﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
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    <title>Decks Blog</title>
    <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog</link>
    <description>Decks Blog</description>
    <copyright>Copyright (c) 2009 Decks Blog</copyright>
    <lastBuildDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:26:24 GMT</lastBuildDate>
    <ttl>5</ttl>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=8&amp;t=Composite-Decking-Material</guid>
      <title>Composite Decking Material</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;&lt;a href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm#Composite_"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;Composite decking&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt; consists of synthetic plastic and 
real wood fiber. This combination makes for a very strong and durable decking 
material with the look of natural wood but without the maintenance. Composite 
decking does not splinter, and lasts a long time. Combining the desire for low 
maintenance with an environmental consciousness, homeowners are particularly 
turning to composite decking due to their high level of recycled 
content.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;Source: Charlie 
McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;a href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=8&amp;t=Composite-Decking-Material</link>
      <pubDate>Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:23:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=5&amp;t=Composite-Decking-Material</guid>
      <title>Composite Decking Material</title>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;A href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm#Composite_"&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;Composite decking&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt; consists of synthetic plastic and real wood fiber. This combination makes for a very strong and durable decking material with the look of natural wood but without the maintenance. Composite decking does not splinter, and lasts a long time. Combining the desire for low maintenance with an environmental consciousness, homeowners are particularly turning to composite decking due to their high level of recycled content.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;Source: Charlie McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;A href="http://www.SKRoofing.com"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=5&amp;t=Composite-Decking-Material</link>
      <pubDate>Sun, 26 Aug 2007 11:40:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=9&amp;t=Vinyl-Decking-Material</guid>
      <title>Vinyl Decking Material</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;&lt;a href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm#Vinyl_"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;Vinyl decks&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt; are affordable, durable and long lasting. 
These decks come in almost any color and do not need to be stained or painted. 
Although they are not natural wood, they can be made to mimic it. Vinyl decks 
are safe because of their slip-resistant finish in the rain and resistance to 
heat build-up during warm weather. They are splinter-free and very low 
maintenance.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;
&lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;Source: Charlie 
McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;a href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=9&amp;t=Vinyl-Decking-Material</link>
      <pubDate>Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:23:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=6&amp;t=Vinyl-Decking-Material</guid>
      <title>Vinyl Decking Material</title>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;A href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm#Vinyl_"&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;Vinyl decks&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt; are affordable, durable and long lasting. These decks come in almost any color and do not need to be stained or painted. Although they are not natural wood, they can be made to mimic it. Vinyl decks are safe because of their slip-resistant finish in the rain and resistance to heat build-up during warm weather. They are splinter-free and very low maintenance.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;
&lt;P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;Source: Charlie McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;A href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=6&amp;t=Vinyl-Decking-Material</link>
      <pubDate>Sat, 30 Jun 2007 11:40:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=10&amp;t=Wood-Decking-Material</guid>
      <title>Wood Decking Material</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;&lt;a href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm#Wood_"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;Wood decks&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt; are the most traditional type of deck. Wood 
gives you unlimited design options and can be painted or stained to match your 
home. Because of its exposure to moisture, most wood used for decks is 
pressure-treated which helps prevent decay and termite damage.&amp;nbsp; Wood decks 
require yearly maintenance.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;
&lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;Source: Charlie 
McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;a href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=10&amp;t=Wood-Decking-Material</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:23:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=4&amp;t=Wood-Decking-Material</guid>
      <title>Wood Decking Material</title>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;A href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm#Wood_"&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;Wood decks&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt; are the most traditional type of deck. Wood gives you unlimited design options and can be painted or stained to match your home. Because of its exposure to moisture, most wood used for decks is pressure-treated which helps prevent decay and termite damage.&amp;nbsp; Wood decks require yearly maintenance.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;
&lt;P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;Source: Charlie McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;A href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=4&amp;t=Wood-Decking-Material</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:46:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=11&amp;t=Considerations-When-Building-a-Deck</guid>
      <title>Considerations When Building a Deck</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Available Space&lt;br&gt;Before you make any decisions 
about decking materials or style, you need to think about your home and the area 
surrounding it. First, you need to determine how much space you have for a new 
deck. The size of your deck is greatly influenced by the amount of space you 
have for it. Also think about any obstructions in your yard that may interfere 
with the construction such as trees or boulders. If these cannot be removed, 
then you must build your deck&lt;br&gt;around them.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Uses&lt;br&gt;If you have enough space to build a deck of 
your desired size, think about what you will be using it for. If you plan to use 
it for entertainment, you may need more space than if it is just meant for 
family relaxation and leisure. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Location&lt;br&gt;When determining where to build your 
deck think about how much privacy you want. If you are surrounded by neighbors 
and privacy is limited, plant some high trees around your deck – this will help 
block the neighbors’ view. Also, different locations provide different amounts 
of shade and sunlight – placing your deck in a location where you have both is 
preferred. How people will gain access to the deck is also important to 
consider. Your deck will either need to be attached to a side of your home or 
