Building a Wooden Deck for Your Home in 7 Steps

Steps in Building a Wooden Deck

A useful and valuable addition to any home is a wooden deck. Outdoor living spaces are very popular today and a wooden deck could definitely be the main structure for your outdoor activities. A regular DIY-er would find it intuitive and easy to build one. As a general guide for weekend handymen, here are the basic steps in building a wooden deck.

First, you should have a floor plan of the wooden deck and decide on where to construct the deck. Orientation-wise, it is best to locate the wooden deck on the north side as this is the coolest spot. If you prefer a sunny wooden deck, then build it somewhere south. Of course these orientations depend on the actual plan of your house. To play it safe, you can attach the wooden deck to the living room, dining room or family room.

Even a seasoned DIY-er would need the help of subcontractors such as an electrician or plumber. Feel free then to consult with them if there is a need to lay out pipes and electrical wires.

1. Prepare the area for the wooden deck construction. Make sure that the site is clean and leveled. Use wooden pegs to stake out the four corners of the deck. Tie strings on the wooden peg then put battens for markings. Note to position the stakes at least two inches wider than the proposed decking.
2. Prepare the header board. Ask the help of someone so you can securely anchor the header board to the house’s exterior at the indicated height on the floor plan.
3. Install the wooden deck’s posts. Make sure the holes for the posts are deep enough to satisfy the specification. If the general depth of holes is 6 inches, make the holes at least 12 inches deep if the wooden deck will be fitted with a Jacuzzi or hot tub. Put gravel on the holes before pouring concrete to set the posts.
4. Fasten the beams. After securing the posts, level and measure the deck’s height before hammering in the beams. Do not forget to adjust the deck’s finished flooring at least two inches lower than the adjoining interior area. The exterior and interior floor levels cannot be of the same height.
5. Position and attach the floor joists. Secure the joists to the main house’s structure with hangers. Space the joists at 12 inches on the center, making sure that you lay out the joists across the beams in the opposite direction of the proposed flooring. Lay out the wood planks on the joists and secure them with CW nails.
6. No wooden deck is complete without railings. You can buy ready-built railings and attach them to your wooden deck. You can also add some built-in seats and a wet bar if you care to.
7. Add some steps to from the garden to the wooden deck to make it accessible from outside the house. There is no need for you to sweat with the stairs as there are stair kits that you can buy.

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