Built Right: Helping Customers Navigate Deck Projects From Concept to Reality

When creating outdoor spaces, homeowners are not only building areas to gather and enjoy fresh air, but are making these spaces extensions of their home. According to the 2026 Outdoor Living Report from Deckorators, homeowners look for a balance of functionality, longevity and beauty when choosing design and materials for outdoor projects, like decks and patios.

“In recent years, ‘home’ has taken on a deeper meaning—not just as a place to live, but as a sanctuary for connection, comfort and renewal,” says Michelle Hendricks, director of marketing at Deckorators. “As more people choose to thrive in place rather than relocate, a powerful movement has emerged—transforming outdoor areas into extensions of the home that enhance quality of life, nurture overall well-being and boost property value.”

As more homeowners are desiring elevated outdoor spaces, providing a robust selection of products and services to meet these needs, like an outfitted decking and railing category, can help win sales.

At the Dubuque, Iowa, location of Spahn & Rose Lumber Co., general manager Brian Bowles and his team have created a curated set of deck planning tools, from a stunning showroom to detailed 3D design and visualization services, to help customers envision this large-scale outdoor project. With an emphasis on communicating value, listening first and sharing extensive product knowledge, employees are equipped to lead customers through the design process from start to finish.

“Our showroom is one of our most valuable resources,” Bowles says. “It allows customers to compare multiple decking styles side-by-side and explore different railing systems, colors, textures and installation approaches in a hands-on environment.”

The store’s 3D design services help homeowners better understand how their deck will look and function within their space. For customers just beginning their projects, the Spahn & Rose website has an online design catalog, including types of materials and their cost ranges, an ‘anatomy of a deck’ section detailing the specific parts of a deck and sample deck plans with photos and outlines for customers to browse through. “These tools help customers make confident decisions earlier in the process and reduce uncertainty before construction begins,” Bowles says.

Innovation in the Category

As decking materials have evolved in recent years and continue to change, staying on top of trends is necessary to stay relevant in the category.

“We’ve seen strong innovation across the category, including more realistic finishes, improved traction, faster heat dissipation and materials designed specifically for wet or ground-contact environments,” Bowles says. “At the same time, manufacturers continue to introduce cost-efficient structural improvements that make composite decking more accessible to a broader range of homeowners.”

Evolution in decking and railing has moved these products to be more specialized, allowing customers to choose products to specifically match how their deck will actually be used.

Keep it Simple

While Spahn & Rose sells a wide range of brands and materials when it comes to decking and railing products, in-store displays only include the products most frequently recommended by employees. This simplifies decision-making for customers and opens opportunities for customers to talk to employees about their specific needs.

“Because the category includes so many variations, a curated presentation helps simplify decision-making and ensures customers can focus on solutions that are proven and readily available,” Bowles says.

When customers come to the store to start a decking project, Bowles says they are mostly looking to understand the differences between material options.

“Questions about durability—especially resistance to staining, scratching, fading and moisture—are very common,” he says. Customers are also interested in warranty coverage for specific brands and long-term maintenance of materials. “Homeowners want to know not only how a product looks today, but how it will perform five, 10 or 20 years from now,” Bowles says.

Translating value to the customer rather than just telling them about the product is essential in answering these questions and selling the category overall.

Bowles trains his team to educate customers about materials beyond the product features. With such a vast category, it’s essential that employees know how to simplify not only the basic specs, but also qualities like longevity, maintenance, style, safety and comfort.

“Our employee training emphasizes listening first and then guiding customers toward options that best align with how they plan to use the space,” Bowles says. “Ultimately, our role is to act as a matchmaker between customer needs and the wide range of decking products available today.”