A few simple steps can help homeowners make the most of outdoor living.

Memorial Day and Labor Day are traditionally viewed as the unofficial beginning and end of summer. Between these holidays, life shifts outdoors as many homeowners make the most of the season. To enjoy as much time outside as possible, homeowners are increasingly taking advantage of their decks and patios to create true outdoor living spaces.

Now more than ever, homeowners view their outdoor living areas as extensions of the home rather than as separate, rarely used spaces. As the outdoor living trend continues to grow, homeowners are expanding the look and feel of their home interiors, including the design, furnishings and entertainment features, outside.

The evolving outdoor living trend also enables homeowners to enhance one of the most valuable investments they have—their homes. By creating yard space, and adding or upgrading deck and patio spaces, many are seeing a return on their remodeling and renovation investments.

No matter how they choose to embrace the outdoor living lifestyle, there are a few things homeowners can do to prepare for and make the most of summer. For those who already have outdoor living spaces, such as decks, it's time to prepare for the season.

Beyond cleaning, organizing and sprucing up, homeowners should also evaluate their decks' or patios' overall condition and determine whether or not a replacement is needed—or even an upgrade. A few things to consider are the condition of the current material, the size of the space and whether it is serving its desired purpose, the amount of maintenance the current deck or patio requires and whether or not there is time to perform this maintenance. If a new deck or an upgrade is needed, the time to start planning is now.

When planning to build a new deck, homeowners should first decide what material is most suitable—composite decking, wood or other materials. Many homeowners are opting for composite decks because high-quality composites offer the look of real wood but don't require a lot of maintenance. Because it doesn't require sanding, painting or staining, composite decking enables homeowners to spend more time actually enjoying their decks instead of caring for them. In fact, according to a recent consumer survey conducted by national research firm Synovate for TAMKO Building Products, four out of five homeowners prefer decking materials that don't need to be painted, stained or sanded; don't cause splinters; have a warranty of 25 years or more and are slip-resistant. Composite decking materials, like EverGrain® and Elements® from TAMKO®, have all of these features, as well as a true-to-life grain. For additional information about composite decking materials, a deck building checklist and more decking ideas, visit www.evergrain.com.

When starting from scratch to prepare an outdoor living space, begin by determining the desired uses for the space. For example, should it be functional for entertaining often or more conducive to relaxation? Once you determine the desired uses, you can begin to create a space that fits. For ideas, check out magazines, home and garden TV shows, home décor catalogues and friends' projects. Keep an ideas folder of designs, fabrics and looks that you like and then take your time finding just the right combination to create the perfect outdoor living space.

Contact TAMKO for additional tips on how to prepare an outdoor living space for summer.

©2007 TAMKO Building Products, Inc. TAMKO is a registered trademark of TAMKO Building Products, Inc. EverGrain and Elements are registered trademarks of Epoch Composite Products, Inc.