work on their homes, and contractors have a chance to catch a breather following a busy season.
This means you’re more likely to find a contractor available during the winter; the wood reacts to the moisture much better, and you’re not going to experience any industry-related setbacks because the industry itself dials down. However, you’re at risk of delays caused by extreme weather, heavy snow, or ice. Not only that, but the ground is more suitable for digging during the winter, which is important for laying foundations.
Is Fall the Best Time to Build a New Deck?
Fall is the beginning of the off-season for the construction industry, and it could be the right time to decorate your outdoor living space with your dream deck. The contractors tend to take fewer clients during the winter, and with cold temperatures setting in, they’re less likely to rush things, so they’re less likely to cause harm to the landscaping during cold weather.
Not only that, but you’re going to beat the spring rush, and you’re likely to amortize any setbacks in the deck-building process as you’ll have the whole winter to finish the construction project. However, there are some downsides, like trouble with applying deck stain.
What to Consider When Building a New Deck
While building your wood deck is preferable in the fall and winter due to practical reasons, there are still some considerations worth thinking over.
- Potential delays: If you start the construction process, you can avoid all the snow and ice, which might end up slowing you down significantly.
- Impact of cold weather: Ambient temperature affects different materials differently and often leads to delays in production. This includes materials such as lumber, composites, and numerous other materials, all of which expand and contract differently with temperatures.
Summary
Building a deck is a project that requires plenty of precision and planning, as you want it to go as smoothly as possible. Building your deck in the fall and winter is a fantastic way to take advantage of the optimal weather conditions paired with an increase in contract availability. If you’re looking for trustworthy and reliable, Deck Zone has plenty of experience necessary to turn your dream deck into a reality.