back deck

We like this decking material and the very simple footprint with only benches along the borders. We'd like the deck to be on the existing footprint of the current back porch brick area- but we'd want it raised so that it is level with the floors in the kitchen and living room.

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Another example of benches on border. We'd want "exits" from the deck at the same locations where there are currently doors on the existing screen porch. It'd be nice to have simple planters at each exit, but not necessary if budget gets high.

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Another bench picture. We'd like them bordering the entire deck. It seems this style of bench, or the one in the picture to the left of this one, would be easiest for blowing leaves off the deck, etc.

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Having floor flush from inside to outside is key for us for ease of access and to thus get the most use of the outside space.

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Like the corner nook idea with bench seating- would like to incorporate this onto left side of porch/deck as you look at the rear of the house (so right next to our neighbor's tall fence, not on the culdesac side.)

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We like the "shade sail" option as a way to have plenty of sunlight stream into the house, but to create and preserve a shaded space on the deck for those hot days when we want to be outside. This is our favorite image since you can still see sun streaming in which we want going into the house, but there's a nice shaded area created for outdoor seating.

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https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1974496/list/shade-sails-outdoor-rooms-take-wing More shade sail examples. We like the previous picture with the less bold colors. Tenshon = shade sail manufacturer

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3. String up a canvas shade. Attach outdoor fabric to overhead wires so it can easily be retracted on a pulley, or run it through the frame of an existing pergola. When the weather changes, just fold up the fabric and store it in a drawer until next summer. You can even choose a material other than fabric, such as bamboo or shade cloth, for a different feel. **If shade sails are too expensive, we could research this idea as a back up.**

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We like this idea as well as the "shade sails" but we would want to make sure they are positioned so that daylight still streams in through the doors into the kitchen and living room. We'll have to figure out where the sun is to pick a a designated shaded area for hot days (or areas, if 2 shade cover areas are needed to allow light in to the house.) "A detailed and expansive structure isn't necessary for some simple sail-like shades. While you can easily spend thousands of dollars on a sophisticated shading system with guide wires and the like, a few posts, some wires and fabric will set you back a minimal amount of money and be a really nice way to shade the patio. As with the umbrellas, doing some research into the material for the shades is important. And make sure that the cloth is pitched to allow rainwater to fall off of it. Without that pitch, rainwater can puddle up in the middle of the cloth sail, causing the fabric to stretch and be ruined — or, worse, causing the whole system to collapse because of the weight of the water. And make it so you can easily take down the fabric canopy and store it for the winter, especially in climates that get ice and snow."

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