The 2006 Deck Project
This page is the diary of the project that I undertook this summer to build a deck at the back of my house. I’ve been dreaming about this project for over a year – from the day the house was being built to the day that I moved in.
The project had to wait a whole year because of some other important issues that I needed to tend to in 2005.
Overall, this is definitely the most ambitious house project that I have undertaken. I love to build things and it’s great to see something that you work on takes form.
The Imagination…
Designed by Aaron Chalekian
The Reality…
Deck Design
I may be able to dream it but I can’t draw something like this onto paper. So, I enlisted the help of my friend Aaron Chalekian – a design engineer with a great knowledge on construction. Aaron modelled the deck in Solidworks and created a drawing for my permit application.
The Size
The deck is 25ft wide X 12 ft deep X 10ft high. The pergola on the left side is about 12ft X 10ft. The stairs come down halfway to a small platform where it takes a 45 deg turn to the final landing.
Material Choice
The material was a toss-up between maintenance free (because I’m lazy) or cedar. I ended up with cedar and I’m really happy that I chose cedar. Fresh cut cedar smells and looks great.
Pressure treated was used to frame the entire deck and the stair stringers. Black aluminum balusters was used for the railings to give it a modern feel.
The final stairs had post caps that matches the post caps in the house.
The Pergola
The pergola was an addition that I insisted on having. It is entirely done for looks. It makes the deck stand out from the neighbor’s deck.
The Stairs
The stairs were one of the hardest part of the project. It took a lot of aligning, adjusting, cutting, measuring, notching, and everything in between to get it to come out right.
It’s worth mentioning because I chose one of the hardest ways to put stairs in – at an angle. This meant that I needed to build a small platform, measure it, calculate the angles, level it, deck it to get it just right.
PROJECT HISTORY/MILESTONES
5/30/06 – 3D model finalized
6/2/06 – Deck drawings completed
6/6/06 – Deck permit approved
6/11/06 – Staked post holes
6/12/06 – Broke ground
6/15/06 – Dug all post holes
6/15/06 – Call for post hole inspection
6/17/06 – Poured concrete footings
6/20/06 – Sent deck plans for quoting
6/21/06 – Ordered lumber for deck
6/25/06 – Frame deck (cancelled) (rained)
6/29/06 – Cut siding
7/1/06 – Installed Ledger Board
7/5/06 – Frame deck (cancelled)7/12/06 – Notch posts
7/11/06 – Start decking (cancelled)
7/19/06 – Frame deck (cancelled) (rained)
7/22/06 – Frame deck
7/27/06 – Frame deck
7/29/06 – Frame deck
8/1/06 – Started Decking
8/5/06 – Started framing stairs platform
8/6/06 – Decking, Stair’s Platform
8/10/06 – Ran into slight road block while framing the stairs.
8/12/06 – Install header board
8/15/06 – Fix stairs’ frame
8/16/06 – Skirting
8/19/06 – Skirting, Decking, Pergola Ledger
8/20/06 – Cut stair stringers
8/22/06 – Hang Stair Stringers, Pergola Flashing
8/23/06 – Finished Decking
8/24/06 – Pergola Header, 1st Stairs Landing Section
8/26/06 – Pergola Posts, Rafters, Runners, Stairs Decking
8/27/06 – Cut Stairs’ Stringers, Final Stairs Landing
8/28/06 – Railing
8/29/06 – Final Stairs, Railing
8/31/06 – Final Stairs
9/1/06 – Decking Stairs, Stairs Skirting
9/2/06 – Railings
9/3/06 – Railing (rained)
9/4/06 – Railings
9/5/06 – Railings
9/6/06 – Final Touch Ups
9/6/06 – Final Inspection
PROJECT COMMENTS
6/6/06 – The material cost is currently 1.5 times more than what I have anticipated. Time to find ways to cut cost down.
6/11/06 – Left to right: Start of project, Staked the first post hole, all post holes staked.
6/15/06 – Don’t take the easy way out if you like your lawn. I got a Bobcat digger and that thing just busted up my lawn. Not the best decision. I need to figure out how to get this lawn fixed!
L-R: The pallet of concrete; The tracks left by the Bobcat; My lawn torn up by the Bobcat
6/17/06 – It rained badly on Friday night so the ground was very wet and hard to walk in the morning. We went ahead with the project anyways. Got Joe and Gary on the mixer and I was busy tamping, tamping, and tamping. My arms are sore by the 6th hole that I couldn’t lift the tamper out of the hole…
L-R: The post holes dug; Looking into one of the holes with a 12″ form in place
Some holes are a little deeper than others but I’ll have to let it go. The post holes are partially backfilled to keep the posts stable. I’ll have to finish that up tomorrow… I’m so tired.
L-R: Post hole with filled concrete; Signs of relief – filled post holes.
So, Home Depot estimated that it would take 7 60lbs bags to fill a 12″ diameter hole that is 48″ deep. I did the math and it was about 32 80lbs bags that I’ll need. (Funny how they sell 80lbs bags but they show you what you need based on 60lbs bags). I decided to get a few extras and I got 35. 35 is what it took to fill 6 holes. Can’t beat perfection. 
