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We've done bigger. We've done fancier. Some we've stained and others painted. We've done "spiderweb", "chippendale" and made-up-on-the-fly railing designs… But the customer wanted "simple but sturdy", so of course we obliged. But, simple never means skimping on structure or quality.

This job was 32 miles away. We could have had the materials delivered by the vendor for just a $10 surcharge, but we would have culled half of it. So we hand selected all of it and trailered it to the site ourselves just to make sure.

All materials are pressure treated. Ten 4×4 posts into the ground with concrete. 2×8 skirts/sills and girder with bond timber and 2×6 joists. The greatest joist spans are less than 5 feet (very stiff… no noticeable deflection). Nosed 5/4" deck boards. Treated 2×2 pickets 5" on center. Rounded edge (routed) 2×6 top rail overhung to the outside with a ripped 2×6 tucked under the ledge (cut side up). Very few nails used… just to hold in place for screwing, but the nails used are stainless ring shanks. Deckmate screws for everything. Pre-drilled everything 2×4 and less to prevent splitting down the road. Thick treated lattice for the underpin. Open box 2x single step with 2x treads.

The customer is happy, so mission accomplished.

Gallery

Comments

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Looks nice, clean and simple design. You did a good job David. It appears that you have no butt joints on the deck, my #1 rule when I build a deck.

If it is the kind that goes around the corner I'll allow for butt joints with extra framing at the corner with a seam going from the corner of the house to the corner of the deck. "Butt" only if the owner can't afford the longer boards or is to cheap to buy them. I usally lay the deck boards at an angle from the house to avoid the dreaded butt joint in the deck.

Rule #2, I no longer will cut notches in the stair stringers. It's ether cleats, metal or wood or use a router.
 

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Devann,

Thanks for the comments.

You have good rules that I agree with 100%. We avoid butts and conventional stringers as well. Neither are on this deck.

Not only do we pre-drill the deck boards, we also pop lines (blue, not red on treated lol) for all of the screw lines so that the deck does not look like it was done by a homeowner (did i really say that?). Then countersink just enough so that soon they will close up and be nearly invisible.
 
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