Adrian Simunovic sat down with Jamie West on the CHML Home and Garden Show to offer some tips on how to transform your back yard into a getaway oasis. Listen in and get some tips. Visit the CHML Home and Garden site to hear past podcasts.
Audio Transcription
Hour number two on the home and garden show and it’s great to have you here. What a beautiful Saturday it is, you just heard Bill’s weather forcast and it’s looking like a beauty both today and tomorrow for doing anything outside. I’ve got a lot of inside stuff I’ve got to get done as well Jerry. I’ve got a lot of organizing to do, a lot of junk removal to do. I just…I don’t believe how much stuff we accumulate.
It does not take long for it to happen.
You go into the furnace room, you go into the storage room and you say to yourself, “why am I holding on to this thing? I haven’t even looked at it in ten years, why is it even here?”
It seemed fine at the time.
I know, I know, all of those things and all of those impulse purchases, they all end up in a dumpster somewhere but, yeah you know this is the weekend, forget about the inside stuff, get outside and enjoy the outside because you’ve waited long enough for that. When I think of the outside I think of decks and pools and that kind of thing, and this is your opportunity to bring your questions to the table. We have an expert coming up in a minute from Paradise Decks and Landscape Design in Hamilton. 905-645-3221 or *9900. Maybe you’re somebody that’s looking at a redesign, you want to know what the latest technology is, what the latest designs are. Maybe you’re a bit of a do-it-yourselfer and you’d like a little bit of advice from an expert. 905-645-3221 or *9900.
I want to welcome to the home and garden show our friend Adrian Simunovic. He’s the owner of Paradise Decks in Hamilton. Adrian, nice to talk to you again. Welcome back.
Thanks Jamie. Nice to talk to you again.
You know, I get … it’s amazing how much focus and how much investment people are putting into both landscape design and outdoor living spaces Adrian. This is great for your industry.
It is, it’s an increasing trend, you know I don’t have any hard data to support why that’s happening, but I suspect that people are tired of the long drive to cottage country, I think that increasingly people are seeing their back yards as a cottage environment and they’re putting the money into that. They’re turning their back yards into their own sort of private oasises.
We’ve seen some amazing things go on, I know in my own neighbourhood I’ve noticed a lot of newer homes, well, ytou don’t have to have a newer home, it can be an older home too, but people building overhangs off the back wall of their home to create a, you know, some coverage, and then underneath that of course the decking and beautiful woodwork and cabinetry. It’s just incredible.
Yeah, you’ve hit it on the head. I think in the past the deck sort of was the focus. People would create a deck and that sort of became their outdoor living space but it’s become so much more now. You mentioned outdoor pergolas or pavilions, completely covered areas, we do many uh, sort of outdoor kitchens complete with granite countertops, built in cooktops, swimming pools of course, patio spaces, even outdoor fireplace features and becoming very very popular. So it’s becoming completely different now. People really are turning their back yards into complete living spaces.
Adrian, the thing I noted about your company which I thought was interesting and a point of differentiation with other deck companies out there, and there are lots of them, is that your company is called Paradise Decks and Landscape Design, and to me, that moniker just makes sense when I’m thinking about having a deck built on my home. You’ve got to consider the landscape when you do it, yet you’ll run into situations where people will decide on their own that they’re just going to throw a deck up. They’re just going to get themselves, their brothers and brother in law to come for a few Sundays to come and work on it. You, know, they don’t really think about the landscape design part of it and there are other companies out there that don’t do that as well. You want t deck? Ok, we’ll build a nice deck for you, there you go. It’s really important to consider the landscape design element, isn’t it?
Absolutely. I think that you have to consider the entire concept, not just the deck, and you know, that I became aware of as our business began to evolve. I think often people make the mistake that they begin with the landscaping that’s even a bit of an error as well. I think you need to begin with the sort of dominant features in the yard, be it a pool or a patio, or a deck. Those are the dominant features that anchor the total concept, and then the landscaping becomes so integral to that. You need to make sure that the landscaping complements the deck design, and so we realized that we needed to approach the entire concept, and that I think people are really responding to that and understand that it’s not just a matter of building the deck. It’s a matter of considering all the other elements that are going to be part of the total landscape design.
Right, and use of space is so important. I know when I look at an empty space which my backyard happens to be at this point, I’m in a newer home and haven’t done a lot. I look at the space and I’m often a terrible judge of what’s possible in that kind of space. I have no real concept of that, and I think a lot of us may be in the same boat, you know you really have to have a feel for, what’s the word, scale, I suppose.
