While many homeowners think of spring and summer as the premiere seasons for outdoor projects, that’s no reason to let your dreams of a new outdoor living space hibernate through another winter. A big part of building your dream deck is the prep work – much of which can be done during the off-season so your new space can be ready to go as soon as warm weather rolls back around.

Over the next month, we will be publishing weekly posts with tips and tools to help you navigate the deck planning, design and building process with ease, so that your new outdoor living space will be ready to enjoy by spring.

The first step of any building or remodeling process is to set a timeframe for your project. Begin by picking a date when you would like to have your project completed and work backward from there. Keep in mind that a typical deck build can take up to six months (or more) from planning to completion. To stay motivated and on track, prepare a detailed timeline with monthly goals and deadlines to ensure your project is progressing on schedule.



Once you have a general idea of the timing of your project, you can begin to map out how you want your new outdoor living space to look. Whether you have a sleek, modern deck in mind or are looking to create an elegant, traditional porch, you’ll find endless examples and ideas in our Inspiration Gallery, as well as on design-focused social channels like Pinterest and Houzz, to get your creative juices flowing.



One important thing to consider when designing your outdoor space is color. With the Trex Color Visualizer, you can select the shape of your deck and virtually test out all styles and colors of our decking and railing to find a combination that will coordinate perfectly with your home’s siding, trim, windows and doors. A Color Visualizer is even available on your iPad, so you can continue to plan and create while you’re on-the-go.



Another helpful design tool from Trex is our Deck Designer, which allows you to virtually draw your deck design and customize it with different materials, colors and accessories to create an outdoor living space that meets your needs and preferences. Once your design is complete, you will receive a personalized report that includes a list of required materials, along with referrals for nearby retailers and local contractors who can help turn your design into a reality.



With your creativity and these helpful tools, designing your dream deck should be a breeze. Be sure to come back to the Trex blog next week when we will share tips for choosing the best products for your outdoor living space.

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