Alright, folks, let’s talk about decks. Specifically, what’s a good size deck if you like having people over? I’ve been down this road, and let me tell you, size does matter. Here is what I did.
First off, I started by thinking about how many people I usually entertain. Is it just a few close friends, or are we talking about big, rowdy parties? I figured, on average, I’d have about 10-15 people over. Some quick math using that 20-24 square feet per person rule, and I realized I needed at least 240-360 square feet. Sounded about right.
Then, I grabbed a tape measure and headed out to my backyard. I marked out a 12×12 foot area to start. That’s 144 square feet. It felt a little cramped, even for a small group. So I started expanding. I pushed it out to 16×20, and bam! That’s 320 square feet, which hit the sweet spot. It gave enough room for a grill, a table, some chairs, and people could still move around without bumping elbows.
But, I also had to keep in mind the size of my house. I read somewhere that your deck shouldn’t be more than 20% of your home’s total square footage. My house is about 1,500 square feet, so 20% of that is 300 square feet. My 16×20 deck was just a bit over, but it didn’t look like it swallowed up the whole yard, so I felt pretty good about it.
Here’s what I learned:
- Start with a basic size, like 12×12, and adjust from there.
- Aim for about 20-40 square feet per guest.
- Make sure it doesn’t overwhelm your house, keep it less than about 20% of your home’s size is a good.
- Visualize what you’ll use it for – dining, grilling, lounging, all of the above?
At the end of the day, I ended up with a deck that’s big enough for my parties but still looks like it belongs with my house. I can throw some mean barbecues now, and there’s plenty of room for everyone to chill. So, if you’re thinking about building a deck for entertaining, take it from me: measure twice, cut once, and always think about your guests!
