By Joseph B Wood
This article, "How to Build Your Own Deck", is for the homeowner or handyman who needs help building a wood deck. As a professional contractor, I have built dozens of decks over the past 30 years, so I know all the "tricks of the trade" which I'll be sharing with you in the following article. After reading it, you will know a little more about how to build your own deck.
The first and most important step when building your own deck is to...
check with your local building authority to determine if you need a building permit. There's nothing more embarrassing or frustrating than starting a deck project, only to be stopped halfway through by the City or County because a permit was required. It's much better to find out before you start to build your deck.
In most areas, you only need a building permit to build a deck if it exceeds 30" in height. Some jurisdictions might have other criteria, so it's best to check the requirements for your local area.
Another important thing to consider when you begin to build your own deck is to keep the pier pads BELOW the frost line.Most books and plans don't discuss this and I'm not sure why. What is a frost line? In colder climates, like the Northern States, the ground can freeze down a few inches or several feet, depending how low the average temperature goes. When the ground freezes, it "heaves" or rises, then settles back down when it thaws. If your pier pads are above the frost line, your deck will heave up then drop. This could happen several times during the winter months.
This up and down movement can cause warping, twisting, and can damage your deck, over time. This can loosen boards and split structural members. Ask your local building department what the frost line is for your area.
Once your pier pads are poured, the next step when learning how to build your own deck is to frame the floor. This usually starts with the posts and beams. The maximum height of your deck should be the thickness of your decking below the door that leads to your deck. In other words, if you're using 1-1/2" thick decking, your floor joists need to be 1-3/4" to 2" below the door sill.
Here's another tip to be aware of. Your deck level should be 1/2" below your door sill or a full 7" step. Never build your deck 2" or 3" below your door sill. It will trip everyone up who uses it. People are used to either no step or a full step.
When laying your floor joists, always put the crown up. The crown is a natural bow in most boards. Some won't have a bow, so they can go either way. Crowning your floor joists will make your deck more even and keep it from sagging later.
After the floor framing is complete, it's time to lay the decking. Here's another trick the pros use to improve the looks of a deck. If no railing is being installed, overhang the deck boards about 1" along all edges. This really makes your deck look professionally built.
Always space your deck boards, but not too much. A lot of beginners space their deck boards more than they need to. Most decking is "green" meaning that it's not thoroughly dried when you get it delivered. The boards will most likely shrink after they're installed, so don't go crazy and space them 1/2"! You'll end up with huge gaps! I usually use a 16d nail as a spacer. This has always been plenty.
Installing the railing is the last step when learning how to build your own deck. There are many styles of railing, so I won't really go into the installation, as each type of rail has a different procedure. I will be writing other articles dedicated to railing, so be looking for those.
I hope this short tutorial on how to build your own deck has helped you and taught you some important aspects when building a deck yourself. Just take it a step at a time, and you'll do fine. Good luck!
I hope you enjoyed my article. It takes many steps when building a deck, and it's hard to cover them all in one short article. I have a website How to Build a Deck Step by Step which gives even more information about how to build your own deck. There are even some resources available to help plan and design your deck. To see my website and learn more tips and tricks about building a deck, visit www.howtobuildadeck.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_B_Wood
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Build-Your-Own-Deck---Tips-From-a-Pro&id=6649133
This article, "How to Build Your Own Deck", is for the homeowner or handyman who needs help building a wood deck. As a professional contractor, I have built dozens of decks over the past 30 years, so I know all the "tricks of the trade" which I'll be sharing with you in the following article. After reading it, you will know a little more about how to build your own deck.
The first and most important step when building your own deck is to...
check with your local building authority to determine if you need a building permit. There's nothing more embarrassing or frustrating than starting a deck project, only to be stopped halfway through by the City or County because a permit was required. It's much better to find out before you start to build your deck.
In most areas, you only need a building permit to build a deck if it exceeds 30" in height. Some jurisdictions might have other criteria, so it's best to check the requirements for your local area.
Another important thing to consider when you begin to build your own deck is to keep the pier pads BELOW the frost line.Most books and plans don't discuss this and I'm not sure why. What is a frost line? In colder climates, like the Northern States, the ground can freeze down a few inches or several feet, depending how low the average temperature goes. When the ground freezes, it "heaves" or rises, then settles back down when it thaws. If your pier pads are above the frost line, your deck will heave up then drop. This could happen several times during the winter months.
This up and down movement can cause warping, twisting, and can damage your deck, over time. This can loosen boards and split structural members. Ask your local building department what the frost line is for your area.
Once your pier pads are poured, the next step when learning how to build your own deck is to frame the floor. This usually starts with the posts and beams. The maximum height of your deck should be the thickness of your decking below the door that leads to your deck. In other words, if you're using 1-1/2" thick decking, your floor joists need to be 1-3/4" to 2" below the door sill.
Here's another tip to be aware of. Your deck level should be 1/2" below your door sill or a full 7" step. Never build your deck 2" or 3" below your door sill. It will trip everyone up who uses it. People are used to either no step or a full step.
When laying your floor joists, always put the crown up. The crown is a natural bow in most boards. Some won't have a bow, so they can go either way. Crowning your floor joists will make your deck more even and keep it from sagging later.
After the floor framing is complete, it's time to lay the decking. Here's another trick the pros use to improve the looks of a deck. If no railing is being installed, overhang the deck boards about 1" along all edges. This really makes your deck look professionally built.
Always space your deck boards, but not too much. A lot of beginners space their deck boards more than they need to. Most decking is "green" meaning that it's not thoroughly dried when you get it delivered. The boards will most likely shrink after they're installed, so don't go crazy and space them 1/2"! You'll end up with huge gaps! I usually use a 16d nail as a spacer. This has always been plenty.
Installing the railing is the last step when learning how to build your own deck. There are many styles of railing, so I won't really go into the installation, as each type of rail has a different procedure. I will be writing other articles dedicated to railing, so be looking for those.
I hope this short tutorial on how to build your own deck has helped you and taught you some important aspects when building a deck yourself. Just take it a step at a time, and you'll do fine. Good luck!
I hope you enjoyed my article. It takes many steps when building a deck, and it's hard to cover them all in one short article. I have a website How to Build a Deck Step by Step which gives even more information about how to build your own deck. There are even some resources available to help plan and design your deck. To see my website and learn more tips and tricks about building a deck, visit www.howtobuildadeck.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_B_Wood
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Build-Your-Own-Deck---Tips-From-a-Pro&id=6649133
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