One of the best parts of the holiday season is how festive everything looks. All of the lights and decorations that are on display can make passage through even the most nondescript neighborhoods a magical and inspiring journey. In fact, neighborhood competitions and community bulletins that list the ‘best of’ holiday displays in December are an annual tradition for many families.
If you have Duradek on your outdoor surfaces, you have a beautiful deck or balcony to start with… but there are many options to decorate your outdoor space for that special holiday display. It just takes a little time and creativity to make your deck or balcony stand out and bring a little holiday joy to everyone around.
Assess the Space
Decorating your porch or balcony starts with knowing your space. Whether you are working with a small front porch or an expansive deck, by measuring the available space you will know exactly how much room you have to work with. You will avoid buying more decorations than will fit in your space or alternately have a too small display that looks like you only partially decorated.
Taking note of available electrical outlets or sources is also important so you know whatever length of lighting you buy for your perimeter, that there is enough length to reach the outlet as well to keep your lighting display balanced. If you need to run power from inside, you can prevent accidents by using a ground fault interrupter and an outdoor extension cord. (Note: Duradek has a class A fire rating, has been thoroughly
tested and is approved as a safe product for your home).
If you live in an apartment or townhouse community, check if your complex has rules or restrictions regarding outdoor displays.
Theme
Choosing a theme can be a great idea to make your display stand out, especially if you want the decorations to look unified and put-together. For example, you can choose traditional holiday colors like red, green, blue, and silver, or plan your decorations around Christmas themes like candy canes, angels, and snowflakes.
Christmas Trees
Setting up a Christmas tree on your porch or balcony can warm even the coldest of hearts. While the smell of real pine and fir appeals to many people, putting up an artificial Christmas tree is the better choice in extreme climates where cut trees decay faster. Even better, you can keep reusing a fake tree for many holiday seasons to come, making it the more eco-friendly and cost-effective choice. Plus with an artificial tree you don’t have to worry about any sap making it to your deck surface, which can be difficult to clean. (Note: Duradek is an easy to clean surface, but a few things like sap and rust can difficult to remove and you will want to protect your surface from that. If your tree holder is metal, you might want to place a protective liner between the tree holder and the vinyl surface).
Both types of Christmas trees may be trimmed with lights, ornaments, tinsels, ribbons, and a tree topper; just make sure to choose sturdy decorations that can withstand the elements if you do not have an enclosed balcony.
Christmas Lights
Stringing outdoor Christmas lights on your porch or balcony is a sure-fire way to make your home look festive and merry. If you already have trees or shrubs lining it, consider stringing the lights around the pots and branches; if not, string them around the bannisters or railings instead. Make sure that you use Christmas lights that are specifically labeled "outdoor only," especially if you live in places with extreme cold. While some people go for incandescent lights for the authentic look, others prefer LED lights because of their cost efficiency and durability.
Wreaths
Hanging wreaths can inexpensively dress up a dreary-looking porch or balcony during the holiday season. You can decorate your balcony with multiple wreaths, or place one in the middle for a beautiful, simple effect. If you want the smell of evergreen boughs, go with natural wreaths, but if you do not like the hassle of cleaning needles, choose artificial wreaths instead. With artificial wreaths you have the added benefit of reusing them year after year.
Christmas Inflatables
Placing air-blown Christmas inflatables on your porch or balcony lets people know that you enjoy and celebrate the holidays just as much as they do. You can choose from Santas, reindeers, snowmen, candy canes, elves and other inflatables. When selecting an inflatable, make sure its size is proportional to the available space on your balcony. Putting out too many inflatables can overcrowd a small balcony and take away from the effect you want.
Festive Ribbons
Another affordable way to get into the holiday spirit is to trim the bannisters with festive outdoor Christmas bows. People who like subtle and sophisticated Christmas decor often go for this type of holiday flourish. Holiday traditionalists can opt for the red velvet bows, while those who want their decorations to sparkle during the day and light up at night can go for holographic bows instead.
General Tips
With all of these great ideas, you are well on your way to a gorgeous Christmas display on your porch. With a Duradek protected deck, just remember a few simple things:
- When clearing snow and ice from you deck, be sure to use a snow shovel with a plastic edge, and if you use de-icing agents, remember to clean your deck off well before spring.
- If your displays have sharp edges anywhere at the base, be sure not to drag them across your vinyl deck surface.
- Make use of the storage space below. If there is empty space below your porch or deck, your Duradek vinyl waterproof surface keeps the area below dry. If it is enclosed from view, it is a great place to store the containers your outdoor season displays are kept it for easy access.
Have a great holiday season and enjoy decorating your deck or balcony! For all of you with a
Duradek deck, we invite you to
send us photos of your beautiful Christmas displays or sparkling, snow-covered Duradek decks.
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