The average price contractors give for decks are in the 5-10,000 dollar range.Imagine getting the job done yourself and saving a bunch of money as well. Just follow these steps, grab a few handy friends, and you will have yourself an amazing deck in no time!
- 2 x 6 Pressure-treated beams
- Concrete deck piers
- 48 in. Level
- Tape measure
- Miter saw (You can rent a miter saw at any major home improvement store.)
- Gravel
- Weed barrier
- 2 x 4 Douglas Fir wood
- Wood planer (You can rent a wood planer at any major home improvement store.)
- Paint roller and tray
- Thompson’s Water Seal
- Outdoor deck screws
- Tile spacers
- Impact driver
- Jig saw (You can rent a jig saw at any major home improvement store.)
- Weatherproofing Stain and Sealer
- Paint edger
The Materials Needed To Get Your Project Started
Plan Before Doing Anything
Even the professional contractors need a drawn up plan of what’s going on before they start. Be sure to understand what you need and what to look out for when drawing these up.
Let’s Get To Work
Placing Deck Footings In The Correct Spots
Making Sure Everything Is Level First
It’s best to dig down the cement deck piers closest to the house several inches, and the piers away from the house didn’t need to be dug at all. You should do one deck pier at a time, and be always be measuring the perfect distances, leveling each deck pier to each other, and being as meticulous as possible that everything is level to avoid problems at all costs.
Cutting And Laying Your Joists Meticulously
To be sure, measure and cut each joist one at a time, in case there are any slight differences between the distances of your cement piers. If your deck is large like this one, you will likely need to meet two joints onto one deck pier to reach the entire length of your deck. Very important to mention the Ryobi miter saw used is amazing for these large joists. It cuts everything smoothly, and even has a laser line that appears to make it extra easy for you.
No Weeds, No Problem
If you don’t want to run into any problems with weeds months or even years after the deck is built, spray some grass and weed killer or lay weed barrier cloth under the entire area of your future deck. You don’t want any pesky weeds coming up through your deck when it’s all finished!
Preparing Your Deck Wood
It’s suggested to use 2 x 4 Douglas Fir wood (simple framing-wood), because it is inexpensive, but still extremely strong.
Waterproofing Your Planks!
Since this wood suggested is not your typical decking-wood, you need this extra step to keep the wood from rotting and decomposing any sooner. Note that Douglas Fir may not be ideal for other climates, but dry climates should be just fine if you will waterproof the bottom of the wood first
Time For The Planks To Be Laid
For the best way to keep perfect distance between planks, 1/4 inch tile spacers can help divide your planks. You don’t want one board being noticeably wider than the other.
Securing All Of The Planks
The best screws are outdoor deck screws (sounds obvious right?), and an impact driver is very much needed due to the wood being tough. You need to be able to drive all of those screws through the entire deck. To space the screws evenly, build a little hand held template so you aren’t measuring each screws distance.
Making The Face Look Pretty
One of the easiest parts is using a 1 x 6 plank to go around the border. Spruces up the face, and you can’t see under the deck unless you’re ground level.
Aston Martin One 77- (220 mph)
Used here is a weatherproofing stain/seal! It’s better to stain your deck the closest color to your finished paint color.
Watching The Side Of The House
With paint not sticking well to the house, use a hand held paint edger. You can get very close to the house without marking up the house.
Finishing The Sealing
Make sure you give plenty of time to dry between coats, and also a couple days of drying time before you place anything heavy on your deck so it has time to cure.
Getting The Bright White Color
To get the best, brightest color of white, it’s suggested to do 3 separate thin coats. It gives you a very classy color of bright white.
Let The Decorating Begin
Throw your favorite outdoor furniture, grill, and lights outside to make your deck look snazzy!
Call Your Friends For Your Next Party!
Fire up the grill, blast the music, and call your closest friends to enjoy your new deck! By the way, bragging is 100% acceptable when you did this yourself!
If purchased the store brand, and had a few generous friends donate their time, your deck should come out to be around 900$!