The DIY Deck

A friend recently invited me over to inspect a second story deck that he and a neighbor had built on the neighbor’s house. It was obvious from the conversation on the way to the project (and comments made when we got there) that he was fishing for compliments from me, the professional. He made it hard for me.

The deck was standing and it seemed to be sturdy enough that I wasn’t too concerned that it would collapse while we were standing on it. For that matter the deck had been inspected by the county building inspector and passed. But it was a mess. Huge gaps, bent nails, bad cuts, short boards, gouges, and missing knots were common. I didn’t pull out a framing square to check, but I don’t think there was a square joint on the whole deck. Of course I didn’t mention any of this – that's not what they wanted at that point. They had already had the official inspection; they were looking for compliments for all of their hard work. I did the best that I could.

Why do people do this? This guy’s house is easily worth $600,000 and he has put an eye sore on the back of it in order to save a few thousand dollars. He’s not alone. Homeowner built decks are all over the neighborhood and unfortunately they are too easy to spot.

Building a wood deck is not complicated. In fact it is one of the easier building projects typically found on suburban homes. But it’s not easy and it certainly takes a level of experience and knowledge that most homeowners don’t possess. Even the simplest jobs require a certain amount to knowledge and experience to be competent and carpentry is not a simple profession. It takes several years as an apprentice or helper to achieve just the basic skills.

So am I saying that homeowners should not take on a deck building project? Absolutely not. But for the sake of one of your biggest investments, take the time to learn how to do it right and use the tools that will allow you to do a job that is safe, attractive and something that adds value to your home.

If you’re thinking of building a deck yourself here are some of the things that you should consider:

• Start with some good books on the construction of wood decks. Look for titles that are recently published by authors who have a carpentry background.
• Buy a speed square, framing square, 4’ level, and 25’ – 30’ tape measure. Buy quality tools and learn how to use them. And most importantly, use them and use them frequently. You have heard the adage, “Measure twice and cut once.” It is good advice. Apply the same principle when checking for level, square, and plumb. Inaccuracies in any of these areas will not go away and will always add to problems later on. They are a dead give-away that an amateur built the project.
• Invest in a quality electric miter box – preferably a 12” model with a laser guide. Bad cuts are another sign of the amateur. The circular saw is most often used by pros but they aren’t called skill saws for nothing. Use the circular saw for cuts that will not be visible or until you develop competency with it. For the cuts that will be visible, use the miter box when possible.
• Buy your lumber from a real lumber yard – not a home center. The big boxes battle with each other every day and every penny they can cut prices is a competitive advantage. The problem is that although better than in years past, quality often suffers. Lumber yards compete on a different basis. Their professional customers must have quality material or else they will go elsewhere. You pay a higher price but you get better quality and as an added benefit they will deliver to the site.
• Pay attention to the details. Appling trim to the edge of the deck, skirting, mitering corners, closing the risers on steps, and including low voltage lighting are a few things to consider. Look at the deck books and the nicer decks in your neighborhood for ideas.

You’re probably saying to yourself that every suggestion this guy is making requires me to spend extra money – and you’re right. But remember you’re going to save hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars by building the project yourself. Also remember that this is something that is going to be attached to one of your biggest investments for a very long time. Besides, if you’re a guy it probably doesn’t require too much arm twisting to get you to go out and buy some quality tools – errr-errrr!

For more information on deck and porch construction visit www.BackyardAmerica.com