After 30 years, the old deck was starting to show signs of weariness – and the neighbors we beginning to talk! Linda called us over (we were working down the street) and asked us for some suggestions.
“I can’t picture it. Your gonna have to draw it for me,” she said. So, we pulled some measurements, took some pictures, and sat down in front of our computer to put together a design for them.
This first design was beautiful and unique, but the cost was a little more than they were ready to spend. Finally, we settled on an interior stair that provided quick access to the yard, gave the deck a clean look, and offered an unobstructed view from underneath.
As with any project, you have to start with a solid foundation. Here, you can see that we dug down below the frost to set our posts – this way, they will be untouched by the heaving of the ground in the winter time.
Then we attached our ledger to the house and, using our DeWalt laser level (and an umbrella to block out the sunshine), marked the tops of our posts to be sawn at the right height. Then it was time to build our beams around the perimeter.
With the superstructure in place, we simply had to fill in the plane with our deck joists. While it wasn’t required, we placed bracing in the middle of the span for our longer joists to make sure she was good and sturdy.
It was then time for the decking to go on. It was nice to finally have a solid, flat surface to work on! Here is where the work really started to feel satisfying: seeing all that progress so quickly and it finally looks like something!
We spent a little extra money on a higher quality aluminum reinforced vinyl railing. This allowed us to install 10’ spans so as to reduce the number of posts. And these steel posts (and the railing) aren’t going anywhere – they are attached to the beams with four 4” lags!
The final touches were for the stairway. At the bottom, we installed a simple, colorful patio landing that finished flush with the yard. At the top, they wanted a gate for the dogs and the grandkids. So we installed a self-closing gate with a latch that operates from both sides. It even locks too!
By the time we finished, Linda and the family were already back home in Detroit. But that didn’t stop their neighbors and close friends from swinging by to see the completion of the project. Oh, for next summer to roll around – this is going to be great!
Oh, yeah! We also redid the front porch!
Integrity Home Improvement 