13 Steps to Creating a Deck

Creating a deck is a do it yourself project that the common homeowner is more than effective at doing. It generally involves a series of simple sequential steps and involves basic carpentry skills. Deck building is becoming much easier with the advent of do it yourself retail outlets that provide how-to-do-it clinics, a wide variety of deck related building materials, tool and equipment rentals and even free deck design consultations. Since the construction process of deck building happens outdoors, normal family home life is not really affected because it will be for many interior renovation. Most of the mess is wholly outdoors and the deck building process can extend from weekend to weekend without any real problems.

Most deck construction projects have 6 building elements: concrete footings, wood or concrete posts, a ledger support board, beams, joists and decking. There are also 3 popular options: railings, benches and stair steps.

The specific deck building process involves 13 procedures:

1. Designing the deck

2. Obtaining the necessary building permits

3. Purchasing the materials

4. Preparing the website

5. Laying out the footing locations

6. Setting the footings

7. Installing the ledger board

8. Installing the support posts

9. Attaching the beams

10.Installing the joists

11.Nailing or screwing on the decking boards

12. Trimming the decking

13. Installing any options such as for instance railings, benches and stair steps.

It's a good plan to consult with the municipal building department so that your proposed deck conforms to local construction bylaws. The true fun starts to make choices regarding deck materials, possibilities for decking patterns, railing styles along with the type and placement of steps. Once these decisions have now been made, your design checked and your permit approved, it's simply a matter of having a materials list and ordering the materials to be delivered.

Site preparation is the following step. Outdoor furniture, stone slabs and other things must be removed from the website ahead of construction. Utilising the 3,4,5 layout process the locations of the footings may be clearly marked. Then it's hole digging time. Usually it's a selection between hand digging the post holes below the frost line or having a posthole machine do the work. After the holes are dug, they are filled with concrete and support hardware is fixed in place.

As the concrete is hardening the ledge board may be attached with the house. Next, the support posts are attached to the support post hardware. Double beams are attached to the ledger board and the support posts. Joists Atlanta Building Permit Expediter are then installed at either 16 or 24 inch centers. Railing support posts are added as is the framework for any skirting to be added enclosing the deck perimeter.

At this point, the decking may be installed either with nails or screws. Then it's simply a matter of trimming the outer edges of the deck boards and installing a facing board to hide the cut ends of the deck boards.

Steps whether on the outside of the deck or inset can then be constructed. The same goes for the railing system that's been chosen. Finally, the skirting may be installed to avoid small animals from creating problems in the future.

All that's left to accomplish is apply a sealant and/or stain to the deck to perform the project. Then it's time for the household to add outdoor furniture, the nice old barbecue and several container plants to make a very special outdoor living space the whole family can enjoy.