OUTDOOR living living A rundown on decking materials
Decks are centerpieces of many backyard retreats, and these spaces can add value to properties. According to Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report, the average return on investment (ROI) of a deck is between 60 and 70 percent, and some homeowners may recoup as much as 80 percent of their investment in a new deck.
Certain factors can affect how much value a deck adds, including the material from which the deck was made. Homeowners have different options in regard to materials when they are considering building a new deck.
Pressure-treated wood
Wood has been a staple building material for as long as trees have been hewn for construction. Pressure-treated wood is a popular decking option. The wood is chemically treated and put into a pressure chamber to reinforce it and delay deterioration. Pressure-treated wood decks are popular because they are cost-effective to build. Many homeowners also find the natural wood aesthetic to their liking in a backyard environment. While pressure-treated wood decks are among the first considerations, homeowners should realize that they require regular upkeep, such as sanding,
staining and sealing to maintain appearance and durability. Although treated for longevity, pressuretreated wood decks are not indestructible and may crack and warp, with eventual replacement after 15 years, according to Timber Tech.
Composite
Composite decking is made from a blend of wood fibers and plastic. Moisture Shield Composite Decking says the ratio of wood fibers to plastic
varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Since it often is made from recycled materials, composite decking is considered an eco-friendly choice.
This decking material is designed to be lowmaintenance and durable. Composite decking lasts longer than natural wood and does not require sanding, staining and sealing to stay in top form. It also resists rot and insect damage. These benefits come with a higher cost than wood, and the material also can get hot underfoot if the deck is a darker color.
PVC
PVC decking is an alternative to other types of deck materials. It is made entirely from plastic, setting it apart from composite, which has natural wood fibers in it.
Similar to composite, PVC comes with a higher initial cost than wood decks. But that can pay for itself over time since PVC is durable and essentially maintenance-free. Decks & Docks says PVC is a good material to use in water-prone areas. Some are designed to be slip-resistant and can mimic the look of real wood.
Homeowners have many choices when choosing deck materials, making it possible to find an ideal option that aligns with their lifestyles and budgets.
JULY HAPPENINGS
FRIDAY, JULY 18th
7:00AM-Community Ride registration
9:00AM-Opening Ceremony + Community Ride Begins COMMUNITY SOLDIER RIDE - BABYLON
The 18th annual event will be dedicated in memory and in honor of Chief John “Jack” Miller for his tireless contributions to the Babylon Soldier Ride for nearly two decades. In addition to Jack fundraising for the Wounded Warrior Project, he was a vital team member in Babylon. Join us for this unique 25-mile cycling event. Ride alongside the brave men and women who served our country in support of their journey to recovery. Show warriors they are never alone. Register at soldierrise.org/babylon. Start Location: Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Hwy. Lindenhurst. For more information, please visit https://communityfundraising. woundedwarriorproject.org/ pages/1020?eventID=654
SATURDAY, JULY 19th
10:00AM-4:00PM ANTIQUE CAR SHOW
Wantagh Preservation Society's 4th Annual Antique Car Show.(Rain date Sunday July 20th) Wantagh Preservation Society Museum, 1700 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh. Cars from 1960's & older. Entrance fee $1. Refreshments for sale, 50/50 raffle, music! Go inside Wantagh's 1885 Train Station, Wantagh's 1907 Post office & get your free ticket to board the 1912 Jamaica Parlor car, (Parlor car open from 12 - 2pm). email-
HOLIDAYS
4th - INDEPENDENCE DAY
MAKE A SUBMISSION!
Events must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event date and will run free of charge on a space available basis. For more info, call 631.226.2636 x275 or send events to editorial@longislandmediagroup.com
Wantaghmuseum@gmail.com (Matt)
6:30PM-10:30PM
HAWAIIAN LUAU
Grab your grass skirt & Hawaiian shirt. Brumidi Lodge, Deer Park is hosting a HAWAIIAN LUAU. Hawaiian Style Buffet Dinner, Slushies & soda included, Tiki Bar, Brumidi’s Famous Hawaiian Entertainment DJ Gene & Joanne Spinning in the Music Hut. Raffles & Much More Summer Fun For tickets and more information, please call Anita 631-422-6914. Sons & Daughters of Italy in America 2075 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park.
