...because home doesn't happen overnight.

Previously, on House*Tweaking…

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…the ledger and beam installation. Then it was time for joists – the supports that run perpendicular to the ledger and beam. According to Trex’s deck designer tool {you can view our original plans and design here}, our joists required 12″ spacing. If you’re a decking rookie {like me}, the joists are part of the framing that provide support and give the deck boards something to tie into. Now you know.

joist 1

HH marked the proper spacing on the ledger and beam then attached each joist to the ledger and beam with Simpson ties and self tapping screws.

joist 2

If you recall, our deck will be a low platform with a picture frame detail. In the center of the frame, HH installed one joist parallel to the ground so that the center breaker boards of the deck’s picture frame would have something to tie into.

joist 3

A zoomed out view of the joists in place and our disaster of a backyard. I can’t wait until this part of the yard is usable again!

joist 4

With the joists in place, HH added smaller steel supports between each joist. This deck isn’t going anywhere. Seriously, when this deck is done we could have an elephant party on it if we wanted to. Anyhow, each of those smaller supports had to be custom cut. Measuring for the supports was tricky because even though the longer joists are super strong they are flexible and have some give to them. So HH had to measure and re-measure {and measure again!} the spacing between the joists being careful not to push the joists one way or the other. This was the most tedious step of the deck build. But it’s an important one! These little supports stabilize the framing for a rigid and sturdy end result. No swaying decks in the backyard, please.

After each support was custom cut, HH screwed it into the neighboring joists with Simpson ties. That completed the deck framing build! The Trex elevations steel framing is ideal for our low-lying deck. Conventional lumber can rot and warp if it comes in contact with the ground. Have we mentioned that we’re super excited about having a completely maintenance-free deck?!

If coverage of this DIY deck build seems broken up and long, then you are getting the real life experience. Ha! HH works long hours, travels a lot for business and our summer weekends are chock full of other stuff. Oh, and we have three kids that, as much as we had hoped, weren’t born with innate deck building skills. That means deck work happens in short intervals mostly in the evenings when it is NOT RAINING.

Next up…deck boards and hidden fasteners. Thrilling!

We have partnered with Trex to build our deck. They have provided us with some of the materials for the build but all other materials, designs, labor, injuries, flubs, four-letter exclamations, opinions and reaping of the benefits {i.e. chillaxing with beverages on our new deck} are all ours.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

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A pile of Trex decking has been lying in our backyard for a few weeks. Until the weather cleared for HH to prep the yard for our platform deck, we mowed around it in true redneck style. Then HH rented a dingo to dig out the space in between the two concrete patios off the back of the house.

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HH buried the original overhead electric line shortly after we purchased the house. In preparation for the deck, he also buried conduit for the cable line {seen in orange above – we’ll run it through the conduit and have the cable company come bury the rest past the deck once the deck is complete} and for electric to a future *dream* man shed. Every HH needs a man shed, am I right?

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Next up, HH set to work installing the Trex Elevations steel deck framing. The great thing about this framing system is that it can come into contact with the ground without the risk of rotting or warping – unlike conventional pretreated lumber. It’s ideal for our platform deck which will sit low to the ground.

HH cut the steel ledger board to length with a ferrous metal blade on a compound miter saw. Since the brick exterior is a veneer {there’s a gap between the red brick and exterior block walls} it isn’t structural. Meaning, it can’t support a hefty addition like, say, oh a deck. HH had dug out deep enough with the dingo to tie the ledger board into the concrete foundation. Using concrete screws, HH attached the ledger board to the house. As you can see, the majority of the screws tie into the concrete foundation but not all of them. The top screw in each screw column hits the brick. Had HH moved the ledger board lower to get all screws into the foundation, it would have made our deck lower than desired. We want it to be a small step up from the adjacent concrete patios. He used a narrow piece of expansion joint behind the top of the ledger board to compensate for a difference in projection between the slab and brick.

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With the ledger board in place, next up was the beam at the opposite end of the deck. This beam will support the part of the deck that sits out in the yard. HH borrowed a post hole digger from a neighbor {yay for handy neighbors!} and dug two holes 4′ deep for concrete piers. He busted out his engineering skills and brought home laser surveying equipment from work to precisely position two Quik-tubes within the holes. Cough, nerd, cough. He used some water and a tamping iron down in the holes to get the Quik-tubes exactly level. I held the tubes {my only deck labor to date unless you consider keeping three kids occupied as labor – which I DO!} in place while HH surrounded them with dirt then filled them with concrete. While the concrete was still wet, HH pushed “J” bolts into the top of each pier.

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The next day he was able to attach the support beam.

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He shimmed the beam then secured it to the piers’ “J” bolts with Simpson ties.

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And we have lift off. This part of the deck build isn’t all that gratifying but it is the literal and necessary foundation for what will be a pretty awesome platform deck. Next up? Joists. Are we having fun yet?

Just so you know, I had no idea what the majority of these decking materials and hardware was called until it came time to write this post. I had to ask HH. Ledger, ferrous metal what?, “J” bolt, joist, huh? If you have any questions about this part of the deck install, feel free to post them in the comments section. I’ll be happy to bug HH for more info ;) Stay tuned for more deck progress…

We have partnered with Trex to build our deck. They have provided us with some of the materials for the build but all other materials, designs, labor, injuries, flubs, four-letter exclamations, opinions and reaping of the benefits {i.e. chillaxing with beverages on our new deck} are our responsibility.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking