wizer
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- 3 Mar 2005
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**long post warnng**
ok I know this is slightly off topic but I have found no other forum to be as helpful and laid back as this. So I am going to use this thread to ask advice from the forum and also to log my progress (deathly slow I expect.)
I have never undertook anything like this before. Last year we completely overhauled our bathroom, it took about 3months (weekends mainly) and was real hard work. This was my biggest ever DIY project and imho it came out really well. This has given me the confidence to do the decking myself.
Over the past couple of months I have been trying to get my head around it all. I would like to get as much detail into my plans before the work commences. As time progresses I am getting more confident. The internet is a great place to learn the theory behind this sort of thing. I spend my working life in front of the internet so have had plenty of time to get a good idea of what products are out there.
Stage 1: Fencing Issues
My neighbour recently suggested extending the fence which divides our shared drive 8m longer to gain more storage area for the garden. This is good news for me as it means I have an area where eventually I can build a small workshop. This will be the first job to carry out as the new fenced off area will be the only place all that wood and the current garden furniture can be securely kept. I need to dig the post holes in the tarmac and run in the fence panels. Followed by installing a double gate at the end on my side and a single gate on the neighbours side. Also in the garden the fence on the other side fell down during the winter and is currently being held up by beer crates! Need to secure this properly before the deck is constructed. I hope to start this either next weekend or the weekend after.
Stage 2: Dig Out
The garden drops away slightly to a point then drops steeply down about 3ft. We want the deck to be at the current ground level. This means hiring a rotovator and digging down about 25cm's. A skip will need to be hired to take away the soil. I am hoping that once I go down 25cm's I can level the deck area without having to use posts. Hopefully I can rope in someone to help with this as I don't think my back will survive!
Stage 3: Framing
This is the most important thing to me. If I get this right the rest should be relatively easy. I have a great book from Black and Decker on decking construction and it prety much covers everything I 'think' I need to know. Yesterday I spent hours drawing out a plan (my maths is terrible). I think I have got my head around a lot of it. The hardest thing here is getting everything level, square and true. Very nervouse about that!
Stage 4: Railing
If I have understood thing correctly then the railing needs to be sorted out after framing. The railing will be very basic with steps leading onto the lawn in the middle. Not thought much more about this yet.
Stage 5: Lighting
Not much to say on this. I have chosen low voltage up lighters which will be placed around the edges of the deck. A friend of mine will install the electrics and I will run in the lights when I install the deck.
Stage 6: Decking
I still haven't decided on what deck to use. I would love to use IPE but think its going to be far too expensive. The next alternative would be Red Cedar which is lovely and a near cert. I deffinately don't want 'grooved' decking and would prefer not to use that stuff which is in all the sheds atm.
Stage 7: Treating
A Week or so after laying the deck I will finish it with some sort of oil that will retain it's colour. I am not keen on letting decking weather, this is just personal taste.
Stage 8: Rejoicing
Ahhh imagine the day when I can sit out on the deck that I built and admire the view with a cold beer! I hope it will be sometime THIS year....
ok I know this is slightly off topic but I have found no other forum to be as helpful and laid back as this. So I am going to use this thread to ask advice from the forum and also to log my progress (deathly slow I expect.)
I have never undertook anything like this before. Last year we completely overhauled our bathroom, it took about 3months (weekends mainly) and was real hard work. This was my biggest ever DIY project and imho it came out really well. This has given me the confidence to do the decking myself.
Over the past couple of months I have been trying to get my head around it all. I would like to get as much detail into my plans before the work commences. As time progresses I am getting more confident. The internet is a great place to learn the theory behind this sort of thing. I spend my working life in front of the internet so have had plenty of time to get a good idea of what products are out there.
Stage 1: Fencing Issues
My neighbour recently suggested extending the fence which divides our shared drive 8m longer to gain more storage area for the garden. This is good news for me as it means I have an area where eventually I can build a small workshop. This will be the first job to carry out as the new fenced off area will be the only place all that wood and the current garden furniture can be securely kept. I need to dig the post holes in the tarmac and run in the fence panels. Followed by installing a double gate at the end on my side and a single gate on the neighbours side. Also in the garden the fence on the other side fell down during the winter and is currently being held up by beer crates! Need to secure this properly before the deck is constructed. I hope to start this either next weekend or the weekend after.
Stage 2: Dig Out
The garden drops away slightly to a point then drops steeply down about 3ft. We want the deck to be at the current ground level. This means hiring a rotovator and digging down about 25cm's. A skip will need to be hired to take away the soil. I am hoping that once I go down 25cm's I can level the deck area without having to use posts. Hopefully I can rope in someone to help with this as I don't think my back will survive!
Stage 3: Framing
This is the most important thing to me. If I get this right the rest should be relatively easy. I have a great book from Black and Decker on decking construction and it prety much covers everything I 'think' I need to know. Yesterday I spent hours drawing out a plan (my maths is terrible). I think I have got my head around a lot of it. The hardest thing here is getting everything level, square and true. Very nervouse about that!
Stage 4: Railing
If I have understood thing correctly then the railing needs to be sorted out after framing. The railing will be very basic with steps leading onto the lawn in the middle. Not thought much more about this yet.
Stage 5: Lighting
Not much to say on this. I have chosen low voltage up lighters which will be placed around the edges of the deck. A friend of mine will install the electrics and I will run in the lights when I install the deck.
Stage 6: Decking
I still haven't decided on what deck to use. I would love to use IPE but think its going to be far too expensive. The next alternative would be Red Cedar which is lovely and a near cert. I deffinately don't want 'grooved' decking and would prefer not to use that stuff which is in all the sheds atm.
Stage 7: Treating
A Week or so after laying the deck I will finish it with some sort of oil that will retain it's colour. I am not keen on letting decking weather, this is just personal taste.
Stage 8: Rejoicing
Ahhh imagine the day when I can sit out on the deck that I built and admire the view with a cold beer! I hope it will be sometime THIS year....