How To Build A Wood Deck

Before you learn how to build a wood deck,  it is important to choose the right wood for a deck; most people along the western coast choose redwood, because it's strong and durable, it can be worked easily and -- when left in its natural state -- it blends well with landscaping.

But, while redwood remains overwhelmingly popular, advances in lumber treatments are making a variety of woods increasingly popular. Pressure-treated lumber -- which has chemicals and preservatives applied under pressure to prevent decay -- now often is preferred for deck substructures even when redwood is the finish lumber showing.

There are a several terms you should know when visiting a lumberyard. Among them are the differences between hardwoods and softwoods, heartwood and sapwood.

Hardwoods and softwoods don't mean one is hard and the other soft. They refer to the type of tree each wood comes from. Hardwoods come from deciduous trees, generally referred to as broadleaf trees. Softwoods come from conifers, generally called evergreens. Softwoods generally are used for decking, because hardwoods are very expensive.

Heartwood is wood at the center of the tree. Sapwood is wood closest to the surface of the tree. Heartwood is generally inactive. Sapwood is still growing. Heartwood resists decay well. Sapwood is more porous and takes chemical treatments better.

Now you're ready to learn how to build a wood deck. There are some basic steps.

• You must prepare the area. This may involve grading, removing ground vegetation, perhaps even installing a drainage system. It's often recommended that, after vegetation removal, you use a special sheeting over the ground to prevent sunlight from reaching vegetation remains and vegetation from showing. A home center, nursery or lumberyard usually carries this type of sheeting.
• Mark off the area where you'll build your deck with string and "batterboards," boards used to hold the string.
• Mark the spots for your footings and dig the holes according to code size. In many cases, the holes have to be about 11/2-2 feet deep. Remember that you'll probably have to have an inspector come out and approve the holes before you can actually fill them.
• Once the inspector has approved your footing holes, fill them with concrete and insert the piers that will hold the beams. Make sure the piers are level.
• Measure and attach your ledger -- a horizontal board -- to the house foundation or floor framing if it's to be an attached deck. Remember to allow room above the ledger for the joists and decking. Don't attach the ledger directly to the foundation. Use spacer blocks of wood the size of the ledger but about 6 inches wide between the ledger and the foundation or floor frame. Use bolts to attach. Measure the height of the posts between the piers and the header. Cut the posts to size and fit them into the piers. Precast piers have metal holders built in. Using scrap wood, form right-angle braces with one side stuck in the ground near the piers. Using a level, plumb two adjacent sides of each post while on the pier then lightly nail the braces temporarily to the post. Using nails or bolts, firmly attach the posts to the piers, making sure you retain your plumb. Measure and lay a beam or "header" across the tops of the posts. It may be necessary on larger decks to use more than one. Make sure the header/beam is level between the posts and from the beam to the ledger. It may be necessary to attach a shingle or other wood scrap between the beam and the post for a level condition, unless you have an adjustable brace on top of each post. Once level, permanently attach the beam to the posts.
• Attach the joists between the ledger and the beam, spacing them according to a pre-determined measure. You may want to apply wood or metal braces between the joists. Your deck advisor can help you determine whether that's necessary and what type of bracing is best.
• Install the decking next. Use a 3-penney nail to maintain the same gap between the boards. If your deck requires more than one board end-to-end, use the same gap between ends as you did between the sides. Cut the ends of the boards flush to the side of the deck.