SUNDAY, JULY 20th
11:00AM-4:00PM
SPIRIT OF SUMMER ART FESTIVAL Spirit of Huntington Art Center, 2 Melville Rd. N. Huntington Station. A day of celebrating inclusion and diversity in the arts, hand-made goods, community, food trucks, raffles, games, music performances, fun crafts and activities for the whole family! Hosted by the Spirit of Huntington, a non-profit community art center that teaches creative expression classes to all ages and all abilities. Connected with over 500 participants and dozens of local organizations across Long Island. For more information, please call 631-470-9620
MONDAY, JULY 21st
9:00AM-12:00PM
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 36 E. John Street in
Lindenhurst. July 21st through July 25th. Bible lessons, Music, Games, Crafts, Snacks, and more! FREE!! Grades K-6th. Register at https:// saintjohnsvbs.myanswers.com
SATURDAY, JULY 26th
10:00AM-4:00PM
BLOOD DRIVE
AT EAST GATE CHURCH
New York Blood Center Blood Drive at East Gate Church, 1150 Hicksville Road in North Massapequa, during the "Christmas in July" Family Fair. For more information, please call 516-731-3553
6:30PM
NIGHT AT THE RACES
Will be held at Wade-Burns VFW 7279, 560 N. Delaware Avenue, Lindenhurst, Doors open 6:30 p.m. Admission $1. For more information, please call 631-888-9854
SUNDAY, JULY 27th
11:00AM-12:30PM
CARING FOR WILDLIFE PROGRAM AND WALK
At Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive in Smithtown, they offer wildlife rehabilitation at their nature center and take care of injured, sick, and orphaned animals. In this presentation participants will meet some of the resident nonreleasable animals, find out their stories, and learn what you can do to help wildlife in our area. If you’re interested in becoming a rehabber this a good first step. For more information, please call 631-979-6344
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Turn Your Grill Into A Pizza Maker - The Chicagoan
Makes a 12-inch pizza
1 russet potato, peeled and sliced about 1⁄4-inch thick
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces top sirloin or strip steak
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the sliced potato in a large bowl and toss with two tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the slices in a single layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the potato is golden and tender. While still hot, loosen the slices with a spatula so they don’t stick.
2. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat. Season the steak liberally on both sides with the salt and pepper. Grill the steak over the hottest part of the fire for 4 minutes. Turn and grill for 4 minutes longer, until the steak is medium-rare and well charred. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Slice thinly.
3. Brush the grilled side of the pizza crust with the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and dust with the Parmesan. Sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar on top. Drop spoonfuls of the chunky tomato sauce onto the pizza. Top with the potato, red onion and the steak.
4. Grill the pizza with indirect heat. If your grill is still hot, move coals to one side or turn off one burner and allow
Freshly ground black pepper
1 grilled pizza crust
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1⁄2 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup chunky tomato sauce
1⁄2 cup thinly sliced red onions
1⁄4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
the pizza to cook on the side without a direct flame. Grill the pizza for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and brown. The bottom may have a few black spots from charring. Optional: Broil the cooked pizza in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes more to caramelize the top.
5. Before serving, drop teaspoons of the sour cream onto the pizza, and garnish with the fresh chives.
Grilling the crust
To grill a pizza crust for this recipe, roll out to a 12-inch circle and place on a cookie sheet. Adjust the grill to reach a temperature of 400 F.
Slide the dough onto the grill. The dough should take about 3 minutes to cook. Watch for bubbles. The crust will be soft at first and tear easily. To check doneness, lift the underside. It should be an even light brown with brown grill marks.
Pick up the crust using tongs and place it on your cookie sheet. Flip it over so the grilled side is face up. This browned side becomes the top of your pizza.
OUTDOOR living living Must-have features when outfitting an outdoor living space
Outdoorliving spaces are wildly popular.
A 2024 poll of more than 1,000 homeowners conducted by Thumbtack found that 29 percent of respondents intended to spend as much as $5,000 improving their outdoor spaces in the coming months.
There’s much to gain from upgrading outdoor living spaces. In addition to the improved functionality and additional usage residents get to enjoy when upgrading these spaces, such projects can help to improve resale value. In fact, a 2021 survey of real estate agents conducted by HomeLight found that a new patio provided an average return on investment of 109 percent.
There’s much to gain in both the short- and longterm when upgrading an outdoor living space. The following are a handful of must-have features to make such spaces an even better addition to a home’s existing layout and landscape.
• Multi-functionality: The home renovation experts at This Old House note versatility in an outdoor living space can set a stage for relaxation, entertaining and family activities. Outdoor living spaces tend to be most useful when they’re multifunctional, providing a space where residents can relax on weekend mornings and evenings throughout the week while also offering the potential to entertain crowds during
backyard barbecue season. Homeowners can keep this in mind and prioritize multifunctionality when designing outdoor living spaces.
• Seamless connectivity with interior designs: Though outdoor living areas were long viewed as areas wholly separate from home interiors, that traditional outlook has changed in recent years. In a 2024 survey conducted by Fixr, 78 percent of industry experts noted a coherent indoor-outdoor design was the most popular outdoor living space trend that year. This design
choice suggests an outdoor living space is an extension of the home as opposed to a wholly separate area.
