(NAPSA)—Right up there with baseball, barbecues and fireworks on the 4th of July, building decks is a way oflife once summerrolls around. There are an estimated 30 million residential decks in the U.S. and according to the Forest Products Journal, more than 6.5 mil- lion decks are constructed on residential structures each year. The averagelife expectancy of a deck in the U.S. from initial installa- tion is around 11 years—after that, people upgrade, expand, repair or replace the deck entirely. The deck-building phenomenon is being recognized this year by Skil Power Tools withits first-ever National Build Your Own Deck Week, which runs May 3-10. As part of this national celebration, the company is on a nationwide search for the five best Do-It-Yourself decks. “People say the kitchen is the heart of the home—well, a deck is the heart of the backyard,” said Bob Pjevach, vice president of marketing for Skil. “This contest is a great opportunity for DIYers to show the nation their prized project, as well as assume some backyard braggingrights.” With deck demand at analltime high, Skil has created National Build Your Own Deck Week to empowerdo-it-yourselfers with the knowledge and resources they need to start and finish a deck-building project. To enter your deck in the contest, visit www.skil.com. To be eli- gible, contestants must upload one or two deck photographs, along with an essay describing your deck-building experience. Building needs to be completed between now and July 4, 2003. Prizes include a complete line of a vA If you’ve built your own deck, you could win more than backyard braggingrights. Skil tools, as well as accessories for your new deck. Building your own deck can earn you more than backyard bragging rights. Skil suggests using its STURDY program as a guideline to help achieve successful deck building results: Survey the deck site prior to building and take an inventory of outdoor furniture, grills and other recreational equipment that might be placed on the deck. Transform your ideas into reality by sketching a design and diagrammingspecific elements. Understand the products and materials you will need to complete your deck. Resources—Makesure you have all the tools and people to help get the job done right. Skil suggests the following tools to get started: Skilsaw, scrolling jigsaw, hammer drill, belt sander, and cordless screwdriver. * Determination—Don’t take short cuts; make sure measure- ments are exact and that all construction tools and activities are safe. * You Can Do It—Have the confidence to bring your dream deck to life.