Yeah, and you make an excellent point Jamie because often people design decks that are not in keeping with the scale of the yard. They want a big large deck, but it can become overwhelming in relation to the space available in the yard and that may not have been the best choice. A better choice would have been a patio that’s close to the ground that doesn’t seem overwhelming in a smaller yard. But, you know, that’s precisely why there are professionals available that you can contact and we’re happy to have a discussion about your back yard and offer advice as to what makes most sense.
Adrian just talk in general, we’re just got a minute here before we have to take a break. Talk in general about — if I’m setting out to hire a company to come and put a deck in. Just in general, what kinds of questions should I be asking various deck companies that I’d be interviewing?
I think most people already have developed a wish list — the sorts of things that they’d love to see, (a) in their landscape design, or if it’s only a deck, and there’s nothing wrong with that — some people simply want a deck without, you know a lot of elaborate landscaping or even simplified landscaping or perhaps you want to phase the project. So I think it’s important maybe to go through pictures, get a feel for what it is that you’re interested in incorporating into the design and then …just make the call. Often the best place to start is to listen to an actual designer, and expert, offer some advice as to what sorts of things may or may not work in the yard.
All right, let’s take a break and when we come back on the other side we’ll certainly offer our listeners an opportunity right now at 905-645-3221 or *9900 to call and ask you a question directly, but when we come back on the other side we’ll talk about the materials that can be used to create these wonderful decks and how technology is changing a lot of that. Stay on the line Adrian, and you bring your questions to the table for our expert, 905-645-3221 or *9900. It’s the Home and Garden Show with Jamie West on AM900 CHML.
Jamie West here with you. The phone numbers to call, 905-645-3221 or *9900. We’re talking decks, and if you’ve got a question about doing it yourself or you’re thinking about having a deck or patio or something professionally installed, this is a great opportunity to talk to our expert. Adrian Simunovic is here from Paradise Decks in Hamilton, and Adrian thanks again for taking the time to be here with us this morning.
My pleasure.
Your web site is beautiful. Lots of terrific photographs of work that you’ve done. It’s quite amazing the various…mixing and matching. You know I’m looking at wood and stone work all mixed together and how beautiful it is. What goes into making a landscape design and a deck or patio all come together?
Umm. It’s, I guess it’s a vision, so uh, it’s funny as soon as I walk into a back yard I almost immediately have an impression of how I want to configure the space. I don’t know if that’s just, you know, because I’ve been doing it for so long or because I know how spaces work best, but every property I feel lends itself to a particular design, and so it sort of evolves from that but then I also have to consider all of the things that the homeowner wants in their design.
Right, and that’s often a pain right, because they’re getting in the way of your creative design.
I wouldn’t say that
I mean I’m kidding but sometimes I’m sure you’ve run into situations where you know, you know that what they want is probably not the best thing for them but you kind of gotta go along with it anyway and kind of hold your nose, right?
Yeah, well, or maybe gently nudge them towards an alternative and hope that they’ll understand why we’re directing them that way, but in the case where they’re adamant about holding on to particular features then we’ll figure out a way to best make it work. Normally in most cases we can find a solution.
I suppose it’s like anything Adrian, particularly in your business, you’ve got to be, you’ve got to have a creative mind to begin with. It’s not about um, you know, at the outset being great at the construction part and the measuring and the materials. It’s really about having a great creative mind as well. You need those other things I mentioned of course, but if that’s all you have and you don’t have the create then you’re at a disadvantage in your industry.
Well I think so, I mean there are a lot of very good builders but they don’t necessarily always have the best ideas, and…yeah..some of us, and I’m not suggesting that it’s me, but there are people who specialize in design, who understand living spaces and how they best work.
Al right, let’s go to the phones when we come back on the other side we’ll talk about materials, but Dale has been kind enough to call through to the program. Dale welcome to the Home and Garden Show. Go ahead.
Thank you very. I usually call about the garden but this is something that I think your guest is going to be able to help me with. Last year we had stone work put between a deck and a lower concrete patio, and I have incorporated a flower bed on one side and there’s another flower bed just beside the deck. So in between I have a very narrow strip of grass about three feet wide and ten to twelve feet long going out to our lawn. Now can I get artificial turf that’s only three feet wide?
Yes, artificial turf can be cut to whatever size you like.
OK, but do I have to pay for a twelve foot piece?
Umm…you’d best speak to the artificial grass people on that one. I’m not exactly sure…umm I don’t think that they sell it by roll and then you can just cut it to size.
OK. Is it better to buy…really this purpose of this artificial grass is to keep the lawn mower off that ’cause it’s near my flower bed but also for our dog, because in the winter time there’s so much snow she’ll only go that far.
