Constructing a deck can be a lot of work, but if you follow the steps in this guide, you will quickly find yourself enjoying your new space. As a local deck construction contractor, we have helped design and plan multiple decks. In fact, you may wonder how we can manage to get the work done on time, because we go from one task to the next without stopping.
Here is your step by step guide to building a deck:
Create a Budget
Okay, so this one is all you, because only you know how much you want to spend on your new deck. This must be a reasonable number, so that you can have your deck built, but that number doesn’t need to be extremely high, we work with different budget ranges.
Design Your Deck
Once you have determined your budget, it will be time to sit down and design this new space. This is when you will determine whether or not you will have one level or multiple levels, what your stairs will look like, how your railings and handrails will look, whether you are incorporating lighting, and whether you want an outdoor kitchen in this space.
Choose Your Materials
As soon as you have your design details ironed out, you can finally begin the fun of choosing the materials that you will use. Everything that you choose must fit within your budget, but other than that, you have free rein. Of course, a local deck construction contractor, like us, may give you reasons why you may want to consider a different material than the one that you want. In these scenarios, you must remember that we do this so that you can have the best deck possible. If we think that a certain material will not hold up as well as another, we like to speak up, voice our opinion with a logical reason, and then you can make your own informed decision.
Obtain Building Permits
We always take care of obtaining the building permits before the work on your new deck gets started, so you never need to worry about this part of the process.
Site Preparation
There are few times when we can walk into a yard and simply start constructing a deck, because there are always a few things that get in our way. Therefore, we will create an outline of the deck, so you can see exactly where it is going and how much space it is taking up in your yard. We will then remove the sod, check for underground services that we do not want to damage, find the positions for the posts and then dig the holes.
Construct Your New Deck
As soon as the prep work above has been completed, it will be time for us to continue with the construction of your new deck. We will begin with setting the footings and then add the ledger board. After that, it will be time to install all the support posts and attach all the beams. Once that has been completed, the joists need to be installed. The time it takes to do these tasks will depend on the size of your deck. Therefore, if you are having us construct a larger deck, be prepared for this to take us longer.
Our next course of action will be to install all your decking boards, so that you can walk across your deck. Once we have installed the trim along the outside, we will begin to work on your stairs, railings, and handrails.
Add Stain or Paint
Depending on what materials you chose for your deck, we may need to add a coat of stain or paint to your deck before we are finished with our work. If this is necessary, then we suggest that you wait a couple days, to ensure that it is completely dry, before we continue with your work.
Add Furnishings and Accessories
This is the final step of your deck construction and we have no part in this one. Since we will have finished constructing your deck, it will then be ready for you to add furnishings and accessories to. The options are endless for this, but we recommend some comfortable furniture, complete with cushions, throw blankets, and throw pillows. You may want to put down an outdoor rug, add a table and chairs for dining, and a few smaller tables for those nights when you are entertaining.
Now that you have your step by step guide to building a deck, you should be more than ready to hire a local deck construction contractor to assist you with your deck design and construction. We are ready to help you design and build the deck of your dreams, so that you can be out there enjoying the fresh air before too long, if you have any questions, feel free to reach Edgar at at 510 859 74 48.
