Building a deck (for the house). Anyone with experience?

nobb · 05-12-2007, 01:34 PM

Ok yea I know this is a carpc forum...but this is the only forum I regularly go to, so whatever...

I want to build a deck for my parents. It would be a money saver, plus the tools that will be bought, I can use later on (eg. building a new case for my carpc, subwoofer box). I am wondering how feasible this would be. I have 4 months off and Ill probably have a job, but other than that, I have alot of spare time. I dont think my parents trust me with such a big task just yet, but I am sure I can talk them into it, plus I think this will be fun. My neighbors are building their own deck too. Oh btw...I will probably be getting next to no help from my parents, as they are always busy with business, real estate, and fun stuff like that. So I am on my own here.

So who here has experience building a deck by themselves? I have no idea how to get started. So for those who have done it by themselves with no prior experience, what reference material did you use? Any good forums you recommend? I've also put "Building a deck: expert advice from start to finish by scott schuttner" on hold from my library, so I'll be reading that.

What do you guys think? How do I get started? Thanks.

Motorcity · 05-12-2007, 05:47 PM

Grab your local Yellow Pages, look under Contractors and dial away.

Building a deck is not a DIY project for 1 person, and should be left to those with at least moderate carpentery skills.

Seriously, it is not an easy task. And, alone, it will be a real pita.

judoGTI · 05-12-2007, 07:50 PM

Google, its not hard, but attention to detail is super important. youll probably need a building permit with designs anyways...

DarquePervert · 05-12-2007, 09:24 PM

If you're going to enlist a professional contractor, I'd recommend talking to other people and find their experiences with different contractors and/or companies.

I'd also ask any potential contractors for references, and actually contact those references for their opinions.

jjh221 · 05-12-2007, 11:43 PM

just build the damn thing

Quattro · 05-13-2007, 12:20 AM

Good Luck doing this by yourself.

but here are some links to help you out.

http://www.doityourself.com/scat/deckbuilding

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...ld/BldDck.html

Bugbyte · 05-13-2007, 10:47 AM

You usually need a building permit for a deck. It's not complicated to get one but the reason is that many people build decks themselves and if they are not properly footed or attached to the house, they can collapse in extreme cases.

You got a book, read it. Go to Home Depot and find the section with the pressure treated lumber and the Trexx lumber. Spend a long time looking at each and every piece of lumber and hardware. Figure out what the stuff is that you don't know and decide if you will make the deck out of pressure treated or some other material. Don't forget about paint or stain if that's what is required.

They also have planning guides in those aisles -pieces of paper you rip off of a tablet that is hanging on the wall that gives you a grid to plan out hte deck. Use those or something similar to draw up a plan. I used Google sketchup to model the existing deck on my house and it would be a good tool for visualizing what kind of deck you want and how much material it will take.

Go to your parents with the plan, a bill of materials/cost estimate, and a proposal to do the work in X number of days. That should convince them that you can do it.

The main thing about a deck is to locate and dig the footers right using concrete -you can mix it up right on the site. If you locate and level them properly, framing the deck will go smoothly and putting the floor boards on the deck is dead simple. Railings require a little more skill, but if you have planned on where they go, it will go much easier. They have pre-made spindles and posts that make the job simpler.

See if you can get a friend to help. It's always easier with a helper. Not required, though. You can do it.