| Sure, you could hire a construction crew to come | | | | - Joists between those beams, to distribute the |
| to your home and build your new deck. You could | | | | weight of the deck. |
| spend a lot of money, put up with the delays, and | | | | - Decking material, whether wood or composite, |
| deal with contractors tromping through your bed | | | | laid over the joists - this is the part you'll walk on. |
| of prize-winning begonias. | | | | - Railings, typically at least three feet high, around |
| Or you could do it yourself. | | | | the edges of the deck. |
| It's not hard. Decks aren't rocket science - | | | | There are a variety of decking plans to peruse |
| mostly, it's a matter of simply finding a good plan | | | | online, many of which are free (those that aren't |
| and following it closely. Sure, there are codes to | | | | free are inexpensive). Give yourself a couple of |
| follow and guidelines to remember, but as long as | | | | hours with a cup of tea and a search engine to |
| you remember a few simple rules of thumb and | | | | find the plan that's best for your home. |
| choose the best decking material, there's no | | | | Decks can be any shape you want them to be, |
| reason you can't build yourself a deck (or - as | | | | so don't limit yourself to 90-degree angles. Of |
| long as we're instilling confidence - decks). | | | | course, a more complicated building plan will entail |
| Of course, decking isn't a project you can finish in | | | | more work and invite more potential |
| an afternoon (unless your deck is going to be two | | | | complications, so be sure to work within your |
| feet by three feet - but decks this small are | | | | means. |
| technically considered large stairs). You'll need to | | | | Remember also that decks can have multiple |
| plan extensively, and ask yourself a series of | | | | levels - this is especially true of pool decks and |
| questions about what you'll actually use the deck | | | | decks built on sloping ground. Some decks even |
| for, and what kind of decking (whether wood or | | | | look like balconies, extending from the upper floor |
| maintenance-free composite decking) you'll use. | | | | of a home. Remember that decks that rise more |
| The longer you spend in the planning process, the | | | | than about four feet from the ground are usually |
| more smoothly construction process will go, so | | | | required to have reinforced bracing to prevent |
| try to anticipate every detail. Pay a visit to your | | | | swaying and buckling; check with your local zoning |
| local zoning office to ask what their construction | | | | office for details. |
| regulations dictate. | | | | With a little research, a lot of planning, and plenty |
| All decks have five basic components: | | | | of elbow grease (and maybe a little help from |
| - Vertical posts set in a concrete footing. These | | | | friends and family), there's no reason you can't |
| provide the foundation for your decking. | | | | build your own great deck at home. So get to it! |
| - Horizontal beams set on the posts. | | | | |