• Comfortable seating: The days of stackable plastic lawn chairs are largely a thing of the past. Modern outdoor living spaces offer comfortable, all-weather seating where residents and guests can gather to relax and engage in conversation. Accent tables to place drinks and other items is another nice touch that can add to the comfortfirst feel of an outdoor space. Modular furniture merits homeowners’ consideration, as such furnishings can be customized and rearranged for each gathering and might prove easier to store for homeowners who will be taking the seating in over the winter.
• Lighting: Of course, summer gatherings in outdoor living spaces have a tendency to continue past sundown. Proper lighting can ensure spaces are safely navigated when the sun goes down. Sufficient lighting also enhances the visual appeal of the space while facilitating conversation when natural light is no longer enough to illuminate a space.
There’s no shortage of ways to create an aweinspiring outdoor living space. Homeowners can start with some must-have features and then build on the spaces as they see fit.
and Exterior Demolition for Contractor Projects • Concrete Patios, Sidewalks, Driveways, Stoops
•Fire and Flood Damage
•Attic Cleanouts • Shed Cleanouts • Lot Clearing •Estate Cleanouts • Complete House and Apartment Cleanouts • Entire Building Cleanouts
•Warehouse Cleanouts • Construction Cleanouts
•Eviction Cleanouts • Yard Debris Cleanouts
OUTDOOR living
Features to accommodate outdoor cooking to accommodate cooking
Variousthings come to mind when pondering outdoor entertaining. Outdoor living spaces run the gamut from expansive oases with a pool, hot tub and room to lounge to smaller areas with some seating that allows hosts and guests to enjoy some fresh air. One common theme in most outdoor living spaces, regardless of their size, is an area to cook, typically over an open flame.
Grilling is wildly popular. According to the grilling experts at Traeger, roughly 128 million households across the United States owned a grill in 2020. Grills are similarly popular in Canada, where a 2023 poll from Ipsos-Reid found that 78 percent of Canadians own a grill. Outdoor cooking is a staple of life in the U.S. and Canada, and this popular means to meal preparation can be made even more enjoyable with a few simple upgrades to an outdoor living space.
• Natural gas grill: Natural gas grills are designed to be connected with a home’s natural gas line. That can make it more convenient to grill, particularly for people who grill often and do not want to deal with charcoal and propane tanks that require routine trips to a grocery store or other retailer to resupply. With a natural gas grill, cooks can fire up the grill at any time just like they would when using a gas stove indoors.
• Refrigerator: Incorporating a refrigerator into an outdoor living space can make outdoor cooking more convenient. Depending on the size of the appliance, an outdoor refrigerator can store condiments and sauces, saving cooks the trouble of walking back and forth between indoor and outdoor living spaces to gather supplies for cooking. A slightly larger outdoor refrigerator also can be used to store the food that will be cooked on the grill, affording cooks more time to spend outdoors.
• Outdoor pantry: An outdoor living space that incorporates a pantry to store dishes and tools of the barbecuing trade, like spatulas and tongs, can make grill sessions easier for cooks. When planning a new outdoor living space, a pantry can be incorporated into the design. If augmenting an existing space, standalone pantries can provide similar functionality as built-in alternatives.
• Outdoor sink: All those utensils and cooking instruments will ultimately need to be washed. An outdoor sink ensures utensils and tools can be washed and dried outside, saving hosts the trouble of carrying items in at the end of the night only to return them to the outdoor pantry the following morning. An outdoor sink also makes it easier to rinse vegetables before cooking them over an open flame.
• Garden bar: Grilling can be a rewarding but lonely undertaking. Grills often are set away from outdoor dining tables so guests can comfortably converse and eat without being drowned out by the sizzle of the grill or overwhelmed by smoke that can come pouring out when opening the grill lid. A garden bar that’s adjacent to the grill can provide a gathering space for guests and ensure cooks aren’t spending the duration of a gettogether going it alone.
Outdoor cooking is wildly popular, and might prove even more so when incorporating various convenient features into an exterior living space.
Town Of Oyster Bay’s
2025 Music Under The Stars & Movies By Moonlight
Concerts begin at 8:00 PM unless otherwise noted. No seating prior to 4:00 PM. Pre-movie activities begin at 6:00 PM. Movies begin at sundown. There are no rain facilities. All shows will be held outdoors, weather permitting. For
Senator Rhoads To Host Emergency Preparedness Training
Dave McDonough, Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Schneider, and Nassau County
Legislator Michael Giangregorio, in partnership with the New York National Guard, will host a Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program to help residents prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. This event will take place on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 7:30 PM, at the Seaford American Legion Post 1132
2301 Penatiquit Avenue in Seaford. Participants will receive expert guidance on developing family emergency plans, assembling emergency supply kits, and other critical preparedness skills. Each participating family will receive a FREE Citizen Preparedness Starter Kit.
