How to Create Environmentally Friendly Porches and Patios

Outdoor living areas are a great way to enjoy the great outdoors, but is your patio or porch as good for the environment as it could be? Excel Fencing and Decking specializes in creating custom environmentally friendly porches and patios that are both beautiful and great for the environment.

How Are Eco Friendly Patios and Porches Different?

When you are building with the environment in mind, our focus is on creating a long-lasting, durable and comfortable porch, patio or deck that uses materials that don’t negatively impact the ecosystem. Here are some of the considerations that we make during the design process for environmentally friendly porches and patios:

• Avoid using pressure-treated lumber, which can have a shorter lifespan than cedar and other exotic woods. Pressure-treated lumber can also have additives that are not great for the environment over time as the wood degrades.
• If you do not want a cedar or exotic wood deck, explore composite recycled wood. Composite materials last much longer than traditional wood decking and require virtually no maintenance. This makes them an awesome option for saving money in the long term and still having a classic and attractive look.
• If you are building a patio, consider using brick, stone or ceramic tiles instead of wood. Patios are more eco-friendly than decks and porches, and those materials will outlast even the best quality woods with proper care. Brick, stone and ceramic tiles also require less maintenance than wood.
• When building environmentally friendly porches, patios and decks, make sure that the grade slopes away from your home. This encourages water to run away from the foundation. If you direct the water toward your home, it can lead to moisture problems in your basement. Proper grading distributes water away from your home and can prevent erosion.
• Take a look around your deck for any natural shade provided by trees and shrubbery. This is a great way to maximize your usage of your deck in the summer and keep existing trees and shrubs in your yard to enhance the landscape and the environment.

To learn more about how we can create environmentally friendly porches and patios for you, get in touch!

Charming Eco Friendly Porches and Decks from Excel Fencing and Decking

At Excel Fencing and Decking, we are proud to meet the needs of every customer, whether they are searching for new residential wood fencing or repairs to aluminum decking. We are a full-service fencing and decking company working throughout the greater Baltimore area and carrying top brands including Trex, Azek, Shoreline Vinyl Systems and Wolf PVC Decking. For a Free Estimate or o learn more about our services, give us a call at (410) 803-9499.