What to do with the area under my deck?
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You can use it as a storage area by enclosing it or you can fill it with pea gravel for a nice clean look.
I think some artful landscaping would really add to the home. I like this one on Houzz but of course you would need to select plants specifically for your zone..https://www.houzz.com/photos/6636817/Kauai-Residence-tropical-landscape-hawaii
I like this idea too.....https://www.houzz.com/photos/9827480/lake-house-beach-style-landscape-boston
I live in Minnesota and I have rock under my deck with hostas spaced apart...looks great
we started growing mint and sage, both are know to invade gardens, but they can handle each other's presence. We put lavender to the side by our stairs, and the deck smells great!
You could create an air plant wall such as these
No matter what you do content-wise, you need a nice, clean background. So: a thorough pressure washing followed by the kind of primer and paint that is used for boats, with a double dose of mildewcide added to the last coat of paint. (Plan on 2 coats of primer and 3 coats of paint, allowed to dry well between coats-this will take some planning with an eye to the weather.) If your lake rises up from its shore (rather than just sending water up through the ground) your "floor" will need a mini-seawall--a few courses of cement block that is at least 6 inches higher than the lake has ever risen. First paint all surfaces of the block with DryLoc paint, then fill voids with hydraulic cement, mortar together, then a final coat of DryLoc. That will minimize how much of the lake flows into the area. You can set creeping or trailing plants atop the sea wall to hide it. I'd paint the underside of your deck with a white highly reflective gloss paint, again, with mildewcide, and string some solar-powered lights under there so you can use it in the evenings. Since water will always be a problem, I'd fill the "floor" with 6-8 inches of coarse gravel (for drainage), then top 2-4 inches with a decorative white or pear gravel. The cinder-block sea wall will prevent the decorative, pea gravel from floating away into the lake. You could set interlocking rubber stone-looking mats under any bistro set or patio chairs/tables to minimize water seeping up and wetting your furniture. It's a challenge, but the work can be done as several small projects once you've held that water at bay.