Build Your Own Deck

With spring in the air, building a deck might be on your mind. Building a deck is not as hard as you might think, and if you follow some basic guidelines it can be a great DIY project.

Bit of Advice #1: Build Your DIY Deck Level

Decks are built to add living space to a home and every one of them should be built nice and level. For some home sites this is pretty easy, as many back yards or areas around the home are relatively flat. Here in Colorado, flat is rare my deck starts at ground level near the front door of my home, while the far side of my deck is about 15 feet off the ground.

Bit of Advice #2: Get a Permit before Attempting to Build Your Own Deck

Most municipalities require that decks be approved by the local building dept. Low free-standing decks may not require full permitting, while 2 story complex decks may require fully engineered plans. It is always best to check with your local permit office before you get started.

Bit of Advice #3: Build Your DIY Deck on a Firm Foundation

Over the years I have seen some great deck designs which I would be proud to call my own. But more often than not, many of the deck repairs I do as a Denver-area contractor are due to shortcuts the original builder used during the initial construction. I have done demo on some decks where the decks support columns were simply set on the dirt. Others had been set on rocks, blocks and some wimpy poured footers.

Like with most home builds a sturdy foundation results in a sturdy project. The key to a good start is a solid foundation. The most common base I use is a poured footer in a Sonotube. For this type, a hole is dug to frost depth and a cardboard tube form is installed. Concrete is mixed and then poured into the tube, and then an anchor bolt is then inserted in to the wet concrete. After the concrete has set the form is removed and the hole is back filled and a post bracket is mounted. The anchor bolt/post base provides both compressive and uplift resistance. This is repeated for each of the deck's support columns. Does this sound intimidating? You could always hire a concrete contractor to pour your foundation, even if you are choosing to build the deck yourself.

Bit of Advice #4: Choose the Right Framing Material

The framing of a deck is what the decking is mounted to and it provides the skeleton of the design. Some types of decking can span long distances while others require a tighter spacing of the joists. Your local climate will also dictate some of these parameters. Snow and wind loads vary from place to place and the material choices will also affect the design. I like to use pressure treated wood for all of my framing, as in my experience it provides the best long-term durability.

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Build Your Own Deck