Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with deck

Who will dig my holes?

blackjack514 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:45:00 -0800

What tradesman or trade area should I look to to dig the footers for my wood deck? We've decided to install a deck on our Chicago Bungalow and I have confidence that I can do it all myself except for one part. Installing the footers for the posts. They have to be 4 feet deep by code and based on the plans there are going to be 14 of them. A little more digging than I am willing to do. I also want them to be stable and well done. My question is, what trade area or tradesman should I look to for this part of the project and would they even be willing to do such a small part. Any specific recommendations in the Chicago area would be welcome as well.

Wood deck vs. stone patio

colemanm — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:53:38 -0800

I'm going to build a deck or patio in my backyard, but I'm trying to make the final decision between poured/stamped concrete, stone pavers, or a standard wood deck... The finished product we hope will be about 15'x25', or something in that range. We'd like a pretty good size, so it can be multipurpose. What's generally the cheapest option? The most expensive?

My concerns with a wood deck seem pretty standard across the internet: lots of maintenance, size (if raised off the ground... my yard is not humongous, so I don't want the deck to take over the yard), and lack of durability. I'm attracted more to a stone patio for looks and lifespan, but I've had a couple people tell me that a deck would raise the home value more, at least if the economy was not a wreck.

Any advice on the cost of one vs. the other? I don't mind some hard labor, or an up-front investment in something that'll last for years, so my budget is flexible.

Dek-Block veterans, please come share your stories.

anderjen — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:51:22 -0800

Thinking of building a platform-style deck in our backyard using the Dek-Block system. Looking for experiences from others who have used it. Considerations:
We've already checked with our city and found that the floating foundation system is permitted.
We know we aren't required to have frost footings as long as it's not attached the house.
We won't need to pull a building permit because the deck will be less than 30 inches from deck to grade.

So, my questions are:
Has anyone here used it?
If so, are you happy with it?
Is it as easy to put together as they say?
Any pitfalls to be aware of?

Thanks!

Keeping a patio clean from above balcony

wongcorgi — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:39:51 -0800

How do I keep my 1st floor patio clean/dry while being able to spray clean an overhead balcony? I have a balcony that regularly gets dirty from leaves, pine needles, dirt and I hose it off once every couple weeks. I have a cement patio directly below that gets extremely dirty from this as well as flooding of the area in front of the patio.

Now that the weather is nice, I'd like to start using this lower patio, and possibly use the 2-3ft area in front to grow some vegetables.

I do want to be able to clean my balcony regularly. Does anyone know of any solutions to handle both?

I was thinking a gutter but I would be washing a lot of debris into it, plus I'm usually spraying with some pressure so the dirt might even fly over the gutter.

How can I enjoy my deck without being swarmed by bugs?

Fleebnork — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:21:24 -0800

How can I enjoy my deck without being swarmed by bugs? (I searched previous questions and didn't find anything pertaining to bugs, yards and/or decks, porches, or patios.)

I have a nice big deck on the back of my house. Unfortunately I live in Georgia, and that means bugs. Lots and lots of bugs. The bugs in question are gnats and mosquitoes. The gnats are just annoying and seem to want to fly up my nostrils. And mosquitoes are... well you know.

We've tried citronella candles and tiki torches, but they don't really work. I don't have a covered deck, so creating a screened area would be a major rebuild, so that's not a possibility.

Can anyone recommend anything, or are we just kind of stuck with the bugs?

Suggestions for veggies I can grow on a deck or inside?

Rosie M. Banks — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:02:53 -0800

I'd love to grow some vegetables this year. However, I don't have much in the way of outdoor space OR sunlight. What are my best bets? I live in a condo. I have a deck, but it doesn't get much sun. I do have some space inside, but not much, and nothing with oodles of sun - it's not dark at all, but I don't get tons of direct sunlight; most of my windows face east or north.

So what are my best bets for growing my own vegetables? I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area (East Bay); frost/snow is not an issue but summer heat can be. I need something that will happily grow in a container and in at least partial shade. Or, alternatively, one of those "Aero-Garden" indoor planters; my mom is growing cherry tomatoes in one of those now, but they've yet to ripen. Anyone grow vegetables or herbs indoors? I'd at least like to get a pot or two of basil going for homemade pesto!

