Adrian Simunovic speaks to Shiona Thompson from AM 900 CHML about deck and landscape design ideas. Visit the CHML Home and Garden site to hear past podcasts.
Audio Transcription
And good morning, I’m Shiona Thompson filling in for Jamie West on the Home and Garden Show. Now I promised you off the top that we were going to get your weekend started. This is your foundation for the rest of what you will do this weekend. Our next guest really is taking that to the next level. If you’ve been dreaming of creating that perfect back yard oasis, a place for you to enjoy all of the gardening that you’ve done, or entertaining your friends, a really kick deck is the way to do it, a deck or a patio. That’s why Adrian Simunovic of Paradise Decks is joining us on the line now. Hi Adrian.
Hi Shiona.
We were talking with the manager of Terra Hamilton earlier about, you know, gorgeous things to have in your garden, and the best place to view all of that is from the top of your own deck.
Yes.
One of the things that I wanted to talk to you about, you know, decks have come a long, long way from when it was just a slab of concrete or a couple or boards and you unfold the folding lawn chair and sit out there for a little while. I mean it’s really a living and entertaining space now.
It certainly is, and the, I think what’s happened is that people are creating interior environments outside. Back yards now are complete with outdoor kitchens, fire pits, covered roof areas, pavilions, it’s really become a space that is enjoyed as much outdoors much outdoors now as it is in.
Exactly. It’s like the summer living room if you will.
Correct.
Yeah. Just a reminder for everyone: if you have any questions about your deck this is the guy to talk to. Adrian is on the line for that. 905-645-3221 for any questions that you might have. Where does the process begin, because you may have this lovely garden that you want to take advantage of but where do you go from there?
It’s a good question Shiona. I think, you know, when you are thinking about your backyard it’s important to start with a plan. Often people look at their back yards and decide: “we need some greenery, we should plant a tree” that sort of thing, and it’s done almost in a haphazard way. I think it’s very important to look at the yard, to consider all of the elements of the yard: slope, grade, how high your door is from grade, and then try to consider the entire landscape, even if you’re not prepared to do everything in the first year it’s very important to consider all elements.
Landscaping is important as I think you were mentioning about drainage and the whole flow of the back yard too.
Absolutely. That’s one of the things that commonly gets neglected is flow. Some of the buzzwords we use in the design world are: points of destiny and ease of access. All of these things need to be considered when you’re doing your plan. So it’s not just a matter of: “today we’ve decided that we’re going to build a deck and, how big should we make the deck? We want a 12 x 14 deck and that may impact some future plans for instance, for some larger trees you may want to plant or perhaps you’re even planning a garden, a food garden or an herb garden or something and you’ve stolen the best sunshine area in the yard with your deck. So all of these things need to be considered carefully before you really start doing anything in your back yard.
And there are other options besides square and rectangle.
That’s right. Yes, and you mentioned how decks have come a long way. That’s probably one of the areas where design is really improved. You know, the deck was always sort of the square off of the back of the house. You can certainly do so much more with design, and in many ways doing something different with design really changes not only the aesthetic and how the deck appears in the yard but it’s function: how well it flows and the use of the deck just becomes so much more improved by changing from a common rectangle to some other shape.
And now it’s going to nestle into the house, and how it’s going to take advantage of the use in your garden.
Precisely, precisely.
Now I was taking a look at your web site and I was a couple of things that really, really interested me, one of which was having a hot tub off of that. I’m thinking that’s a big trend.
It is. Hot tubs have been quite popular for some time, but what has changed is that in the past I think hot tubs were always sort of an afterthought, maybe stuck on the side of the deck that you could access off of the deck, but now I think that people realize that hot tubs become entertaining areas unto themselves. It’s very important to create a living space around the hot tub. Often there are people who want to be a part of the hot tub experience but don’t necessarily want to be in the tub, so often we’ll design a living space around the hot tub. Perhaps some roll-back benches, or even a pergola over the top of it to create the feeling of a room. The whole tubbing experience has really reached a new level when it comes to having it incorporated into your deck and landscape design.
Well it has if we’ve incorporated into our language phrases like “tubbing experience”.
That’s right, that’s right.
Now, one of the things that I think also has to be included in the whole design process, you know, there’s the aesthetic aspect of it but there’s also things are required by the Hamilton building code, and that can be, you know, that may not be the starting point for a lot of people planning this but it has to be incorporated into the process.
Of course. You have to consider the rules and the bylaws and, you know, what’s difficult for people often is that a lot of the rules and bylaws governing deck construction or any other type of construction, even pavilions or covered roof structures require permits. The rules change from municipality to municipality so a customer doesn’t really know exactly what the rules are governing their construction and that’s probably the time that they should be consulting experts in the field. Obviously we understand what all of the rules are around deck construction, height restrictions, size restrictions, lot coverage restrictions, set-backs, how close they can come to the property line. All of those things need to be ironed out because they will determine the ultimate design of the deck.
Now Adrian, we’ve got Margaret on the line joining the program right now. Hi Margaret.
Yes, hello.
What’s your question?
My question does not concern the installation of a lovely new hot tub but growing weary of one and, having had it removed, we now have an 8 x 8 hole in our beautiful large deck and I’m wondering whether it can be repaired or create a sunken living room or a garden or what’s the best approach.
Margaret, you know the space of the hot tub is likely a standard 7 x 7 or an 8 x 8. I’m not sure that’s really a functional space that you could create a sunken area.
No. I know that was a little bit tongue in cheek.
Normally what people do in cases like that is that they add in some framing and they deck over it. The important thing that you should remember is the cut line of where the tub used to be. If you simply fill the boards in the cut line you’re still going to have the outline of the hot tub. Really what needs to be done is that the boards need to be lifted and all of the boards right from end to end should be replaced so that you never know there was ever a tub there in the past.
