Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

A glass deck railing is often used when homeowners have a good view from their deck and don’t want to obscure it with wood bars and rails. Glass allows lots of light to beam onto the deck area too.

But what if you want the sunlight and the view, but a bit of privacy as well? Maybe you’ve got a great view if you look straight out from your deck or balcony, but to the sides, the decks of nearby neighbors are a little too close for comfort.

You can have etched glass deck railings custom made.

Try clear glass for the side that looks out over your view, and then choose the privacy of etched on the sides facing your neighbors’ decks.

Etched glass is also an option if you just have a cool design in mind that you’d enjoy seeing brought to life on your deck.

The custom etched railings in this picture were done by AccuRailing.

There are a lot of composite decking materials on the market today, and they’re supposed to stand up to the weather and years better than wood, but many folks still prefer the look and feel of real wood. And there’s no reason not to. Properly finished and maintained, many types of wood can last a long time, even in damp climates.

If you want a species of wood that is especially known for durability and weather-resistance, however, check into teak.

There’s a reason this species has a history of maritime use and is prized in the outdoor furniture industry. “Teak is the most dimensionally stable wood in the world making it ideal for flooring. Harder than Cherry or Walnut, it scores over 1,000 on the Janka hardness scale… In addition, it is a very stable wood: low moisture retention and it doesn’t ‘move’ like other hardwoods, especially oak.”

The deck shown below is made from 1″ x 4″ random-length teak boards that come from sustainably managed plantation forests.

More at Unique American Teak.

There are a lot of options when it comes to patio materials. We’ve looked at interestingly shaped concrete patio stones, slate patio tiles, and eco-rubber pavers to name a few. Another material worth checking out is sandstone.

This sandstone circle patio pattern offers a nice alternative to angular square and rectangle options.

The circles come as kits you can put together yourself if you have DIY inclinations. Each features a center piece and three rows of ring pieces. You can also get a “squaring off kit” if you don’t want an entirely circular patio. Integrate one or more circles into a larger space or make one stand alone for a small seating area.

The sandstone pieces are available in a number of natural colors such as light gray, golden leaf, and mint. Available at Sandstone World.