Hide Unsightly Concrete Blocks Under Your Deck (While Adding Storage)

Concrete blocks are a handy material to have around. With them, you can create planters, make industrial-style DIY furniture, and build walls and foundations. Concrete blocks can also attract bees to your yard by serving as cozy bug hotels. However, if you have spare blocks sitting around waiting for the next project, they can turn into an eyesore in your outdoor space. But you don't necessarily have to get rid of them entirely. Instead, why not create a hidden storage solution for them (and for other items you need to store) using a structure you already have: your deck.

While a backyard deck can be great for hanging out with friends or enjoying a morning coffee, the space underneath it often goes unused. But by adding deck skirting — basically covering the bottom perimeter with boards or panels – you create a confined, hidden area for storage, the size of your deck. Those concrete blocks, which are sturdy and weather-resistant, can move from cluttering up your property to instantly out of sight.

One classic way to build deck skirting is to take wooden boards cut to match the space between the top of your deck surface and the ground, and then nail them into place around the deck. You'll also need some rebar or extra-long nails to hold the boards in place and stop them from seesawing back and forth in the wind.

Beyond that, there are a variety of different add-ons you can include to make your new under-deck storage work for you. For example, adding an access panel — by creating a hinged gate out of the same boards as the deck skirting – will ensure you can get back into the storage space to grab your concrete blocks when you need them. In addition, adding another access panel near the area under your house can be helpful when either plumbing or electrical specialists need to get underneath.

As for storing your spare concrete blocks behind this new deck skirting, place them on a pallet or board to keep them off the ground and in good condition. Also, if you'd like to store other items in this hidden storage area that aren't as weatherproof as concrete blocks, such as a lawn mower, you could attach metal panels to the bottom of your deck, which will effectively become a ceiling for the under-deck area. Just make sure the panels are on a slight slant so that any water that filters through the deck will be directed away from the items beneath.

If you're storing even less durable items that you want to keep out of the sun, such as outdoor furniture cushions, try using large storage tubs to protect them from the elements while keeping them close at hand. (On that note, check out this storage tub hack you should be using in your garden.)