Pre-registration is required. Residents can register online at: https://pspapps.dhses.ny.gov/ CitizenPreparednessCorps/views/registrant/add. xhtml?lang =en&eventId=197
Prediabetes Is
A Serious Condition
(NAPSI)—Prediabetes is a serious condition that, untreated, can increase your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Fortunately, a healthy lifestyle can manage or even reverse prediabetes. To learn more, visit the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website at www.niddk.nih.gov.
Carpenter/Contract or PROFESSIONAL HANDYMA N SERVICES ALL PHASES OF HOME REPAIRS IMPROVEMENT & RENOVATIONS FROM MINOR REPA IRS TO FULL RENOVATION Baths, Kitchens, Floo ring, Inte rior Doors Sh eetrock, Trim, Plumbing Crown Molding, Plumbing, etc. OWNER OP ERATED Licensed/Insured Free Estimates ACE CONTR ACTING CALL OR TE XT 631 432 3892
GUTTERS
Cleaned! Repaired! Replaced! 20% off on gutter guards Expert Handyman & Power Washing Services Available. Reasonable, Reliable & Ready! Mention This Ad! FREE
& LAWN SERVICES & MAINTENANCE MULCH, TOP SOIL, SEED, & TREE TRIMMING O-ROD LANDS CA PING
631-639 5181
Multi Family Block Yard Sale ! Saturday, July 19th 10:00 am Sunday , July 20th 10:00 am
Birds Stroller, Exerci se Bike, Avon Products, Avon Collectibles, FITT EAM Samples,
es, Beauty
s,
Costumes,
Décor, Dog Items, Costume Jewe lry, Blow Up Po ol, Toys, Puzzles, Book s, Throw Pillows, Wall Art, Tools, One Large Pa nd a Bear, Clothes, Shoes and more. Somethin g fo r Everyone! 37 Manor Lane (off South Great Neck Ro ad , South of Montauk Highway)
Seaford Historical Society Events
Summer Fun for Kids on Sunday, August 24, from 2 to 7 PM on the museum grounds, 3890 Waverly Ave., Seaford. Bounce houses, kids’ games, face painting, Creatures of the Bay touch and feel, and “The Truck” food truck and ice cream truck. Rain date: Sunday, September 7th.
Thursday, Sept. 25, 6:30 PM at the museum, 3890 Waverly Ave., MUSIC BINGO. $25 for 2 bingo cards. Bring your own beverage. No outside food allowed. Tickets on sale Sept 2. Venmo names and fee to @Judity_Bongiovi after Sept 2 or send check AND names to Seaford Historical Society PO Box 1254, Seaford, NY 11783
For more information, please call Judy Bongiovi, 516-783-8629
Submit Photos For Town Publications
Oyster Bay Town Councilman Andrew Monteleone invites residents to submit photos taken in the Town of Oyster Bay to be considered for future use in Town publications.
“We accept photos year-round submitted by our residents which depict people, places, community events and scenery throughout our Town,” said Councilman Monteleone. “We accept photos for the calendar, as well as other Town publications, including our website, social media pages and brochures.”
Councilman Monteleone noted that photos should be taken within the confines of the Town of Oyster Bay. Digital submissions are preferred, but high-quality photos may also be submitted. Emailed photos should be sent to photos@ oysterbay-ny.gov. Printed photos can be submitted to the Town’s Public Information Office, 54 Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay NY 11771. Residents should make sure their name, address, phone number and brief description of the photo are included with their submission. The photographer is responsible for the correct spelling of the names and subjects in the photos, as well as notifying subjects they may appear in a Town publication.
OUTDOOR
Did you know?
continue to be more popular than decks. According to a tabulation of data from HUD/Census Bureau Survey of Construction from the National Association of Home Builders, the share of new homes with patios is on the rise while the share with decks remains low. The NAHB tabulation found that the percentage of new homes with decks was 17.6 percent in 2023, while the percentage of new homes with patios reached a record high of 63.7 percent in that same year. Though some homes feature both a deck and patio, the NAHB notes that’s the case in just 6 percent of properties. However, decks have remained a goto choice in certain regions of the United States. For example, the NAHB reports that 76 percent of new homes in New England featured decks while just 17 percent featured patios. Decks (42 percent) also proved more popular than patios (20 percent) in the mid-Atlantic region.
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