Thoughts on skirting vs keeping elevated decks open?

I went through the same dilemma when we finished our composite deck last summer. I actually kept mine open for the first year and ended up sticking with it. If you have any slope or moisture issues near that basement door, closing it in with solid boards or even tight lattice can turn the underside into a swamp. I’ve seen 6x6 pressure-treated posts start showing mold way too early beacuse the owner boxed everthing in for "storage" that just ended up being a graveyard for old lawn chairs and damp cardboard. Instead of full skirting, I put down a heavy-duty geotextile fabric and about three inches of 3/4-inch crushed granite. It looks clean and intentional rather than just "unfinished dirt." The airflow is honestly a blessing for the ledger board and the house siding. As for pests, every neighbor I know who did solid skirting ended up with a groundhog or a family of rabbits treating it like a luxury condo. Keeping it open makes it much less appealing for them to nest. If you really hate the look of the posts, maybe just do some simple foundation plantings to soften the line without choking off the breeze.

I acutally regret leaving the space under my second-story deck open for as long as I did. Without any skirting, that area quickly became a playground for the local groundhog family and a collection spot for every windblown leaf in the neighborhood. It constantly looked like a construction site from the driveway, wich realy killed the vibe of the expensive composite boards we just put down.

You don't have to choose between a swamp and a mess. We ended up doing a horizontal slat system using some leftover 1x6 fascia boards with a 1-inch gap between them. This gives you plenty of cross-ventilation to keep those 6x6 posts dry, but it hides the dirt and the basement door clutter perfectly. It makes the whole structure look like a finished part of the house rather than a platform on stilts. If you’re worried about the cost, even a simple high-quality vinyl lattice in black woud tie in those balusters and hide the mud. Leaving it open just feels like leaving a shirt untucked—it functions fine, but it doesn't look complete.

Don't beat yourself up over the board color. Once you've got your furniture and grill set up, you'll barely notice the contrast. If you're still worried the underside looks too "raw" but want to keep it open, you coud always add some decorative 45-degree braces to the posts. It's a cheap way to make the deck look way more finished and structural without spending a fortune on skirting. Plus, it's way easier to hose out the area if it stays open. Have you thougth about adding some low-voltage lighting under the joists? It'd make that basement entrance feel a lot safer at night.

I'm a total newbie at this, but those decorative braces sound interesting. Do they actualy make the deck stronger or is it just to hide the 'raw' look?

Also, for the people who left it open—does the dirt splash up onto the house when it rains? I’m worried about my basement door getting all muddy if I don't put something there, but I have no idea what 'geotextile fabric' even is. Is that something a beginner can put down themselves or do I need a pro?

Listen to the folks telling you to skip the skirting. Back in the 80s we used to slap that cheap plastic lattice on everythign and all it did was trap damp air and rot out the rim joists by year ten. If you’re worried about the mud splash, skip the fancy 'geotextile' talk and just head to the yard and grab some heavy landscape plastic and a few yards of river rock. It’s what we did before 'hardscaping' was a buzzword. As for those braces, they’re mostly for sway. If your builder didn't notch the posts or use decent carriage bolts, those braces are doing more for the 'look' than the load.

Spot on about skipping the solid skirting to keep those rim joists dry. I’ve seen way too many people 'box in' their decks only to find out they created a perfect humidity chamber. One thing people usally miss when they go the river rock route is to make sure you slop the grade away from the basement door first. Even with stone, if the dirt underneath is flat, you’ll get puddles sitting against your foundation. A slight 2-degree pitch before you lay the rock makes a world of difference for keeping that basement entry bone dry.