In that 8 x 8 area, not the entire deck..
Not the entire deck, jus the 8 x 8 area, correct.
All right.
Because you don’t want, you know, the ghosts of decks past.
That is true, that is true. We did order 9 x 12 carpet but I guess that’s just sweeping it under the rug so to speak.
Margaret thanks so much for joining the program today.
Thank you Shiona.
And of course that means that the phone line is open at 905-645-3221 and we’ll have more with Adrian, the owner of Paradise Decks and Landscape Design. Anything you want to know, this is the time to call and ask. 905-645-3221. We’ll take a short break on Am900 CHML.
I’m Shiona Thompson filling for Jamie West this week and we’re on the line with Adrian Siminovic who is the owner of Paradise Decks and Landscape Design. Adrian, Paul is joining the program now. Hi Paul.
Hi, good morning.
Good morning. What’s your question for Adrian.
I have a question for Adrian. Adrian, I’m in the process of designing a back yard up at a cottage lakefront property and I’d like to do it on software to present it to the landscaper. Is there, in your experience are you getting more of that, or can you suggest a proper software that we can present to a landscaper for design?
There are so many available Paul. The one that we commonly use is SketchUp but there’s Illustrator, there’s Dynascape, these programs are extremely powerful. They can produce 3D renderings so you could actually do a walk-through or a fly-through of your entire landscape. There’s some skill involved in using the program or a learning curve but there’s all kinds of people versed in the use of those programs that could do the design for you.
Right, OK. Does most landscapers provide that now with the software, where they can design it?
Most landscapers do, you know, have an option of doing a 3D rendering so most plans when they’re produced are just a 2D view or an overall plan view of the landscape. For those customers that really want to get a feel for what the landscape will look like in its finished state they can do 3D renderings.
Ok, well, then you know what I’m going to give my kid back her crayon. Have a nice day.
Thanks Paul and that means the phone lines are open at 905-645-3221 for any questions you might have about decks and landscape design and creating that extra outdoor living space. Adrian, earlier we were talking about the flow that’s involved in the design because you want to have that deck work well from the house, add that living space and then transition over to your back yard whether that’s landscaped or there’s a pool out there. But really the flow goes two ways.
Yes it does, absolutely. It’s true and, you know, it’s ease of access is so important. You want to be able to transition comfortably from your home, you know, down to the pool or out to your deck or to your lower patio, and you’re absolutely right it works the other way: you want to be able to re-enter into the home, so that flow is absolutely important. The furniture: dining set or lounging furniture — your deck has to be designed in such a way that it’s not obstructing flow. That you can comfortably maneuver around furniture but that there’s still enough room to comfortably acccommodate that furniture. All of these things need to be considered when you’re planning the design of your deck.
And then there’s that view that you have from either the pool side or your back lawn of the deck itself, and it’s got to transition well from the living surface down to the ground.
Absolutely. And again, we get back to the point of planning and good design. I can’t tell you how many times I see an elevated entry into the yard say two or three feet or higher off of grade and people have a view to a pool or beautiful landscaping in the back yard, and they build a deck all on one level with a rail that is obstructing a view into their back yard. A much better choice would have been at the very least to choose perhaps a tempered glass rail, but even better to create maybe a landing off of the entry to the back yard and then lower the main living space of the deck so that when you’re sitting in the house your view through to the back yard is unobstructed.
And that’s why we need somebody with that kind of experience because, you know, my husband is six feet tall. I’m five foot four — in heels, so you know, his perspective of a view is one thing and mine quite often has a bar right in front of it.
Yes, and although we can’t design decks only for shorter people Shiona — I wish we could — but.
No, you should.
Yes. It’s something that needs to be thought about. Sight lines, flow, ease of access, points of destination: those are all design principles that people who have been doing this for a long time understand.
And there’s another layer in all this as well. Most of us think of a bright back yard sunny deck but not everybody can be in the sun all the time. Again, I’m as pale as pale can be.
Yes, and as people become more aware of the hazards or being in the sun, you know, covered, shaded areas on the deck have exploded. Pavilions have become, you know, design features on a deck that are becoming increasingly prevalent. The advantage of doing pavilions become just the shelter it provides is the opportunity for lighting, for mounting speakers for sound, and you can’t imagine how many people now are putting television sets inside their pavilions so that they can they can site outside in their lounge furniture and watch a football game on a Sunday afternoon.
Well we were talking about it being additional living space. People really have expanded on that theme, so it’s not just like an additional outdoor living room — as you mentioned, you know, having it as an entertainment area and having the electronics that go along with that, having a bar out there — a full second kitchen, not just a barbeque area.
That’s right and in the summertime obviously we want to be outside and so that affords us the opportunity to have that whole experience outdoors where people can spend the entire day, the entire evening outdoors just enjoying company, entertaining or just family time and just enjoying all of those things: cooking and eating and entertaining.
Well you’ve given us some great ideas that I’m sure everybody is going to be able to expand on with their own imaginations. And really, that’s where the whole process starts is with that design consultation and where your imagination and your lifestyle, where that’s going to take you. Adrian if people want some more information where can they get in touch and you do have a great web site that really is a wonderful thought starter.
Thanks Shiona. Yes, the web site is probably the best place to start. There is a contact form on the web site and just fill out the contact form, your name, number. We’re happy to contact you and we’d love to help you in your overall design for your backyard.
Yeah, it’s, as I said, it’s more than just an additional living space or a place you want to unfold the lawn chairs on. It really is an extension of your entire house and your lifestyle as well and it can be, especially from the help of the wonderful people at Paradise Decks and Landscape Design. Adrian Simunovic has been our guest.This is the home and garden show on Am900 CHML. We’ll be back in a couple of minutes.
