You’ve noticed the days are getting a little cooler.  Night time darkness comes a little earlier.  You’ve dug out your sweaters from storage and moved your shorts to the back of the closet.  Winter’s on its way.

Although people mostly think of enjoying an outdoor deck during the hot and sunny summer months, there are plenty of ways to make use of your sundeck during the winter, too.  Just because the bikinis have been stored away until spring, your deck can still serve as the centre for catching up with friends, chatting with family and finding some much needed time to yourself.

Here are a few ideas on how to maximise your deck in winter.

April is a great month to be South African.

With four shortened work weeks in a row, it’s the perfect time of year to stretch out and enjoy the last remains of summer.  However in the midst of long weekends and party plans, it’s easy to forget why exactly we have all these public holidays.  You suddenly start to confuse National Braai Day (aka Heritage Day) with Women’s Day and Youth Day.

It’s time to deck the halls – or deck the deck – for the holiday that’s right around the corner.  No, it’s not Christmas, but Easter is a great time to get the family or neighbourhood together.  And even if you’re not celebrating Easter, four days off from work is the perfect excuse for anyone to celebrate.  With the super long weekend just days away it’s time to celebrate in style right on your very own outdoor deck.

Here’s how.

Time and time again we’ve used the Eva-tech decking blog to shower you with ideas on how to maximise your outdoor deck.  Throw parties, do yoga, build yourself a bar right on your deck to make it the centre of your world, we say.  But there are limits to everything.  Just as there are benefits to doing certain things on your deck, there are benefits to NOT doing other things.  So in order to give you a thoroughly well-rounded idea of what decking is for, here are a few things to not do on your composite deck.

Summer is in full swing.   Your days are filled with sun, living up the outdoors, and wearing bikinis.  If you’re feeling like you could look a bit better in your swimming costume, now’s the time to take charge of your body and get in shape on  your outdoor deck!

Families are meant to spend time together.  Sure, that seems obvious.  But between the chaos of getting homework done and working late, it doesn’t happen as often as you’d like.  Dedicating one day or evening to being together can help bring you closer to your family members.  While it may seem conflicting to have to schedule quality time with your loved ones, it is a way to ensure that you and your children actually see each other at least once in a while.

Your outdoor deck is a prime location for hosting these bonding moments.  A sundeck is free of many of the distractions of your home; the TV, computer and radios.  Moments on your private deck operate at the slower pace of the outdoors, rather than the frenzy of your everyday life.

Thanks to Ryan Kriedemann from Timbermann for creating these gorgous Eva-tech decks!  Eva-tech composite decking is ideal for the harsh weather conditions of Africa.  These stunning outdoor decks are eco-friendly, low maintenance AND weather resistant!  Well done, Timbermann!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Today’s a day to celebrate love, show your special someone how much you care...and drop a ton of cash.  Valentine’s Day is synonymous with spending too much out.  Restaurants just love to hike up their prices on the day of love.  So this year, why not skip the overcrowded and overpriced night out and have a romantic Valentine’s Day at home on your deck?

Your outdoor deck is the perfect place to create the intimate setting you want for this special day.  All it takes is a little effort to transform your ordinary sundeck into an exclusive excursion for two.

Pay day has come but you might still be struggling to get that savings account back to where it was before December.   You know, before you decided to buy the whole bar a round for Christmas instead of paying off your credit card; before you spent your rent money on that great New Year’s party.  With the weekend just a day away you might be wondering how to balance having fun with keeping yourself out of the red.

Fortunately for you there are ways to have a big weekend on a small budget.  The main ingredients for your weekend-o-fun on the cheap are 1) your Eva-tech outdoor deck 2) a bit of sunshine 3) friends and 4) a little creativity.  Here are a few ideas.

How to Have a Great (Cheap) Weekend on Your Eva-tech Deck

Game Day

Not Xbox.  I mean board games, card games – games that actually require an element of social interaction; the kind you roll your eyes at but secretly enjoy.    Invite the neighbours over for Pictionary, Scrabble or Monopoly out on your composite deck.  You all know how to play and have the board hidden away somewhere in the closet.  Make Uno the new Call of Duty while the sun is out.

December is just around the corner and, with it, the official start of Deck Season.  Maybe you found yourself indoors a bit too often over the winter (although we’ve got some great ideas on how to maximise your Eva-tech outdoor deck in all seasons).  But by now you’ve put away your sweaters, stocked up on sunscreen and are ready to spend glorious summer day after glorious summer day outdoors on your own, private deck.  Let the good times begin!

Knowing that you will want to make the most of the warm weather, we’ve put together a list of tips for whiling away the hours in your own outdoor sundeck.

Read a Good Book

Not a ‘book person’?   That just means you haven’t found the right book, yet.  Once you’ve got a good one, a book will keep you enthralled for hours.  And there’s no better place to lay out a towel and flip pages than on your outdoor deck.  Here are a few suggestions:

• · Jock of the Bushveld (Sir James Percy Fitzpatrick) - Have you hugged your dog today?

• · Heart of Redness (Zakes Mda) – Tradition clashes with modern development in more than just Isidingo

• · City of Thieves (David Benioff) – Eggs, Humour and the Siege of Leningrad

• · Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Louise Rennison) – You don’t have to be 14 to laugh at tales of snogging lessons and wild cats

• · Cry, the Beloved Country (Alan Paton) – Reading it for pleasure is much better than when you had to read it in school

• · Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (David Sedaris) – Spend as much time laughing out loud as wondering why there’s  a naked Barbie doll on the cover

• · Oh the Places You’ll Go! (Dr. Seuss) – Inspire yourself or pass it along to the little ones in your life

Write a Good Book

Don’t like the book suggestions?  Write one yourself!  Spend lazy summer days putting your most imaginative stories to paper.  You may be just one book away from a Pulitzer!  Or start a journal to record personal thoughts.  Helps clear your head and gives you one more reason to relax on your deck.

Back to Basics Board Games

You know you’ve got them stored away somewhere.  Now it’s time to pull out your old checkers board and Monopoly game and put them to work.  Invite over friends to play some Pictionary or encourage family time with a game of Uno.  Your Eva-tech deck is the perfect place to play.

Drink Up

Keep hydrated when you’re out on your sundeck.  Drink a little extra water to let you enjoy a classic summer cocktail or two as the sun sets.  And don’t forget the lemonade!  Nothing says summer like sipping freshly squeezed juice outside on your deck.

Act Shady

A sundeck is great for getting that tan you’ve been dreaming of all year.  But give yourself some shade to retreat to during hot afternoons.  Consider adding a tree to make your deck unique, or pop up a sun umbrella to avoid sunburn.  Add a bit of drama and shade by including an Eva-tech pergola in your deck design.