Entertainment decks are the best example of how some folks simply have a lack of imagination when it comes to making use of their renovated or resurfaced decks. They’re entertainment decks, after all – entertain yourself and others on them! Here are some ideas to do exactly that:
1. Barbecue
Barbecuing is probably the number one reason most people get or resurface a deck. Sure, you can get a grill – propane, coal, it doesn’t matter, the grill is the thing! – but if you have to put it in the grass, it will inevitably get stuck in the mud, and bugs and other undesirables could get into it. Not to mention how dirty it will get sitting in the open like that!
On a deck, your grill remains clean and clear, and you can easily lock it up for the night when you’re done. You can serve the barbecue on the deck too, if the weather is right; eating food straight from the grill, rather than waiting for it to hit the serving tray (at which point it will spend a few minutes cooling, congealing, and generally losing its fresh flavor and heat!). With a table and some nice chairs, it can be a great dining experience, the kind you used to only be able to get at a nice restaurant. Fresh food and fresh air will always agree with you.
2. Deck Party
The next most obvious reason to have an entertainment deck is to have a deck party. A deck party is, obviously, a party that pretty much just happens on the deck – the refreshments and music are out there. If the party is large enough, it may spill onto the lawn or into the house, but the idea is for the action to be centered on the deck. It’s cleaner and more comfortable there, but with the added advantage over the house of having sunlight and fresh air.
A deck party allows for louder music – or none at all, if you’re so inclined. A strange paradox, that, but consider that when you’re on the deck you have the sounds of your neighborhood, of nearby flora and fauna, and of the wind, all added to the sound of the party itself. Even without music, there’s enough ambient noise to complement the party.
3. Kids’ Birthday Party
A birthday party for a child is a great occasion to use the entertainment deck. With all of his or her friends there, the potential for a mess is very, very real – and entirely likely. Rather than trying to fight against this the whole time, you can enjoy the party like a parent should, because whatever mess is made on the deck is easily washed off with water and possibly a bit of soap – no harm, no foul.
You needn’t worry that furniture or carpeting will be ruined by falling food, or that something valuable will be broken by some children running about. The entertainment deck is made of some hardy, treated wood, and can’t be stained by mere birthday cake or soda, nor can it be ripped to shreds by kids, unlike certain pieces of furniture about the house.
4. Reading & Relaxation
Finally, an entertainment deck is a great place to entertain… yourself! Reading, writing, relaxing, napping, bird-watching, listening to the radio, watching TV, browsing the web – you can do it all on your entertainment deck.
As you can see, there are tons of ways to entertain yourself and others on the entertainment deck. In fact, there are as many opportunities as there are occasions – and then some. The key is remembering your deck when you’re least likely to – you’d be surprised how useful it really is!
