As the warmer weather settles in and the summer months are just days away, it's hard not to think about spending some quality time outside. Really, is there anything better than slipping out the back door onto your newly built deck to soak in some rays or fire-up the grill? I don't think so either.

"It's a personal expression of your home. This is something that people want to put themselves into. I want a deck that I like because I'm going to live on it. It's additional living space," said Mark Overholt, owner, County Deck Services.

Like any home improvement project nowadays, your choices are virtually endless. As we've said before here on "Your Home", you're limited only by your wallet. The biggest improvement in recent years when it comes to decking is composite materials. Composite decking is manufactured from wood fiber and plastic. It does not take in or give off moisture, so it doesn't shrink or swell like wood and it doesn't need water repellant or stain.

"It'll fade, but it doesn't rot. Not like wood. It's not going to rot and fail because of wood rot or disease. It'll last a lifetime. That's the advantage, it lasts a lifetime. The disadvantage is that it costs too much. It costs more than wood. About twice as much if not a little bit more," Overholt said.

If you choose to use actual lumber it's going to need to be treated periodically to resist water and sun damage. Remember, this is a substantial investment. One that, if it's done right and maintained, will give you a substantial return on your money.

"Every three to five years. If you're just using a waterproofer, a standard $15 per gallon waterproofer, every three years. You strip it and wash it, strip it and proof it. You've got to strip the old stuff off before you put anything new on. It's an equity investment in your home. You get a good builder that does it right, it's going to give you at least a 90% return on your investment," said Overholt.

Aright, I know what you're thinking, you can do this yourself, right? Sure you can. Overholt recommends, however, doing some serious homework before you undertake a project like this. Consult an expert and most importantly, familiarize yourself with the building codes of your town or municipality.

"Go down to Home Depot and buy one of the how to build a deck books. Ask a deck builder that knows what he's doing. To go through the code points. Let him explain the code points to you. Those books are sometimes from different municipalities and they'll have different codes. Some of them may not include the fact that you need a grasping hand rail on all your stairs if it's more than three steps high," said Overholt.

If you are going to hire somebody, Overholt said to make sure they're insured and that they offer up references. The last thing you want to do is hire someone without knowing their work. For more information head to home.roadrunner.com.