The perfect patio is every homeowner’s dream. Complete with a view of the nearest mountain range or urban skyscape, lounging on the deck with a few friends and cocktails to watch the sunset is the scene that captures many a home buyer’s imagination. Builders know that a beautiful deck is often the low-cost amenity that will later seal the deal for the realtor.

Unfortunately, not every home comes equipped with a patio, so adding a high-quality patio deck to the property tops the list of home improvements which brings out the tools, blueprints, and lumber catalogs.

The needs of your patio deck will be different from other types of wooden flooring. For starters, the challenge of building and maintaining a level surface while coping with discontinuities may be a bit of an engineering feat in itself. Selecting a flat surface for supporting struts is not always possible, so invest in a professional contracting level before designing any outdoor addition.

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Yesterday’s builders had available whatever options they could create with an axe, a bow saw, and some sandpaper. As hardware stores became more frequent, the selection expanded to include dimensional lumber, what we think of as traditional square-edged boards, and carpentry became divorced from logging.

Since then, wood materials providers have stepped up to the challenge of supplying the home builder with a product which more closely matches the needs of each project. If you are replacing one of these early floors, you are quite well aware why: floors crafted from traditional planks have decidedly uneven results. There may be spots where neighboring planks have a slightly different idea of how high the floor should be, gaps around the edges, or, worst of all, moisture buckling from years of exposure to the elements.

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