Composite decking recommendations

Slacker Manager — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:25:35 -0800

I'll be replacing a cedar deck soon, and would like recommendations on composite decking material. I'm more concerned being eco-friendly than with cost. I know there are pros/cons on both sides of the composite/wood divide, but I've done a couple wood decks and it's time to try composite.

What have you used? Likes, dislikes? Research resources? What would you use if you did it over again?

How to build a roof deck?

waterbottle — Sat, 12 May 2007 00:29:55 -0800

Anyone have a roof deck or build roof decks? I'd like to invest in one - what should I do, and what am I missing? My girlfriend and I just moved into a brownstone apartment on the west side of Manhattan, with access to a fantastic outdoor roof space. The only problem is that the roof surface itself is kind of old and spongy, made from a material that the previous occupant told us tends to melt in the summer heat if furniture or really anything is resting on it. Naturally.

The solution seems to be a roof deck; the building next door has a pretty nice one built on top of what seems to be a fairly similar if not identical surface, so my guess is the roof can accommodate the construction, just nobody's bothered to make the investment.

Has anyone out there taken on a project like this? Did you do it yourself or hire a contractor? In either case, how much did the project cost - as measured in money or labor, or even frustration, if that's the dominant emotion you now associate with the project?

Hive mind, if you have a roof deck story to share, roof deck advice to give or referrals to make, or any general roof deck wisdom to dispense, it would be very much appreciated. I'll put more specific information below.

- The dimensions of the roof are roughly 22x50 feet, though in all likelihood we'd only be building on half of that area. The roof surface also has a mild downward slope. It's not too crazy -- i'd say somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 degrees, noticeable but not so steep that a ball would roll down it.

- Wherever possible, we'd like to make this a green construction that uses recycled materials. As far as I've been able to gather, these are the three major brands of weather-proof recycled plastic wood substitutes:
o Trex - http://www.trex.com/Universal/DealerLocator.asp
o ForeverDeck - http://plasticlumberyard.com/foreverdeck.htm
o LP WeatherBest - http://www.lpcorp.com/deckingrailing/deckingrailing.aspx
Anyone have any experience with any of these?

- Any recommendations on a good outdoor furniture source? We're on a budget but don't mind spending for quality pieces that will last. Ideally, we'd like to use it for everything from grilling, to hosting company, to having a nice place to read or work during the day.

- Super-ideally, we'd like to install a small solar array on the roof to provide power for roof lights, a stereo, possibly even a small computer. Anyone delved into DIY or small-output solar systems?

- In my head, this can be done (well, maybe not the solar power) for somewhere in the neighborhood of $5000. Am I crazy?

- What are the inevitable things I'm forgetting or have failed to consider? There can't be fewer than a dozen.

All's to say, I feel like we have a pretty neat opportunity and I don't want to mess it up. Thanks in advance for your help and collective expertise.

Block off wooden porch steps for dog purposes, cheaply?

staggernation — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:42:08 -0800

Stairs (wood) lead from backyard up to outdoor deck (wood). Dog can run up. Want to install something to keep dog in yard, with stairs remaining usable, without hiring expensive contractor. Thoughts? Picture a house with an outdoor porch with a wooden deck, about 4' off the ground. Centered at one end of the deck, which is 10' wide, there's a set of stairs, 7' wide, leading to a backyard that's otherwise fenced in. Neither the porch nor the stairs has a railing.

Now picture a happy Labradoodle. The goal is to let this dog romp in said yard unsupervised, without being able to run up the stairs. But people still have to be able to use the stairs. In other words, this will involve either a length of railing + gate mounted to the deck (no side supports available), or a fence + gate around the three sides of the stairway. Or something clever I haven't envisioned.

And ideally, we'll accomplish this in an inexpensive and somewhat DIY fashion: with prefabricated components we can purchase, even if we need a pro to help mount them, and no concrete-pouring.

Any ideas?

I found some porch railings that might be suitable, but I'm not 100% sure which components would be needed, and it appears to get a little pricey when you add up the gate, railing, post mounts, and post cladding. This doesn't have to be aesthetically wonderful or especially sturdy—just gotta keep that dog in the yard.

How in the heck should I plan my deck?

Could it be, El Guapo ... — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 10:23:03 -0800

Where can I find guidelines or software that will help me design a rectangular, free-standing deck with cantilevers? I have looked at lots of books and googled around a bit. All of the guidelines I have seen are for attached decks and don't cover cantilevers.