Left to right: (1) Pads on footings, (2) 3/4 way into the framing, (3) Post on pads, (4) Front view of the partial structure, (5) Another view of the partial structure
L-R: Deck Framing Completed, Joists Hung, Started Decking, Decking to the end…
6/25/06 – Planned on installing the ledger today but it rained so everything is cancelled.
6/29/06 – Justin and Chris came over and we started cutting siding. First step in the deck framing.
7/1/06 – Justin and Gary were over to help install the ledger board, flashing, J-channel.
7/12/06 – After being away for the last few weekends, finally had some time to work on the deck again. The posts were marked with a water level and later notched.
7/22/06 – Gary, Joe and I took on the framing tasks. We took turns holding the posts up, going back and forth with making sure they are aligned. At the end of the day, we got 3 posts supported.
7/27/06 – Joe and I finished up the 4th post. I feel better now that all the posts are tied to each other.
7/29/06 – Derek and I installed the header board for the posts, squared everything up. Put all the beams on until we ran out of brackets… Hmm…
8/1/06 – Those brackets were not meant for the beams! Argh, and they are super expensive too! Oh wells, lessons learned… Started decking with all the beams installed.
8/5/06 – Decked all week long and not much is done. Got enough decking that I can walk between doors. Started cutting the post for the stair’s first landing/platform.
8/6/06 – Spent way too much time decking and didn’t get much done. Still lots to do.
8/10/06 – Gary was over to help frame the stairs section. This is the section that is part of the main deck that leads to the first landing. Hmm, we appeared to have installed the ledger too short. The beam looks skewed.
8/12/06 – Still no solution for the ledger to post issue… Installed the header board on the front face of the deck. It took some creativity to get a pressure treated piece installed by myself.
8/13/06 – It rained today. Can’t do anything else… Took the day off.
8/15/06 – Aaron came over and had the best idea for the header/post issue – extend the header! It was definitely something that I didn’t even considered… Aaron made the splice while I got the material. At the end of it, we have a nice looking stairs platform done!
8/16/06 – Gary helped me install the skirtboard around the deck face. It made me realize that I should not have trimmed the decking early… Now some are too short!
L-R: Decking towards the stairs section, Header board
8/19/06 – Finished up the skirtboard and decked to the edge of the deck! Yay! Joe stopped by and helped me install the ledger for the pergola. We also took turns cutting siding.
8/20/06 – Aaron left a sketch of the stair stringers. I spent the day cutting stair stringers. Realized that I hung the brackets for the stairs too high! Urgh!
8/21/06 – Started removing the brackets, slowly and painfully.
8/22/06 – Don came over and helped hang the stair stringers. Got all 4 stringers hung and levelled. Yay! We also got the flashing for the pergola installed.
L-R: Stairs to First Landing, First set of stairs decked
8/24/06 – Started the ground work for the first stairs landing.
8/26/06 – Derek came over and helped install the pergola rafters and runners. Between the both of us, we got that thing levelled, installed, nailed and secured. Pergola – done. Finished the stairs’ first landing area.
L-R: Pergola Rafters and Runners, Decking Completed, Me reaching for the pergola, Railing Posts, First set of Railing, Deck Landing
8/29/06 – Ran into a slight problem with the final stairs’ landing. I did not account for the fact that I need to be on the ground with less than 8″ of rise when I cut the stair stringers. Options…
L-R: Final stair stringers, The stairs & the first landing, The last stair step, More posts for railings.
8/30/06 – Options are always a good thing. 1. I could recut the stair stringers (least preferred). 2. I could pour a patio but Woodbury requires a 3ft landing space. 3. I could build another step out of what I currently have.
8/31/06 – I went ahead with option 3. Build the additional step and started decking the stairs. It looks good and feels stable.
9/1/06 – Bought another set of skirtboards, decking boards and 4X4 post. Finished framing and decking the final stairs. I also finished decking the 1st platform landing. Lots and lots of 45 deg cuts. It’s pretty impressive. Cut and installed the skirtboard for the stairs. It’s taking great shape…
9/2/06 – Notched some posts for the railings. Installed the posts for the stairs railings. Cut the railing 2X4s for the stairs. It definitely took a lot of patience when it comes time to install the balusters. Gotta try a different method as I got 3 more to do!
9/4/06 – Installed the final set of stair railings. It took a lot of cuts, recuts and fitting to get the stair railings in place. The final result is amazing! Installed 90% of the railings today.
9/5/06 – Installed the last set of railings – the angled sections. It took a lot of custom fitting to get it all to line up right. I also fitted the last skirtboard tonight. Started on the handrail and ran into problems trying to figure out how to make the angled cuts to make it continuous.
L-R: Decked the stairs and the first set of stair railings, View of stairs from top, View of stairs from the bottom, One of the post caps, Handrail, The stairs from a different angle
9/6/06 – Took the day off. Had a doctor’s appt mid morning and wanted to finish up the deck and had it inspected. Started the day by fixing that one post. Figured out the angled cut for the continous handrail. Installed the finishing pieces to the railing – putting a piece of decking board along the top of the posts to make it pretty.
Called for final inspection for the afternoon. It passed! It took 3 months to the day.
L-R: Different angles of the finished deck
