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How to Install a Deck
Preliminary DecisionsTop
- Decks are typically fit to match the overall size and shape of your lot or home.
- Once you have designed the size and shape, stand at the back of your lot and try to imagine the deck built. Make sure it is not too large or too small for your area.
- Consider the different types of materials available for decks, such as wood or synthetics like composite and vinyl. Most contractors have a favorite brand and will recommend one from their past experiences.
- There are many choices, so consider your options carefully. For example, if you get a lot of sunlight, darker colored decks will be very hot on bare feet.
- Hidden fasteners are also a popular option.
- You can really top your deck off nicely with the railing system of your choice. Search the internet and look at different rail designs. There are wood, composite, vinyl, wrought iron, aluminum, and glass railings. You can also combine different materials for a one-of-a-kind look.
- Optionally, you may want the perimeter and 6 x 6 support posts to be covered in a synthetic material, typically Azek.
- We advise considering rounded, synthetic structural posts or post sleeves to make the decks as maintenance free as possible.
- Pergolas, trellises and gazebos are also very popular these days.
- You can put an outdoor kitchen made of stone.
- You can install a screened-in area with a roof line to match your home’s roof line.
- The relatively new under deck products are also very popular. You can make the area below your deck a dry space for those rainy days.
- Consider installing a concrete, flagstone or brick patio to go along with your new, dry space.
How to Install a DeckTop
- All decks must be built according to state and local building codes.
- Be careful when a “so called” contractor asks you to pull your permit to save you a few dollars; there may be a licensing issue.
- Step one is to call Miss Utility to make sure there are no underground wires or utilities.
- Next, lay out the footer system. Footers must be dug to a minimum depth of 24″ below grade. They must be 18″ wide with 12″ of concrete in the hole so as to be below the frost line and not “heave up.”
- The footers for decks are to be inspected and passed by the county.
- When building your deck, bolt the ledger board to the house ledger board and over the existing siding. Bolts are spaced according to building code.
- If your ledger board is not real wood, use extra vertical and horizontal supports and beams on the rear wall, making your deck “free standing.”
- Install the front header system consisting of 6 x 6 posts and double 2 x 12′s.
- Next, install the rim board at the perimeter of the deck and suspend your deck in mid-air.
- Hangers go on to sit the floor joists in.
- The floor joists are then nailed in a pattern and screwed.
- Attach the step stringers, followed by the floorboards, which are screwed down and hidden most of the time.
- Install the rail posts and railings no greater than 5′ apart from one another. Bear in mind the customer’s choice of placement, inside or outside of the deck.
- Install a band board wrap at the perimeter to cover the decks boards and give a neat finish.
- County code requires all steps on all decks to be well lit, typically one light per step. A flood light illuminating the steps also may pass code.
- Clean up on a daily basis to keep your property respectable during the construction process.
Typical Deck Details
We know and conform to all the decking standards released by each county every year. This ensures that you will have a safe and attractive deck that will last you a lifetime. To see your county’s deck specifications, click on one of the links below to download the PDF file.
