A Simple Wood Deck - Easy Steps To Follow

A wood deck is simple to build. There are many different designs available for you and sometimes it can be overwhelming at all the possibilities you could do for a deck. This wonderful outdoor feature can be made informal or formal. A simple tip is to try and keep the style of your deck with the look and feel of the outside of your house. Also, think about your inside and your molding or other wooden features. How is the contour of your property, and will you have to work with uneven terrain or can you prepare the area like you would any landscape garden? These are all basic things to think about when planning a deck project.

Below are easy steps on building a ten by fourteen deck. This particular deck was built about 23 years ago but has been redone since. This deck also has not been stained yet so you can see what happens to the wood over years. It was rebuilt about eight years ago. It was build over a level piece of land so the prep work consisted of tilling, raking and leveling out the soil. Here is a list of some basic materials to use for this project.

• Safety goggles
• Table saw to cut angles, but a mitre saw is even better
• Circular saw for the straight cuts
• Pressure treated lumber - Cedar or Redwoods are longer lasting and tend not to rot as fast as other woods.
• Exterior grade decking screws
• Level and tape measure
• A post hole digger
• Drill or screw driver with a drill bit
• Bolts

Plan out the entire project before you start. Consider what type of border you want around the edge of the main decking boards. A border is important to protect the end boards from weathering in natures elements. Take a look at the picture below as it will show you one type of border.

Border

This is a border that runs three decking boards vertically. Notice the difference as the actual decking boards are running horizontal. This style gives a formal look to the deck. There are other borders you can do such as diagonal or weaving pattern. These are a little more complicated that sometimes is best left for the experts. Here are some basic tips and steps to take when planning your deck.

The first step is to take the post hole digger and dig four holes 4X4's are ideal! Dig down three feet or more as you want to go below the frost line. You will be securing all four corners. Another recommendation is to put joist boards across the posts for added strength to the decking boards. 2X8's will do fine and on a ten by fourteen deck, put the joists sixteen inches apart. In this deck, fifteen 4X10 boards were installed across the main deck area. You can use smaller boards to create a different look such a hard wood square pattern if you have that inside your house. The border consists of three 4X10 on all sides. Here is a photo of an angle cut.

Border And Angle Cut

You can also do a little less expensive and easier method by doing a small width plank boards along the end. This will give you an informal look. The top and bottom railings are made from 4X10's. You can also use a 2x10. Secure the railings with 4X4 posts attached at eight different spots. The picture below shows you the posts.

Posts And Spindles

They are bolted in and are notched to the decking frame. There are seven 2X2 spindles on either side of the 4x4 posts. Spindles give the deck a dressier look. The stairs are four feet wide and ten inches across. There are also eight spindles going down both sides of the stairs along with two of the eight 4X4 posts. Here is a picture of the stairs.

Stairs

An option for the bottom part of your deck is to add on some lattice for a finished look as well at to hide the bare area underneath the deck. The final step is to stain your wood. It is usually recommended to wait a year before applying stain to the pressure treated lumber. You will want the wood to dry out. If you don't want to wait a year, there are special stains for newly treated lumber. There are also a variety of colors, clear as well as using opaque stains. The opaque stain will give you a more paint look. For some planting ideas around your deck take a look in the theme color garden section at yellow, orange, and green plants are striking around a wood deck. This will give you some suggestions for using plants to add to the look of your deck.

These are basic and simple steps in doing a small typical deck. There are two story and slope deck designs available. We have done a two story deck with the upper deck going half way around a pool. The lower deck had a built in flower bed as well as stairs going to the second deck with a landing. It doesn't matter how big or small your deck project is, make sure you research the right type of wood for your geographic area. Think about connecting all other aspects of the outside of your house as well as other features. Remember, your personality can reflect outside as well as inside. If you have any questions concerning your deck project, feel free to contact me and I would be happy to help.