Deck Building Help

Tools

The tools necessary for building a deck are numerous. You will need a tape measure, a hammer, a four-foot level, a speed square, a pencil, a circular saw, a one-inch wood chisel, a handsaw (for cutting the hard-to-reach areas) and a shovel.

Generally, decks are built using treated 2-by-8 lumber for the framing, 2-by-4 or 2-by-6 treated lumber for the rails, treated 4-by-4 posts for the support, and 5/4 boards (5 quarter boards) for the decking. The means for attaching the deck together can vary. Some like to use exterior deck screws for the construction of the deck, and others like to use 16 penny (16n) galvanized spiral nails for the framing and 8 penny (8n) galvanized spiral nails for the floor decking. Either method is absolutely effective. Your local hardware store sales clerk will help you make your choice.

Notched post

The deck should be built on somewhat level ground. You won't need to level the whole area, just the spots where the posts will set. Use four-inch solid blocks as a base for the 4-by-4 post to sit on. Bury them into the ground so that only two inches or so will be exposed aboveground. Build the frame of the deck--all four sides--and then temporarily support it with 2-by-6s on all four corners at the height that you want it. Notch the 4-by-4s out 1.5 inches deep and eight inches wide and slide the 4-by-4s onto the framing and attach with screws or nails.

Make sure that all the floor joists are spaced no more than 16 inches apart, Any more will cause the deck floor to sag. Use joist hangers for the floor joists and make sure that they are all spaced on the correct centers (12- or 16-inch centers). Extend the 4-by-4 post all the way to the ground and up past the deck floor--you will use the extra for rail post as well. Lay the 5/4 decking boards perpendicular to the floor joists and space them side by side using a 16 penny nail--this gap will be essential for expansion and contraction of the deck. Notch the decking boards around the post using a jigsaw or handsaw. Insert the nails or screws for the decking one inch away from the edge to prevent splitting of the wood. Attach the 2-by-4 or 2-by-6 rails to the post after you have trimmed the posts down to a height of 32 inches above the deck floor.