Gardening For Not-Quite Beginners

Reasons To Use Proper Holes, Rather Than Concrete Blocks, For Your Deck Posts

Having a deck built at the rear of your residence has lots of advantages, but you want to be sure that the job is done right. This can mean hiring a contractor, rather than attempting the work yourself, but also talking at length with your chosen contractor about how he or she will tackle this project. Sometimes, you'll see decks that have their posts set on concrete blocks. In other cases, the posts are sunk into the ground and surrounded by concrete. Although there are advantages to using blocks, such as when the ground is too rocky to dig a hole, proper post holes are best. Here are some reasons why.

They Won't Move

You might not realize it, but the ground moves significantly when the seasons change. As frost leaves the ground in the springtime, there's a considerable movement below your feet. When your deck posts are sitting on concrete blocks, the blocks will commonly move as the ground shifts. This means that your deck can warp, bend, and sag to a noticeable degree, even after just one year. When the posts are buried in the ground, this type of movement is rare.

They Look Better

Deck posts sitting on concrete blocks can be a bit of an eyesore. Unless you have a plan for covering them up, perhaps with some manner or skirt on the bottom of the deck or even a garden that grows around the blocks, you may not appreciate constantly seeing the blocks sitting below the deck. The blocks that support the outer posts, of course, are highly visible compared to those that might be hidden under the deck. It's more of a natural look for the posts to be sunk into holes in the ground that are filled with concrete.

They'll Help Resale

Even if you're not thinking about immediately selling your house, it should be in your mind. Because concrete blocks below deck posts aren't often a viable long-term solution for the structure, prospective buyers may not appreciate seeing a deck built in this manner. They'll know that they'll need to hire someone to fix this issue or possibly rebuild the deck in a matter of years. This may compel a prospective buyer to offer less money for your house, knowing that he or she will have this repair bill to address before long. Posts sunk into the ground properly, meanwhile, have a long life and shouldn't concern any buyers.

Contact a contractor for more information on deck services.


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