If you have a house with a bit of land it is shame if you let it go to waste without utilizing it to its full potential. Even if you live in an area where winters are very cold, I am sure you would like to be able to enjoy the few days of summer as much as possible.
Houses that are built for colder weather are often too well insulated to really cool down in the summer. A good way to cool down is to have a extended outdoor living area that you can take full advantage of in the summer twilight. Add an outdoor heater and it also becomes a great area to use in the colder autumn evenings. If you don't think you are going to be doing a lot of barbequing then you should consider the fact that an outdoor area is also a great value enhancer for your property values.
If you want to extend your living area into your backyard and are in the process of building a DIY deck then one of the first things I would do is buy myself a deck designer. No I am not talking of a person who would build the deck as the whole idea is to do it on your own.
A deck designer is 3d software where you can input all the dimensions of your yard and it helps you come up with a design specification to use as a blueprint while building. The best thing about having a software is of course the ease at which you can design and redesign until you perfect the look and feel of the job.
A good interactive deck designer will let you figure out your desired size, color and shape. It will give you the convenience of pre-planning levels, railings and stairs while you create and change multiple versions of your dream design. Most desk designers will give you a 3d model output that can be printed out from various angles, a materials list that will help you figure out what and how much to buy and helpful tips to figure out your construction.
From your railing system to your fascia and the material of your structure, a good deck designer will also let you have both a 3d and a 2d perspective of your deck. So go download your software and go wild, make a million designs before you actually decide this is what you want.