How to Build a Deck

Once you’ve learned how to build a deck step by step, you might also want to build a cover over it, too.  A deck cover is a good thing to have whether you live in hot climates or cooler, wet climates. In the hot climates, a deck cover will help keep you cooler as you live on your deck. In the wetter areas, like where I live, it’s nice to have a dry place to put on and take off wet boots. I’ve even gone so far as to barbeque on my deck while it was raining!

There are some important things to keep in mind when designing a deck cover. One such item is to not overdo the size of the cover. If you make it over 200 square feet in area, you may need a permit from the local building department. They may require you to get the structure engineered, which could put a real dent in your pocketbook! When a deck or patio cover exceeds a certain size it becomes a sail or kite in windy conditions. I’ve seen improperly built covers fall down or blow away in wind storms! Not a good thing!

Another important factor is to design the cover to blend with the design of your home. If your home has a gable roof, give the cover a gable roof. If your home is sporting a hip roof, build your cover with a hip roof, as well. Use the same type and color of roofing as the house roof. Paint the posts and beams the same color as the trim on your home. The deck cover should look like it was built when the house was built.

Something you can add while you’re building your deck cover is electrical wiring. I strung up what looks like outside lights you’d see at an outdoor eating area. I can control these lights with a dimmer, so it really adds atmosphere. Installing a ceiling fan is a cool idea, too. It keeps it cooler on those hot days and cuts down on the flies and other insects that may bother you on your deck. Just make sure you purchase a fan that’s rated for outdoor use.

Should You Learn How to Build a Deck or Learn to Install Pavers?

Which is better – wood decking or concrete and pavers? It seems there’s been a debate going for a long time around this question. On one hand, you’ve got the group advocating wood or composite decks, and on the other side, those who swear by a patio made of concrete, pavers, or stone.

Choosing to Build a Deck, Because You Already Know How to Build a Deck

If you’re handy with wood, an advantage of building a wood deck is you already know how to build a deck. As a woodworker, you’re comfortable cutting and fitting wood. You understand the basic woodworking tools and have them at your disposal. Wood seems more forgiving and mistakes can be remedied easier.

Working with wood requires simple tools. Usually an electric saw, drill, hammer, and cordless drill is all you need to build a deck. These tools are probably already part of your garage or workshop fare. On the other hand, working with concrete, pavers, or stone requires specialty tools. Most homeowners don’t have these types of tools in their inventory. You would have to rent these tools, adding more expense to your already expensive project.

Maybe you haven’t enough or any experience pouring a concrete slab or laying pavers or stone. Just the thought of trying scares you. You don’t want to invest a bunch of money on stone or pavers and hours putting it all together, only to discover you didn’t install correctly and end up with an ugly patio. Believe me, even if you’re neighbors aren’t experts, they’ll notice sloppy work and probably comment to each other!

Even if you have little experience building a deck, it’s still much easier to learn how to build a deck than to learn how to pour a concrete slab or lay pavers. And it seems more books are available teaching how to build a deck, and not many guides on how to pour a concrete slab.

Maybe You Know How to Build a Deck AND Pour a Concrete Slab, Too!

Let’s say you DO know how to build a deck, but you also have experience pouring concrete slabs or installing pavers. That’s great! You can choose either one.

If you have no experience whatsoever in how to build a deck or a patio, your only option would be to hire it out to a professional. This will cost more, but the results will be much more positive.

Factors Influencing Your Choice of a Deck or a Patio

The choice might boil down to which option works best for your situation. Every site has its own quirks and special conditions. Some lots slope up from the street. Others slope toward the street.

Let’s say, for example, the floor height of your home is 2 to 3 feet above the ground. This scenario would lend itself to a raised deck as opposed to a ground-level patio. Going up and down a flight of stairs every time you wanted to use your patio would get real tiring, real quickly. Building a wood deck level with your home’s floor would be the best choice in this case, but keep in mind you may want to get help learning how to build a deck higher above the ground.

Or maybe the floor of your home is one step higher than the ground. Building a wood or composite deck here would be impractical. You wouldn’t have adequate room for the deck framing, the decking thickness, and enough room for air circulation needed to keep your deck from decay. This would be an example of the place to consider installing a patio. So put your “How to Build a Deck” manual away.

If your home’s floor is between 12” and 21”, you’ve got the option of using either a wood deck or a ground-level patio. A good rule of thumb is to limit the number of steps from your home to your patio or deck to three. Since the ideal step height is 7” maximum, your deck or patio should be no lower than 21” from your home level.

So if you’re situation is in the “sweet spot” of 12” to 21”, how do you choose between a deck and a patio?

Pros and Cons of Learning How to Build a Deck of Wood or Composite

Like I mentioned earlier in the article, knowing how to build a deck is a huge advantage. So ease of installation is one big plus. But there are other virtues a wood deck possesses.

In cold climates, the surface of concrete sometimes has a tendency to “pop”. This is caused when concrete absorbs water and then freezes. Small pock marks will show up over a few years, and can eventually ruin a slab. Pavers are less apt to react this way to freezing temperature.

Wood is not affected by extremely cold conditions. A wood or composite deck can be exposed to arctic weather for years and show no signs of damage.

Another advantage of wood over concrete is the ability to easily replace the deck boards. Depending on where you live, wood deck boards especially, need replacement after a decade or so. Composite decks will outlast wood, but still may need to be replaced, eventually,

The biggest disadvantage of wood decks is the constant maintenance required. To protect wood and keep it looking new, a person must seal it once, sometimes twice a year. This can be a real pain, especially if you’re not retired and extra time is hard to come by.

