V

irtually everything 
in life can now be 
achieved with just 
a couple of clicks or swipes, 
including planning for a new 
deck. If you are looking to 
update your outdoor space, 
expert assistance is available 
right at your fingertips via 
your computer or mobile 
device. Thanks to advance-
ments in rendering technology 
and user-friendly interfaces, 
there are lots of great tools and 
resources online to help guide 
you through the deck design 
and planning process — from 
inspiration to installation.

“Planning a deck may seem 
intimidating at first but it 
doesn’t have to be, especial-
ly with all of the help that 
is readily available online,” 
said Leslie Adkins, vice pres-
ident of marketing for Trex, 
the world’s leading brand of 
high-performance compos-
ite decking and railing. “No 
matter where you are in the 
planning process, as they say, 
there’s an app for that!”

VISUALIZE THE 
POSSIBILITIES
Every great outdoor space 
starts with a vision. Using 

the latest augmented reality 
(AR) technology, apps like the 
Trex AR Deck Visualizer tool 
allow users to explore design 
possibilities for their outdoor 
spaces by experimenting with 
different decking shapes, 
board colors and railing com-
binations against the backdrop 
of their own personal home 
environments. The interactive 
program also has features to 
help determine approximate 
deck size/square footage and 
users can order decking sam-
ples right from the app, which 
is available for free via the 
Apple Store and Google Play.

DESIGN FROM 
YOUR DESKTOP
Once you’ve envisioned your 
new deck, bring it to life 
using an online deck design 
tool — no engineering or 
architecture degree required. 
Decks.com is a helpful 
resource that offers a library 
of downloadable deck plans, 
along with an easy-to-use 
deck design program that 
enables users to experiment 
with different features and 
explore options in 3D and 
2D top, side and front views. 
Trex also offers a desktop 
deck design program. Recent 
enhancements include the 
ability to create multi-level 
decks and non-traditional 
layouts customized to your 
home’s dimensions and pop-
ulated with specific decking 
and railing products to bring 
your vision and project one 
step closer to reality. Both 
the Decks.com and Trex pro-
grams automatically generate 
material lists and cost esti-
mates, along with printable 
renderings for sharing with 
family, friends and potential 
contractors.

CALCULATE COSTS
To ensure your deck dreams 
remain within reach, make 
use of online material and 
cost calculators. These tools 
provide valuable guidance 
in the early planning stages 
to help you manage expec-
tations and make informed 
decisions. Rough cost esti-
mates for materials can be 
determined based on deck 
size, substructure needs, and 
the decking and railing prod-
ucts being considered to give 
planners a good starting point 
for budgeting. 

More deck ideas, information and dig-

ital tools are available online at www.

trex.com/academy.

72 | JULY 14 • 2022 

DECK TECH
REAL ESTATE

Top Online Tools for
Designing Your 
 
Dream Deck

BPT

