Deck for the kids

[JEV]

Been busy building a deck for my daughter, son-in-law and soon to be granddaughter. It's 16' x 28', and should give them many years of good service. We'll stain it next year after it's had time to dry out. Now I'm ready for a vacation after hauling all that wet lumber around for the past week. I'm getting too old for this kind of work.

The pictures are fuzzy because they were taken just before sundown, and the humidity was high with the temp at around 85F. It was a scorcher during the day, and I sweat like the hog that I am.

 

[jpr62902]

Looks good, JEV. I like how you double posted the corners. Makes a super strong railing, doesn't it?

 

[Big Dog]

Nice work!!!

 

[bczoom]

Very nice.

Question: Should you lag bolt a 4x4 at the ends of the floor joists (where they're exposed)? They look like they could buckle/twist on the bottom side. I'm looking in the first pic, at the joists just to the right of the steps.

 

[JEV]

Very nice.

Question: Should you lag bolt a 4x4 at the ends of the floor joists (where they're exposed)? They look like they could buckle/twist on the bottom side. I'm looking in the first pic, at the joists just to the right of the steps.

The 4x4 posts are bolted to the ribbon joist, then a 2x8 is nailed between the joist with another 2x8 back to the ribbon joist (a "T" shaped configuration), acting as solid bridging which cannot be seen except from underneath the deck. On the sides I just put in a solid bridge of 2x8. This keeps the post from buckling the joist, and none of them move.

The double posted corners do make for a very sturdy railing system.

 

[joec]

Looks good Joe. We redid ours last year replacing the roof supports (has a roof over on ours) with 6x6 instead of the 4x4 that supported it before. After 15 years they look more like 4x4 bows than posts. Also replace all the rails deck etc. Ours is only about 10'x12' however.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Congrats. You do good work. That's a pretty one.

I built the last deck at our house about 6 years ago and I swore that it would be the last. I had the deck around the granny apt/office replaced this spring and I hired it done. It was a lot easier on my back that way and it was a lot faster too. I work pretty slow ... but precise.

 

[JEV]

I know what you mean about "easier on the back," as I live in constant fear of throwing out L-5 and ending up at the chiropractor. I could have had this job sub-contracted to people I know in the business, but it's nice to be able to help out the kids. Here's the deck on my house that I built almost 18 years ago when I was a young buck with a strong back. These sunburst railings were a pain in the ass...

 

[Cowboy]

Great job on both Jev , Yours by far is much nicer though . I,m curious as to why you went with the treated wood deck instead of composite ? From my understanding they last much longer but I have no personall experience with the composite material .

Thanks for sharing the pics

 

[EastTexFrank]

I know what you mean about "easier on the back," as I live in constant fear of throwing out L-5 and ending up at the chiropractor. I could have had this job sub-contracted to people I know in the business, but it's nice to be able to help out the kids. Here's the deck on my house that I built almost 18 years ago when I was a young buck with a strong back. These sunburst railings were a pain in the ass...

Now that is really, really nice.

 

[Jim_S]

Now that is really, really nice.

What he said!

 

[bczoom]

OK, it's not as purdy as JEV's work but here's a few pics of the deck the neighbor and I put on his house. 40 straight days of working on it (but most were short as we only worked evenings)

 

[JEV]

WOW! Now that's a shitload of work. FWIW, I hate working high, but I do like the look of that much decking. Good job!

 

[JEV]

Great job on both Jev , Yours by far is much nicer though . I,m curious as to why you went with the treated wood deck instead of composite ? From my understanding they last much longer but I have no personall experience with the composite material .

Thanks for sharing the pics

First, the deck framing all must be done in treated dimensional wood, as there is no structural integrity to speak of with composite. Composite decking weighs a frikin ton, and requires special fasteners to properly install it. It also fades when exposed to the sun, and grows algae in the shade just like wood, but at more than twice the price. I do not like working with the stuff, but enough people believe the advertising to keep them in business. Nobody in my business circle of friends has the stuff on their own decks, so that says something right there, but we'll install it if the people are willing to pay the price. I charge 25% more for labor to install composite, because we're worn out by the end of the day from the heavy lifting.

 

[Cowboy]

First, the deck framing all must be done in treated dimensional wood, as there is no structural integrity to speak of with composite. Composite decking weighs a frikin ton, and requires special fasteners to properly install it. It also fades when exposed to the sun, and grows algae in the shade just like wood, but at more than twice the price. I do not like working with the stuff, but enough people believe the advertising to keep them in business. Nobody in my business circle of friends has the stuff on their own decks, so that says something right there, but we'll install it if the people are willing to pay the price. I charge 25% more for labor to install composite, because we're worn out by the end of the day from the heavy lifting.

Good to know Jev , thanks for explaining , I allways kind of wondered .