The second story deck, usually a product of a sloped lot, poses some interesting design challenges. It can appear massive and out of proportion to the house and yard. Here are three ways to make your deck do more and look better.
Create a new room. Well, not an actual living space. But if you have a second story deck, all that space underneath needn’t go to waste. You can use it to store firewood or garden tools or bikes. Make it into a summer change room or a kid’s play area. Frame up the outside of the support structure and side it with the same material as your house or with something that complements the house. Then, instead of looking like a spindly addition, the deck framing becomes an addition to the house, and valuable storage space for you. Add an ordinary door or disguise the door with siding. And consider an opening into your new “room” from the lower floor of the house.
Second story decks can be intimidating from below — gigantic platforms above the yard. You can make your high deck more inviting by dividing it into two levels. This eases the transition from yard to deck. Wide staircases also make for a more welcoming look.
Another way to vary the look of the “platform” is to add a pergola or gazebo to the upper level. This change in levels helps blend the deck into the house.