The story below is from our March/April 2019 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
How one man’s dream of a place to store lawn equipment turned into a new outdoor living space.
Bob Sowder Photography
Tucker Holdren needed a place to store his lawn equipment. Not wanting an outdoor storage building in the backyard, and wanting the space to blend into the style of home and neighborhood, he thought a small addition to the basement would suffice. Ronnie Booth, project manager with Construction Marketing, helped him develop a plan.
“I knew what I wanted,” Holdren says. “Or so I thought. But Ronnie pointed out that my idea would be too small to actually use. He showed me how we could remove the double exterior door and insert a single one, making room for a bigger space.”
While Holdren’s making plans with the folks at Construction Marketing for his lawn equipment storage, his wife Jackie’s wheels are turning.
“The original deck needed replacing,” she says, “and we wanted more outdoor living space. So, why not take this opportunity to do it?”
And, so they did.
The Holdren’s original deck was a plain, square affair off the family room. It provided only enough room for a grill but without access from the kitchen. Enlarging the deck to span the entire back of the home, and adding kitchen access, provided an outdoor space for entertaining friends or hosting family gatherings with their three grown kids and four grandchildren.
Their new deck includes a living area, complete with stone fireplace, a dining area off the kitchen and ample room for grilling with stairs to the lower level. The lower level houses the hot tub on a brick patio. Having the living space over the new storage room accomplishes what Holdren worried about the most.
“I didn’t want it to look like an addition,” he says. “I wanted the space for the lawnmower to look original to the house.”
Integral to meeting this challenge was matching the brickwork. The Holdren’s home, like others in their Plantation Grove subdivision, is sided with a variegated, sand-colored brick. The addition had to match the construction of this 17-year-old home. Fortunately, they knew the right person.
“We called Brian,” Holdren says. “He did our front walk three years ago and we were so happy we called him back.”
Brian Tunstall, of Tunstall Masonry, is an artist with block and stone. His work on the Holdren home doesn’t just match; it looks original to the structure, down to the details in the grout. And when the question came up of what to do for the patio floor under the deck, where the hot tub sits, Brian had the answer.
“He said, ‘let’s match the front walk,’” Holdren says. And that was the perfect solution.
“They really guided us through the whole process,” Jackie says, “and I’m so glad they did.”
Solutions like adding the door from the kitchen to the deck, wireless light switches next to the hot tub to prevent shocks and the special underdeck ceiling to prevent rain passing through to occupants below were all suggestions from the folks at Construction Marketing.
“There are so many options in building that the average homeowner isn’t aware of,” said Mike Bryant, general manager and co-owner of Construction Marketing. He likes to give homeowners different options, like the pros and cons of using one material over another.
The knowledge of cutting-edge technology and new products is just one boon to hiring the professionals. Their experience in the field prevents possible do-overs or disaster. The InsideOut Underdeck Ceiling is only one example. Enjoying the hot tub on a rainy day sounds magical but not if the rain is coming down on your head. Bryant knew the right product to prevent that, but says installing it isn’t a job for the average DIY-er.
“It’s a tricky system,” says Bryant. “You have to know what you’re doing to install it. If it’s not right, it’s hard to go back and fix it.”
The living space of the new deck includes a vaulted ceiling and ceiling fan to allow warm air to escape on hot summer days. Alternatively, a stone fireplace and gas heater provide warmth in cooler weather.
“We chose the shiplap siding to make it feel like an indoor space,” says Jackie. Widening the door from the family room, inside, and adding wicker furniture, a rug and television makes this area an extension that accommodates their family for the holidays.
The dining area is located outside the kitchen. Not covered, Jackie furnished this space with a glass-top iron dining set and rug. Moving a water spigot up to this level makes cleaning a breeze—for the table, grill and the deck. The Holdrens chose Trex composite decking over pressure-treated wood because it’s easier to care for.
“We didn’t want anything we had to paint or stain,” Holdren says. “Just bring out the pressure washer and we’re good to go.”
From lawnmower storage to a deck as large as some small homes, the Holdrens are thrilled with their new space. “This project has more than exceeded my expectations,” says Jackie.
And, when the family isn’t visiting, “we enjoy it just as much all by ourselves,” she says.
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