Where will you spend over 200 hours this summer?

Now that we are in the middle of May, life begins to slow down to a summer's pace.

Kids have less than three weeks of school before the break and families look at ways to enjoy this summer both at home and the traditional week at the beach/mountains vacation for many of us here in the Carolinas.

What are your plans? Did you know that the average family will spend nearly 200 hours on their decks, enjoying their outdoor living area this summer?

As my 15-year daugther puts it, "Grilling and Chilling" in the backyard!

Grill masters get ready! Mom dust off the blender! Kids grab your bathing suits!

Homeowners are looking at ideas to enjoy their outdoor living area. We are building decks, patios, outdoor fireplaces and screened-in porches. SouthEnd has ten projects for homeowners creating the ultimate "backyard" for their families.

Folks are coming to us with ideas and looking for suggestions to maximize their backyards. I met with a couple in south Charlotte that had an existing deck that was 18 years old and boards were rotting. The husband wanted to look at replacing the existing deck with a new one with stronger railing and bench seats from end to end.

The wife asked if we could screen-in half of the deck. Or, maybe build a covered area for part of the deck.

"We spend so much time out here with the kids and neighbors in the summer. We will cook three to four meals a week on the grill. We move from the living room to the deck each year at this time. And, we stay out here until the end of September." noted homeowner, Maria M.

After spending an hour with the family, we came up with the perfect solution, a well-constructed deck with a pergola.

Both were happy with the design and concept and we hope to begin the project next week!

This summer families will truly bond and spend the most quality time of the year with love ones on their decks and porches.

And, SouthEnd wants to help you create that outdoor living area. 

http://www.sehomeimprovement.com/