Yeah, artificial grass is a good solution for uh, you know, for creating a bit of a dog run. You know, you’re not going to have the yellowing and that sort of thing. It’s probably a good solution. Umm…I can understand why a narrow long strip of grass would be difficult to maintain and it might be a good solution.
There you go Dale.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for calling. Take care. Bye-Bye. There’s Dale and you’re welcome to give us a call too at 905-564-53221, *9900 and you know Adrian, that question about artificial grass, and let’s face it, that stuff is quite amazing the new technology for artificial grass. Of course we see the Astroplay stuff that the football players and the professional leagues play on now that really resembles it. We see it around. It’s got its uses doesn’t it?
It really does, and it is quite amazing how authentic it looks. You know they have various shades available and differentiation in the shades, so it looks like the real thing. You would be very hard pressed to tell that it’s not real grass.
Yeah, absolutely amazing. So on the subject of technology and new materials and things like that: how have deck materials evolved over the years Adrian, and where are we at today. Paint us a little bit of a picture historically and bring us into the new century here.
Sure, so…umm you know it wasn’t all that long ago that decks were built primarily out of cedar. Pine was an option but pine does not hold up well in our climate, either in the US or Canada.
It’s very soft right?
It’s quite soft, and it behaves in a certain manner that’s not the most conducive in our climate but they began to treat it with a chemical that would protect it against decay and insects and that sort of thing so pressurized or pressure treated lumber became hugely popular and became an alternative to cedar because the price point was lower. So those were the two sort of materials that dominated the market for many many years. And then probably about twelve to fifteen years ago they began to produce composites, and those materials…composites for the listeners who aren’t aware: composite refers to a man made board that is comprised of wood fibre and recycled plastic that’s pressed together into a board, and for all intents and purposes it’s maintenance free, it doesn’t require any maintenance and that has become hugely popular and has become the preferred choice for most of our cutomers.
You know that’s the kind of thing that’s right up my alley, umm, and obviously that’s going to last a long time. How long a lifespan does a composite deck have compared to cedar or pressure treated?
Well the manufacturers themselves offer what they call limited lifetime warranties, twenty-five years. It’s going to last longer than probably most of the sub structure on the deck anyway so I think if you can get twenty-five years out of a deck, and it literally does not require any maintenance, excuse me, other than the occasional wash.
Sure, and I know that, you know, listen I love cedar, umm because of the natural look of it. It’s absolutely gorgeous when you install it but it takes a lot of maintenance to keep it looking that good, and I’m not sure you can quite every get it the way it looks when it’s new, umm, just the way we live our lives, you know, it goes gray you know some people kind of like that look as well but it takes a lot of maintenance.
Well it does take maintenance but, you know, just as there are experts in landscape design and deck construction there are now many companies that offer professional services in maintaining your wood and they are truly experts in keeping your wood looking beautiful. In fact just like it did the day it was built, year after year after year, so even the technology around staining has come a long way, umm, and, you know with composite decks we will often introduce wood elements. For instance pergolas, they still need, although they do have some options now for composite pergolas but a lot of our designs will introduce wood elements together with the composite to warm it up, to bring in some of the natural elements and we think in many cases it looks superior to decks that are completely composite. So there is some maintenance involved, but what’s really really difficult to maintain is the floor surface. Those horizontal surfaces that are exposed to the sun, those are what are so difficult to maintain. Vertical tend to be a little easier to maintain and so for that reason we’ll often for instance do dominant surface in composite — the deck floor — and we’ll do, for instance, a cedar rail.
Very interesting.You see I wouldn’t have known or thought that the two things would go together but there are pictures and you can see that it does go together very very well.
Yes it does.
Yeah, umm.. absolutely incredible the stuff that’s on your web site Adrian, and we really appreciate you being with us here this morning to talk to our listeners and hopefully we’ll find some time to get you back on. Congratulations on all the fine work you’re doing at Paradise Decks and Landscape Design. How do people get ahold of you?
Well obviously they can contact us through the web site, paradisedecks.com, umm and you know that would probably be the best way to reach us…umm we’d love to speak to anybody that’s interested in deck design. We love what we do and we’d love to speak to you.
Fantastic. Thanks again for your time. Have a wonderful weekend Adrian and we’ll talk to you again real soon.
Thanks Jamie, I appreciate it.
All the best. Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
There’s Adrian Simunovic. He is the owner of Paradise Decks in Hamilton, and you just go to paradisedecks.com, check it out. Lots of great photographs that will give you some inspiration and ideas and yeah, I mean it’s uh, I love that stuff, I really do. Patios and decks all going together. You don’t have to settle for one or the other, you can kind of have both if you’ve got the right landscape design put together.
And you can top it off with a pool.
