Building adeckcreates a comfortable space and provides substantialresale valuefor your home.
Before You Begin
Build the deckpreferably in early autumn.
Temperatures are cooler, and it’s still dry in most areas.
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Situate the deck so it can be accessed directly from the house.
The site should be level and free of large obstructions in the ground, such as tree roots.
scrub the site to the intended deck size, plus another 6 to 8 feet of buffer room.
Codes and Permits
Apply for a permitfor an attached, elevated deck at the local permitting office.
If you build a detached ground-level orfloating deck, it often does not require a permit.
The deck in this project is attached to the house, so it requires a permit.
Basic Stages of Deck Building
Attach the ledger board to the side of the house.
Install a beam parallel to the ledger board to support the deck’s framework.
Run deck floor joists perpendicular to the house.
Attach floorboards perpendicular to the floor joists.
Add a safety railing.
Install a staircase if desired.
Safety Considerations
Observe all safety recommendations that come with the power tools that you will be using.
Bolts run through the ledger and into the house’s studs.
With this project, nail or screw together scrap two-by-fours to build five U-shaped batter boards.
Each board should be 2 feet wide and 3 feet high.
Cut the legs at angles for easier staking.
The railing mustrise at least 36 inchesabove the top of the deck flooring.
Place posts no farther apart than 6 feet from each other.
Vertical balusters between posts should be no more than 4 inches apartside-to-side, not on-center.
Hire a contractor for this project.
However, your choice of materials is a key factor in the overall cost of the project.
A beginner can build a deck.
However, you’ll need to be familiar with local building codes and have experience with power tools.
Place 3/4-inch gravel or crushed stone underneath the new decking.
This will control erosion, limit weed growth, and help water drain away more easily.
A deck does not need to be attached to the house.
you might build a freestanding deck or platform in your yard, rather than attaching it to your house.