I'd like to be able to optimize the deck for minimum number of post holes and minimum cost.

The deck will be about 15' by 24'. For aesthetic reasons, the beams will be along the longer dimension. The beams and joists will have a 2' cantilever on both ends. The structural elements will be pressure treated pine and the decking will be Cedar.

What are the odds of that?

jaimev — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 07:47:20 -0800

A regular deck of 52 cards is shuffled and turned face up one by one. What are the odds of going through the whole deck and finding at least one set of two consecutive cards which have the same value? (ie, a pair). Over 30 years ago, I went through a period in 5th or 6th grade where I became fascinated by how it seemed like I could never end up running through the whole deck without encountering at least 1 pair. It was like magic to me. Someone out there must be able to easily calculate the exact probability of this and put a number to my wonderment.

What kind of wood is my deck made of?

designbot — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 08:53:56 -0800

What kind of wood is my deck made of? I want to seal my deck for the winter, but I don't know what kind of wood it was made of. This is probably a no-brainer for somebody out there. Some areas have a slight greenish tinge, so I'm thinking it's probably pressure-treated wood, but I want to be make sure I get the right kind of sealant (it ain't cheap). Pics of the deck here.

Also, would I need to apply sealant to all the railings and supports and everything, or just the floorboards?

Advice on deck staining & bathtub caulking

_sirmissalot_ — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:58:05 -0800

Questions about 2nd coats. 1) DECK: Just stained deck two days ago with a semi-transparent latex deck stain ("Weatherbeater" brand). Unfortunately it dried a little unevenly, showing brush marks, so there are lighter and darker patches. Can I apply a second coat, or will that peal once the rain comes? 2) TUB: re-caulked around tub yesterday. Aesthetically it might look better if I could apply another layer of caulk to smooth out edges and make a little thicker (used white silicone bathroom stuff), but will the fresh caulk adhere properly to the 24-hour cured caulk? I had to scrape the bejesus out of the gap to get the old caulk out, and I don't want to risk the new caulk job failing.

What can I use for flooring on my balcony?

amanda — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 14:21:59 -0800

What can I put down on my balcony as "flooring" which will fill in the gaps, keep stuff from falling through on my downstairs neighbor and maybe prevent her smoke from drifting up? I'm renting an apartment in an old 60s-era building. The balcony was built like a standard deck with gaps between the boards. This is really annoying because I'm always worried that I'm going to tip over a glass of water or something and douse my downstairs neighbor. Also, she smokes and it's not so nice to be having dinner on our deck and have her smoke drifting up. I realize that this won't prevent that entirely but I'm looking for something to lay down on the deck which will act as flooring. It is also not protected entirely from the elements so I am somewhat concerned about weathering. It should either be a weather-resistant material or something that I can replace cheaply. Any thoughts on a good material for this?

Living in a fishbowl

ninjew — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 13:21:59 -0800

I have been searching in vain for a way to make my outdoor space more private. Can you all help me find a specific type of screen (if it exists)? I have a deck outside my apartment. The way it was built really ruins any sort of privacy I might have sitting outside. Essentially the 'decks' form a walkway around the outside of our building. My unit is on the corner on the highest floor, so at least there's no reason for anyone to have to walk past my unit.

However, I really feel like I'm exposed when I'm sitting out there and as a result I've barely used the space. Orginally, I had been looking at something like this. However, I came up with an idea last night and I cannot seem to find something that fits the description. The reason I don't want to use the type of thing I linked is because I don't want to have to haul it inside constantly, and would worry about it being blown over by wind.

Since I have the typical steel railing around 3 sides of the deck, I was looking to find a sort of retractable screen that I could mount on the railing. So when I am out there and want privacy, I could pull it across to the other side, thereby making a 4th wall. Think a screen similar to the one your teacher pulled down from the ceiling to show the crappy movies on. Does such a thing exist only in my head (specifically designed for this purpose)? Or is there something close enough that I could modify. Size would ideally be approx 5ft tall by 8ft wide.

Cool Shade

Aghast. — Sun, 28 May 2006 17:21:52 -0800

The deck / patio on my mother's house is completely exposed to the sun and umbrellas haven't been working as shade providers. The wind breaks them. Or they provide insufficient shading. Besides building a roof over the deck, what else can we try to turn her deck into a nicely shaded space?