have stairs to get to it.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Safety&lt;br&gt;Decks can be dangerous, especially for 
younger children, so you will need to think about safety. You can either choose 
an open deck or an enclosed deck. The enclosed deck is preferred by families 
with young children and will help to keep them better supervised. Railings are 
also important, especially if your deck is high off of the ground.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Weather&lt;br&gt;Since your deck is outside 24/7, it is 
subject to all of the weather elements from sun to snow. If you live in areas 
with heavy snow or ice, your deck may need extra support to hold the extra 
weight. As a general rule, you need to choose materials that will withstand all 
weather conditions.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Style&lt;br&gt;When it comes to the look or style of a 
deck, most people want something that will match their home. For instance – if 
your siding is made of vinyl you may want to choose vinyl decking to complement 
the style of the house. Remember to keep the size of your deck relative to the 
size of your home – a deck that takes up the entire backyard will look 
disproportionate and unattractive. You can add personal style with railings and 
stairways, and once it is complete, your own deck décor. See the “Creating Your 
Dream Outside Living Area” section of this guide.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;
&lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;Source: Charlie 
McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;a href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=11&amp;t=Considerations-When-Building-a-Deck</link>
      <pubDate>Sun, 14 Jan 2007 14:23:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=3&amp;t=Considerations-When-Building-a-Deck</guid>
      <title>Considerations When Building a Deck</title>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Available Space&lt;BR&gt;Before you make any decisions about decking materials or style, you need to think about your home and the area surrounding it. First, you need to determine how much space you have for a new deck. The size of your deck is greatly influenced by the amount of space you have for it. Also think about any obstructions in your yard that may interfere with the construction such as trees or boulders. If these cannot be removed, then you must build your deck&lt;BR&gt;around them.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Uses&lt;BR&gt;If you have enough space to build a deck of your desired size, think about what you will be using it for. If you plan to use it for entertainment, you may need more space than if it is just meant for family relaxation and leisure. &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Location&lt;BR&gt;When determining where to build your deck think about how much privacy you want. If you are surrounded by neighbors and privacy is limited, plant some high trees around your deck – this will help block the neighbors’ view. Also, different locations provide different amounts of shade and sunlight – placing your deck in a location where you have both is preferred. How people will gain access to the deck is also important to consider. Your deck will either need to be attached to a side of your home or have stairs to get to it.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Safety&lt;BR&gt;Decks can be dangerous, especially for younger children, so you will need to think about safety. You can either choose an open deck or an enclosed deck. The enclosed deck is preferred by families with young children and will help to keep them better supervised. Railings are also important, especially if your deck is high off of the ground.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Weather&lt;BR&gt;Since your deck is outside 24/7, it is subject to all of the weather elements from sun to snow. If you live in areas with heavy snow or ice, your deck may need extra support to hold the extra weight. As a general rule, you need to choose materials that will withstand all weather conditions.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Style&lt;BR&gt;When it comes to the look or style of a deck, most people want something that will match their home. For instance – if your siding is made of vinyl you may want to choose vinyl decking to complement the style of the house. Remember to keep the size of your deck relative to the size of your home – a deck that takes up the entire backyard will look disproportionate and unattractive. You can add personal style with railings and stairways, and once it is complete, your own deck décor. See the “Creating Your Dream Outside Living Area” section of this guide.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;
&lt;P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;Source: Charlie McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;A href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=3&amp;t=Considerations-When-Building-a-Deck</link>
      <pubDate>Sun, 14 Jan 2007 12:46:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=12&amp;t=Decks-What-to-do-When-You-Are-Getting-S</guid>
      <title>Decks: What to do When You Are Getting Started</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;More than ever homeowners today are choosing to add 
an outdoor living area to their home. Whether it is a deck, porch or patio these 
areas give homeowners a place to relax and enjoy the company of family, friends 
and neighbors.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;&lt;a href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;Decks&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt; can complement the style of your home and add a 
special touch of comfort to it. If you need more space in your home, adding an 
outdoor living area is much less expensive than an addition for instance. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial" size="2"&gt;Adding a deck can increase the value of your home as 
well.Designing and building a new deck is no small task and should be done by a 
professional contractor only. But, before you get ahead of yourself there are 
some factors to consider.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;
&lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 10pt;"&gt;Source: Charlie 
McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;a href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=12&amp;t=Decks-What-to-do-When-You-Are-Getting-S</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Apr 2006 14:23:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=2&amp;t=Decks-What-to-do-When-You-Are-Getting-S</guid>
      <title>Decks: What to do When You Are Getting Started</title>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;More than ever homeowners today are choosing to add an outdoor living area to their home. Whether it is a deck, porch or patio these areas give homeowners a place to relax and enjoy the company of family, friends and neighbors.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;A href="http://advanceremodeling.com/decks-baltimore.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;Decks&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt; can complement the style of your home and add a special touch of comfort to it. If you need more space in your home, adding an outdoor living area is much less expensive than an addition for instance. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Adding a deck can increase the value of your home as well.Designing and building a new deck is no small task and should be done by a professional contractor only. But, before you get ahead of yourself there are some factors to consider.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;
&lt;P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;&lt;I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;Source: Charlie McCurry from S&amp;amp;K Roofing, Siding and Windows, &lt;A href="http://www.skroofing.com/"&gt;www.SKRoofing.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/I&gt;</description>
      <link>http://decks.home-improvement-blog.com/blog/default.aspx?id=2&amp;t=Decks-What-to-do-When-You-Are-Getting-S</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Apr 2006 10:46:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
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