Our old deck was riddled with rotten wood, sooo... we are replacing it. I wanted to document how the deck is built, just in case there is ever any question as to how did we do that??? This will be a slow process, the goal is to get it done this decade...
Friday, November 11, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
We started on the deck roof.
So we have something to stand on while building the covered area of the deck. I put plywood on the deck. To make it easier to build the roof, I also built a temporary deck over the area where the stairs will eventually go.
Dana came by and helped me put up the posts and beams for the covered area of the deck.
We used 4x6 beams. with 4x4 knee braces.
The 3 posts on the outside of the deck are 4x4 and go all the way to the ground, 2 of which are attached to the deck.
(The ramp will eventually go down alongside these posts.)
The 3 posts near the house are 4x6 and are notched and bolted to the deck beam.
So we have something to stand on while building the covered area of the deck. I put plywood on the deck. To make it easier to build the roof, I also built a temporary deck over the area where the stairs will eventually go.
Dana came by and helped me put up the posts and beams for the covered area of the deck.
We used 4x6 beams. with 4x4 knee braces.
The 3 posts on the outside of the deck are 4x4 and go all the way to the ground, 2 of which are attached to the deck.
(The ramp will eventually go down alongside these posts.)
The 3 posts near the house are 4x6 and are notched and bolted to the deck beam.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The lower deck is done, got the 3rd section poured this past Monday. Gator likes to sit on it an stare at her yard.
I was looking at the weather forecast, and it seems I am just in time. the hot weather is arriving this weekend, (80F) Must be those Palm Springs folks that are arriving in the neighborhood this weekend. ;)
I was looking at the weather forecast, and it seems I am just in time. the hot weather is arriving this weekend, (80F) Must be those Palm Springs folks that are arriving in the neighborhood this weekend. ;)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
We were thinking about putting in some stairs, and remembered we were planning on a lower deck to land on. Originally we were thinking a wood deck, but got to thinking for the price it would rot out fast around here especially so low to the ground, so we decided to make it concrete, it will be here till the end of time.
We needed to level it out, we got some fill dirt from the local supply for $5 per yard.
We decided to keep the dirt retained we would put in a wall. We decided on a dry fit cinderblock (no mortar joints)
Then put concrete and ½ in rebar in the holes. We tied the rebar to our pad with some rebar all around the edges, with remesh in the center.
To make it a more manageable project we are pouring the pad in 3 5x5ish sections
I got some sawhorses that are rated at 1,000lbs each and staged the concrete bags near the mixer to make the pour more manageable.
We poured the first pad where Samantha is standing.
1down 2 to go
2nd pad is staged and ready to be poured.
2 down 1 to go.
We are eventually going to pour a sidewalk over to the carport, but that is a project for another time. I have a feeling the landing is going to be too short at the bottom of the ramp, but we are going to wait to extend it so we can see how big we really need to make it.
We needed to level it out, we got some fill dirt from the local supply for $5 per yard.
We decided to keep the dirt retained we would put in a wall. We decided on a dry fit cinderblock (no mortar joints)
Then put concrete and ½ in rebar in the holes. We tied the rebar to our pad with some rebar all around the edges, with remesh in the center.
To make it a more manageable project we are pouring the pad in 3 5x5ish sections
I got some sawhorses that are rated at 1,000lbs each and staged the concrete bags near the mixer to make the pour more manageable.
We poured the first pad where Samantha is standing.
1down 2 to go
2nd pad is staged and ready to be poured.
2 down 1 to go.
We are eventually going to pour a sidewalk over to the carport, but that is a project for another time. I have a feeling the landing is going to be too short at the bottom of the ramp, but we are going to wait to extend it so we can see how big we really need to make it.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Been awhile since I updated our progress.
I got the Rim Joists in, and have all the parts to put the roof on, but we did make a change in the plans here. The roof is going to be sloped back towards the house roof, so the rain water will drip on the house roof and save us the step of putting up a rain gutter.
I got the Rim Joists in, and have all the parts to put the roof on, but we did make a change in the plans here. The roof is going to be sloped back towards the house roof, so the rain water will drip on the house roof and save us the step of putting up a rain gutter.
Been doing lots of painting on the roof rafters beams etc. Thought it would be easier to touch it up later than paint up in the air.
I put a temp plywood decking on for working on the deck roof. Louis liked helping with this part.
see video below:
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The deck is starting to look like something.
Been playing with squaring up the deck joists. I temporarily used scrap wood where the rim joist will eventually be to hold the Joists. I think I finally got it.
I tacked up the flashing under the siding, but it has been too cold to caulk it.
