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Plan
There is a variety of deck design books on the market, available from book and home improvement stores. There are a lot of things to consider, including the material, space of the joists, and overall look of the deck.
When planning your deck, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
The deck can't block hydrants, drainage lines or utility lines. If you aren't sure where these are located, call your utility providers.
The land you place the deck on will need to slope away from the house for drainage. This will require some digging. To prevent weeds from growing under the deck, all of the sod underneath it should be removed, and the ground covered in a thick sheet of plastic.
While there are a wide range of woods that can be used, the most durable material is plastic lumber. This material is recycled plastic formed into wood-size pieces. It's expensive, but requires no maintenance.
Build
There are several pieces standard across all deck designs which will need to be assembled in this order:
1. Ledger: This board will support the deck against the house. It will need to be the same height as the joists, and should be bolted directly to the house frame, not through the siding.
2. Concrete piers: These will support the corners of the deck. They can be built from concrete forms and instant concrete, and should be buried below the frost line. The joists will mount to it with metal post bases bolted into the pier.
3. Joists: The joists attack to the piers and the ledger. The distance between joists will depend on the material you use. Joists in between supports are attached via metal hangers.
4. Trim and decking: The decking attaches to the top of the joists, and the trim goes around the edges of the decking. This is the surface you walk on. Don't worry if the edges are perfectly straight: after the decking is nailed in, the ends for all the boards can be trimmed to equal length using a circular saw.
 Posted 5415 day ago
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