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Porches & Decks Design Dilemma Exterior

Walkout basement on front of house - remove or replace deck?

last year

Hello!

We have a 1940's brick house that was moved and placed on top of a 3/4 fully finished basement, whose door faces the front of our house/driveway. Our actual front entrance is on the right side up some stairs.

Currently, there is a deck that spans the entire front part of this house and connects from the right and left sides. Unfortunately, this deck is in need of serious repair and would probably have fallen if we had not put up ample amounts of supports underneath to hold it. Suffice to say, we are not walking on any part of the front section right now!

That said, we need to figure out what to do with this deck. It will need to be fully replaced or removed since it was not built to code originally. I cannot think of many other options outside of just rebuilding a new deck that follows a similar style. Only one idea is a pergola-style cover that spans where the current decks floor is, but I am not so sure about that. I am reaching out for help with these ideas!

Right now, the deck railing helps breakup the weird looking front and adds more visual appeal, vs just a flat house that is partially underground. A deck is a massive undertaking money-wise for us, and lends no real purpose other than looks. We have a large covered patio on the back, so we wouldn't use this deck for anything but walking and aesthetics.

The front entrance walkup will be rebuilt/redesigned at the same time, but since it is to the side and partially covered by a honeysuckle, I don't know if it's design will be a big influence unless we go with a deck again.

Any help is appreciated!

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Comments (8)

houssaon
last year
It is hard to see the house. But I would remove the deck. Is the siding the same on the lower level and the main level?

The huge evergreen tree in the front really scares me. It doesn't seem to have much of a root system.
apple_pie_order
last year
"A deck is a massive undertaking money-wise for us, and lends no real purpose other than looks." I think you have your answer: remove the deck. I agree with @houssaon about the big tree.
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beesneeds
last year
Do you use the basement door or under the deck much? Does that basement front extend all the way over to the left like it does on the right? If so, it might be nice that it's covered by the deck to help keep out the elements.

I also agree about the tree.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
Lynzy
last year
Get rid of the deck and the tree. Hires a landscape architect to help develop a design to soften the landscaping and create some interest.
tozmo1
last year
You're right, replacing that deck would be a year of state school college! Either a landscape architect who has a lot of experience in hardscapes or an architect can assist. It's hard to get solid advice without knowing local building codes and seeing it in person. Whatever the cost is for a good professional designer will be well worth it. Cute well behaved dog!
tozmo1
last year
BTW, is that a redwood? We had one in California and it was illegal to take it down. Maybe not, bark doesn't look quite right for a redwood.
Jennifer K
last year
Since you know that deck has to go, there's no reason to leave it up and risk an accident. I'd take it down and clean everything up. Then I'd reassess. You can remove the dead deck this year and take fall, winter and spring to plan what happens next. That will give you plenty of time in all seasons to see whether you like not having a deck or whether it provided more than just cosmetic value. It will also allow you to visualize possibilities with less difficulty.

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