How To Build A Deck

If your DIY skills are good enough to build a deck yourself, and you have done all the design and pre-planning work, you just need to follow what you know in the correct order, for a smooth deck building project. Weather permitting, that is.

The frame on which your deck planking will be laid, is put together much like a frame for a normal wooden floor. You will either support it on brick or block pillars, or with wooden posts bolted on to the top of concrete pillars or 'piers', that are cemented into the ground on top of footings. A simple deck frame could also be laid on top of any existing concrete or slab patio area.

There are several stages to building your deck:

Prepare your site

Mark out the site area and the location of each of the footings, identifying the centre points.

Prepare the ground. Lay a membrane over grass so that it won't grow through the deck planks, and cover with chippings.

Ledger Board

A ledger board, which is the same size as the joists, should be bolted to the wall of your house at a height that is just below the intended surface of your deck, to allow for the decking boards that will be resting on top of it. Normally the deck height is level with the floor of your home at the point you step out of your house on to the deck.

Excavate the footings

Dig down to just below whatever is the frostline in your locality.  Pour in concrete to the level required for the foundation and insert at least one reinforcement rod (rebar). This  will join the footing to the concrete column or pier that will be poured on top when the footing is set. Rest a pier tube on top of the footing and pour in the concrete. You will need an anchor bolt on top of the pier to locate and hold the wooden posts of the deck frame. Either put that in position on top of the concrete before it dries, or drill a screw hole in the concrete after it has set.

Fix your posts and assemble the frame

The posts can now be fixed into position, and the entire support frame built. Ensure that treated timber is used.  Build in any required stairways.

Lay the decking boards

Screw the boards to the frame so they can be easily removed if damaged or access is needed beneath the deck. Stainless steel screws are best. Screwing may take longer than if you use a nail gun, but saves a lot of time when under deck access is required. Mark out the screw location points in a tidy straight line, pre-drill and countersink the screw holes, then use special decking screws that will not corrode or break. Seal the deck timbers.

The tools needed should be in most DIY enthusiasts tool kit, but if you want to speed up some of the tasks, such as digging the footings, or nailing/screwing the deck, you may want to hire some professional power tools from your local hire center.

The approximate times taken to build a deck will depend on the design.