Wood will, over time, rot. When this occurs, you will need to replace some or all your deck boards. This can be quite expensive unless you choose to replace only the decaying boards, which looks kind of tacky.

Most guide books teaching how to build a deck recommend composite over wood. Composite decking costs more than wood, but will hold up longer, so it’s a good investment.

The Pros and Cons of Installing a Concrete, Paver, or Stone Patio

As stated before, knowing how to build a deck or how to pour concrete is a large determining factor.

The most evident advantage to building a patio of concrete or pavers is the longevity factor. Even in cold climates, concrete, when sealed properly, will last for many decades. Pavers and stone have about the same life expectancy. If you want to build it and forget it, concrete or pavers should be your choice.

Cleaning a concrete slab is easier than cleaning a deck. A power washer on full pressure won’t hurt a slab, but a wood deck can be ruined by an inexperienced person.

So to summarize, if you’re leaning toward a wood deck, I recommend composite decking. If you prefer concrete, I would steer you towards pavers. Pavers are easier to install than pouring a concrete slab.

If you’re a novice woodworker and would like to build your own deck, there are many good books available to teach you how to build a deck.

Here are some other resources to help you learn how to build a deck:

>>How to Build a Deck – Home Page

>>How to Build a Deck Railing Out of Wood

>>How to Build a Deck in Cold Climates

>>How to Build a Deck Around a Pool

Coming Soon…

>>How to Build a Deck Railing Out of Cable

Some homeowners who own an above ground pool might like to know how to build a deck around it. This can be a little tricky for two reasons. One, a deck built around  a pool is usually elevated several feet and is free standing, meaning not connected to a structure. This requires extra bracing. The second reason building a deck around a pool is ticklish is the decking needs to be cut to fit a non square object, e.g. a round pool.

A lot of plans and tutorials show you how to build a deck connected to a house. These types of decks don’t need as much lateral support because they’re relying on the house for that. Not many explain how to build a deck around a pool.

How to Build a Deck Around a Pool – The Steps Involved

Before you build a deck around a pool, you will first need a pool! Logic says you can’t build a deck then put up your pool. It should be set up according to the manufacturers specifications and located somewhere with at least 5′ to 6′ spacing around it. So setting up the pool is step one.

“How to Build a Deck Around a Pool Tutorial” – Drawing Plans

The next step in this tutorial on how to build a deck around a pool is to draw some kind of sketch of how you’ll build the deck. You don’t need to be an architect to do this adequately. Just grab some white  1/4″ graph paper and draw a circle or whatever shape pool you have.  Your scale should be 1/4″= 1′ 0″. Then draw your beams. The easiest way to build a deck is to keep your beams parallel. Some deck builders design their decks octagonal or hexagonal. These look cool, but can be a nightmare to build. Your sketch could look something like mine shown at the right. To download a copy of my deck plans, look for my upcoming guide “How to Build a Deck”. It’ll be available soon.

How to Build a Deck Around a Pool Tutorial – Piers, Posts, and Beams

In this stage, you’ll be placing the pier pads in their appropriate places, setting posts, and installing the beams. You’ll need to determine the height of your deck so you know how long to cut the posts. Should your deck be above or below the pool lip?  In forums on the topic of how to build a deck around a pool, there are many different opinions on this, but I think the best is to make it even and leave a 1″ gap. This way there will  be no damage if the deck and pool move or settle unevenly.

After the pier blocks are set in their proper places, you need to take measurements for the posts. This step requires two people and a tool you probably don’t own – a builders level. Rent one or borrow it from a contractor friend. To learn how to set up and use a builders level, see my e-book “How to Build a Deck“. Looking through the level eyepiece, have your helper hold a measuring tape vertically at the lip of the pool. Record the reading in inches and fractions, if any, e.g. 22-3/8″. Now go to each pier block and measure up from the block to the cross-hairs in the level. Record the measurement for each pier.

To determine the length of the post, subtract the pool height measurement from the overall measurement. Then subtract the beam and decking thickness. That’s the length of your post. Here’s an example: (See my ebook “How to Build a Deck” for illustrations of this step)

Let’s say the distance from the pool lip to the level cross-hairs is 22-1/2″. This is like a control. It won’t change. Now say you measure post #1 and the total is 68-1/4″ from the top of the pier block to the cross hairs. Subtract 22-1/2″ from 68-1/4″ and you have  47-3/4″. Let’s assume you’re using 4″x 6″ beams and 2×6 cedar decking. The total actual thickness of those two combined is 7″. Subtract 7″ from the previous number (47-3/4″) and you end up with a post length of 40-3/4″.

How to Build a Deck Around a Pool Tutorial – Laying the Decking

This section of How to Build a Deck Around a Pool will talk about laying the decking. It’s best to start on the part of the deck with the most area and work your way towards the pool. As you approach the curved pool, you’ll need to start cutting the decking to fit. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is to lay a deck board in the location it will be installed and measure the distance. See illustration at the right.

Make sure to keep the deck boards one inch from the pool lip to allow for movement. Another important step in how to build a deck around a pool is add wood supports for the deck ends. Once the deck end is over 12″ past a support, you should add another.

The Final Steps for How to Build a Deck Around a Pool

The last steps you’ll perform when learning how to build a deck around your pool are the railing and steps. For a thorough tutorial on how to build a deck railing, see my post “How to Build a Deck Railing Out of Wood“. I’ll soon be adding a post on how to build a deck railing out of steel cable and steel posts.

>>Home Page – How to Build a Deck

>>How to Build a Deck in Cold Climates

Check out this great new e-book!