A Deck for All Seasons: Maximizing Your Outdoor Living Space for Fall

Traditionally, with fall approaching, most people are thinking about moving indoors. But this year, with more people staying home, maximizing all living space is taking on a higher priority. How do you keep living and working on your deck for as long as possible? And how do you transition your deck to fall? Here are some ideas:

• Lighting
  Fall means that darkness comes earlier every evening. If you want to be out on your deck, you’re going to need lighting. That might mean post caps and accent lights for your railing. It could also mean outdoor lamps, floodlights, and lanterns. Are you sitting at a table? On a lounge chair? Do you need bright light for reading or just soft lighting so you can see where you’re going? Think about how you will be using your deck in the evening.
  
  Lighting lets you enjoy your deck even after dark.
  
  
• Heating
  Fall evenings, and even fall days, can get chilly! To keep your family warm, lightweight space blankets make a good outdoor option, since you don’t need to worry about them getting dirty or wet. Electric blankets are another way to warm up (take them inside at the end of the night!). Outdoor space heaters can also help to keep your deck livable on cold evenings, but we suggest buying them now as they’ll probably be in high demand this winter. And don’t forget a deck fire pit for s’mores!A hammock, a fire pit, and a sofa provide multiple places for relaxing.
  
  
• Design
  While light and heat make your deck livable, the décor you choose can make it a pleasant place to spend time even on a cool, cloudy day. As August rolls into September and October, start thinking about how you can change things to keep your deck looking beautiful. If you’d normally empty out your planters or let your flowers die with the first frost, consider replacing your summer flowers with hardy mums or something that can withstand the cold longer. If you don’t have planters, consider adding some. Add new pillows or a new blanket to your outdoor furniture. And if your furniture is old or isn’t functional for the way you use your deck, take advantage of end-of-summer specials to get new furniture to help create a space to relax.
  
  The deck is beautiful in autumn!
  
  
• Build
  With the summer season coming to an end, business starts to slow down for deck builders. If you’ve been thinking about building or expanding a deck, you can still do so in the fall! Call your local contractor to find out what their timelines are and if you can get a deck built or improved for use before the coldest part of the year. Even if you won’t get much use out of it this year, you’ll be ready to move outside on the first mild spring day of 2021!