By Alan Knight
We just finished building our new home in the woods,
and one of the things I added was a deck.
In my personal opinion, it was the best investment of all of the home
components. Our property, which my wife
and I purchased a year ago, was a hillside plot. With a 30 degree grade, building the house was
a challenge, but it did lend itself to a spectacular view of the valley and
ridges. Plus the tall hardwood trees,
some over a hundred foot high, are almost close enough to touch. We knew right away that adding a deck was a
necessity.
Today, with the home completed, our favorite spot is
the back deck. It stands 16 feet off the
ground and attaches to the back of the house.
We had part of it screened to keep out annoying insects and left a
separate portion for grilling. We built
the deck out of pressure-treated pine which resists rot and repels pests.
There some other choices for consideration. IPE (pronounced ee-pay) is an almost magical
South American hardwood. The USDA Forest
Service Products Lab gives Ipe top marks for bug and rot resistance, and the
wood is so hard, it's nearly as difficult to burn as concrete. It is dense and very heavy, which makes it a
wonderful wood to use with stone and slate accents.
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Redwood, like cedar, is a soft lumber that ages to a
pleasing gray. Prolonged moisture will
cause the wood to blacken. A redwood
deck will resist rot, but will look more attractive if you use a sealer.
Mahogany is a tight-grained tropical hardwood that
resists pests and rot. Treat with marine
oil and it looks like teak. Or, if you
wish, let your mahogany deck age to a silvery hue. You can choose from several varieties.
There are various styles and types of decks. Once you start your research you'll find that
not all decks look the same. There are:
• Wraparounds. These typically are built around some prized
object, like a favorite tree.
• Freestanding. This one is built separately from the house,
usually in the
back yard with steps leading up to the platform. It can come with a cover or a pergola. Keep in mind, if the floor of the deck is
more than 30 inches high, it will require a railing.
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• Attached-to-House. This is the best choice, if possible, because
it adds more support to the deck since it is anchored to the house.
• Hillside. This one, as in our case, is required if the
ground is not level.
However, the steeper the lot, the better the view. Since our deck was so high off the ground, it required a knee wall, made of two by fours and lattice to complete the screened-in portion. This is a safety feature for small children.
However, the steeper the lot, the better the view. Since our deck was so high off the ground, it required a knee wall, made of two by fours and lattice to complete the screened-in portion. This is a safety feature for small children.
I'm not going into the complete, detailed construction
process in this blog. For that, simply
go on-line and look up “building your own deck.”
One of the things I would like to mention is choosing
your “purpose” in building a deck. Don't
waste time and money on a building project unless you have a need for it. Now we all know that building a deck is a
luxury, not a necessity. You can live
without it, if you have to. But choosing
the WHY before starting construction is vital.
Why do you feel the need for a deck?
Now in our case, our property was in the middle of the woods and on a
five acre hillside parcel. It made sense
aesthetically. But what is your reason?
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| TubKing Double Slipper tub. |
Decks also make the perfect accent for a swimming
pool. Wood decking with its delicious
smell and feel is much preferred over concrete and cool-decking.
Whatever your reason, building a wood deck can be very
rewarding. It gives your home more
value, and you can count on years of personal enjoyment. Go online a see if you might be able to build
it yourself. If not, find a local
contractor who specializes in decks and porches. You won't be sorry.
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This
article explains how you can turn an outdoor deck project into fun project that
can include entertainment elements (like a TV and refrigerator) and health benefits
by adding a claw-foot or Walk-in tub. Building a deck does not have to be an arduous
job, it can be great fun when approached right.
Until
the next time…
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