Decks in The Oaks, Meridian

On an alley-loaded lot the garage sits at the back, so the outdoor space is a side yard or a courtyard between the house and the garage rather than a deep rear lawn. Decks there are compact and low, shaped around doors, windows and the walk to the garage. A freestanding platform kept under 200 square feet and below 30 inches at every point, and not serving the required exit door, can avoid a Meridian building permit, which suits these spaces. Material deliveries come straight off the alley, which is easier than carrying lumber down a 5-foot side yard.

Where front doors face a landscaped pathway, the porch is on public view every day. Rebuilding a porch or stoop there goes to the association for design review, and if it is attached and high enough it is a permit item too; guards are required where the walking surface is more than 30 inches above grade, at least 36 inches tall with openings that stop a 4-inch sphere, the same as on a back deck.

Much of The Oaks North is only a few years old, and some homes are still being built. The soil next to a new foundation was dug out and backfilled during construction and keeps settling for years, so a footing dropped into that band can sink while the ledger end of the deck stays put. Footings go outside the over-dig or deep enough to reach native soil. We read the builder's warranty before cutting into siding for a ledger, because Toll Brothers and the other builders here each write their own terms, and a freestanding frame sidesteps the question.

West-edge lots look toward the SH-16 corridor, and a highway raised up to 20 feet puts traffic at about the height of a deck rail. A solid wall section or louvered panel on the west side blocks the view of passing trucks, softens the noise and cuts the low afternoon sun in one move. It has to be framed into the deck on footings designed for wind on open ground, and the ARC will want its color to match the house.

Lots along the community pond stay damper in the morning and collect goose droppings and blown grass on the boards. Capped composite with a slightly wider gap cleans with a hose, and joist tape keeps standing moisture off the framing. Any new outdoor outlet or lighting circuit needs a Meridian electrical permit, since the city's handout says any electrical work does, so plan lighting with the deck rather than adding it later.

Trees here are saplings, and a deck on a south- or west-facing lot gets the full sun from the last spring freeze, around April 24 on average, to October. Lighter capped boards stay cooler underfoot, and our guide to decking for full sun compares surface temperatures by color and material. A cover or pergola does more for comfort; on the small lots here, Meridian lets one accessory structure of 200 square feet or less sit in the required rear yard.

Lots that back onto the greenbelt or open space are seen from the path, so lighting glare, skirting and guard color draw comment. Shielded, downward fixtures and a skirt or planted edge under the deck keep it from becoming the bright, open-framed object every walker notices. Check the plat for the landscape and pathway easements along those edges before setting the outer row of footings.

Most Oaks projects are a first deck, not a replacement, so the design starts from the house: the height of the back-door threshold, whether the builder's small patio stays or goes, and which side of the house gets afternoon sun. A ground-level platform a step below the door is the most common fit for single-story plans, and our ground-level deck ideas show layouts that work on small lots. Capped boards on a taped frame suit new owners who want little upkeep; our page on composite deck builds in Meridian compares the main lines.