Today was nice out, 54F, couple of down sides are, first, the clouds were gone, so I had sun in the eyes, which is rare lately around here... the other is the deck is covered with baby spiders. Boy those young ones can sure get a web going fast when they get caught up in my glasses!
Been playing with squaring up the deck joists. I temporarily used scrap wood where the rim joist will eventually be to hold the Joists. I think I finally got it.
I tacked up the flashing under the siding, but it has been too cold to caulk it.
Today was nice out, 54F, couple of down sides are, first, the clouds were gone, so I had sun in the eyes, which is rare lately around here... the other is the deck is covered with baby spiders. Boy those young ones can sure get a web going fast when they get caught up in my glasses!
Monday, March 28, 2011
We put the beams in this weekend. 
The cats really like their new toy. Louis was jumping from beam to beam, then got stuck when he jumped thru his kitty door, but the wood door was closed. 
Natasha on the other hand liked to cruise from beam to beam. 
Although after I let Loius in the house she decided she wanted to jump in too... see video below...
The cats really like their new toy. Louis was jumping from beam to beam, then got stuck when he jumped thru his kitty door, but the wood door was closed. 
Natasha on the other hand liked to cruise from beam to beam. 
Although after I let Loius in the house she decided she wanted to jump in too... see video below...Friday, January 28, 2011
Foundation: is done! yippee!
Per county specs the footing should be a minimum of 16-18” square and 12” deep. The county also wants the deck to be seismically sound. So there will be alot of metal brackets.
There are 12 footings in all (plus the stairs and ramp)
I decided to place a 12” square 8" deep pier on top of the footing (3 ½“deep on pier #2 made with 2x4's) to help keep the deck post away from the damp ground.
I made 11 of the 12 forms out of 2x8 rough cut lumber that were from the old deck. I had estimated 5-6 - 60# concrete bags per hole. We ended up using a total of 73 60# bags for the whole foundation.
We found that Gator has been digging so some of the first holes we dug got larger and needed more concrete. So I put in a fence around the deck area to keep Gator from helping further, with the perk of keeping the dogs from doing their business in the work area.
I poured 1 bag of quickcrete in the hole, then placed some reinforcing wire in the footing.
I placed a 12” piece of ½” rebar in the footing/ pier connection. 
I used a Simpson Strong-Tie 4 x 4 Post Base Z-Max CBSQZ (PB44Z for #2) brackets for the deck posts to sit on. The brackets are level in all directions, and square to the house. Simpson strong tie CBSQZ has a metal piece that holds the post 1" above the concrete. Which seems to be a good idea to keep water away from wicking up the post.
Between rain and frost in the forecast, I made a covered areas over the fresh concrete.
We picked up a cute little cement mixer at Harbor Freight to help make the project easier.
Below are photos of each pier/ footing hole I took incase the county ever asked:
Pier #1:
Pier #2:
Pier #3:
Pier #4:
Pier #5:
Pier #6:
Pier #7:
Pier #8:
Pier #9:
Pier #10:
Pier #11:
Pier #12:
Per county specs the footing should be a minimum of 16-18” square and 12” deep. The county also wants the deck to be seismically sound. So there will be alot of metal brackets.
There are 12 footings in all (plus the stairs and ramp)
I decided to place a 12” square 8" deep pier on top of the footing (3 ½“deep on pier #2 made with 2x4's) to help keep the deck post away from the damp ground.
I made 11 of the 12 forms out of 2x8 rough cut lumber that were from the old deck. I had estimated 5-6 - 60# concrete bags per hole. We ended up using a total of 73 60# bags for the whole foundation.
We found that Gator has been digging so some of the first holes we dug got larger and needed more concrete. So I put in a fence around the deck area to keep Gator from helping further, with the perk of keeping the dogs from doing their business in the work area.
I poured 1 bag of quickcrete in the hole, then placed some reinforcing wire in the footing.
I placed a 12” piece of ½” rebar in the footing/ pier connection. 
I used a Simpson Strong-Tie 4 x 4 Post Base Z-Max CBSQZ (PB44Z for #2) brackets for the deck posts to sit on. The brackets are level in all directions, and square to the house. Simpson strong tie CBSQZ has a metal piece that holds the post 1" above the concrete. Which seems to be a good idea to keep water away from wicking up the post.
Between rain and frost in the forecast, I made a covered areas over the fresh concrete.
We picked up a cute little cement mixer at Harbor Freight to help make the project easier.
Below are photos of each pier/ footing hole I took incase the county ever asked:
Pier #1:
Pier #2:
Pier #3:
Pier #4:
Pier #5:
Pier #6:
Pier #7:
Pier #8:
Pier #9:
Pier #10:
Pier #11:
Pier #12:
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