Sanding a Deck: How little can I get away with?

HK10036 — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 16:47:55 -0800

Sanding a Deck: How little can I get away with? We have a a neglected deck at the back of our house. It's about 700 sq. ft., it was painted at one time but about 70% has worn off. The exposed areas are thoroughly sun bleached and the whole thing is fairly warped, cupped, etc. It's not excactly falling apart, just ugly. It's built of pressure treated wood and I'd guess it to be 20 years old or so. I've used a powerwasher (fun!) to clean the whole thing and against all the warning used the 'laser blast' nozzle to get as much of the remaining paint off as possible. I'm not trying to restore the thing, just clean it up and make it hold up for a few more years.

It's pretty splintery at this point. I plan to use clear deck sealer when weather permits but I suspect it should get a bit of sanding first. I think renting a big drum sander, like you use for floors, would be overkill. Considering ther un-eveness of the surface I imagine it getting caught on corners and grinding off the nailheads that hold the deck together, running amok, etc.

Can I get away with a handheld random orbit sander to just get the high points? Is there some kinds of spongy/flexy sanding device that'd reach below the high points (like the lower areas of a cupped plank)? I don't want to spend more than necessary but I don't want to go through all this to end up with a bed of nails either. I'm a total novice. Any suggestions?

Am I responsibile for unpermitted decks built by previous owners?

bocksheesh — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 11:00:29 -0800

I bought my house in the Los Angeles hills about two years ago. A week ago, I was approached, out of nowhere, by a City Inspector regarding two decks off the back of my house. The decks were built by the previous owners and were very likely unpermitted - which is not uncommon in the hills where I live. The larger of the two decks did have a permit applied for by the previous owner, but they seemingly didn't follow through on the permit and built the deck anyhow. The deck was very professionally done - complete with casons and concrete poured - but may not be up to code. My question is: as the current owner, am I responsible for a deck built by the previous owner that may be unpermitted? Can this inspector, who didn't come on my property but merely espied it from the street below, demand that we allow them to inspect the decks - built a few years ago? I have heard conflicting opinions from people - some who've said it's my responsibility now, some who've said I should tell the inspector I don't know anything about the permits but the decks "came with the house".

"Ceiling" Material for Underside of Deck

jbradley — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 10:45:56 -0800

I have a deck with a patio underneath. I have created a guttering system between the deck joists that keeps the patio dry, but it isn't much to look at. I would like to install a "ceiling" attached to the underside of the joists. One major challenge is that the joists are 24" centers, so sagging is a major concern. Ideally, this material would: -Provide a reasonably finished look -Be available in white -Not add tremendous weight to the overall structure -Be water resistant in case my guttering springs a leak -Be in the neighborhood of $1-3/sq foot. My only idea so far is the soffit treatment they use in vinyl siding applications. Any other ideas are most welcome!

How do you remove sap from a deck?

agropyron — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 17:44:10 -0800

We have an enormous [pine|spruce] tree dripping sap all over our deck. What's the best way to get the sap off? I googled a bit and some people recommended mineral spirits. That got a bit off, but not much. Hopefully someone here knows the magic secret.

(I noticed that the previous owners actually painted over some old sap! Apparently they didn't know the secret either.)

Should I treat my deck?

sacre_bleu — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 17:12:13 -0800

How can I tell if my deck needs to be treated? When we bought the house there was a small two story deck on the side. I have no idea what kind of wood was used. Underneath the second story there is green between the boards. Does that indicate anything? How can I tell what kind of wood it was made with and if I need to treat it some how?

Thanks. Sacre_Bleu's wife

housefilter-wood porch, badly painted, wet

QIbHom — Sat, 21 May 2005 10:21:06 -0800

The front porch of my 1926 non-historic house needs to be refinished. It has peeling paint over stain, is developing 3-4mm wide cracks and when I make it down to wood, the boards seem to be damp. Small ants come spilling out when I turn off my orbital sander. The porch is covered, isn't too big (maybe 15 sq. feet). I have an orbital sander, wirebrush, paint scrapper, a heat gun and a small tools and material budget. I have elderly pets and I eat the plants I grow next to the porch, so I'd prefer to avoid chemical strippers.

I assume I need to get down to the wood, fill the cracks, sand, put on a coat of some kind of primer, then possibly multiple coats of paint (I gave up on stain, after seeing the shape the wood was in). I got nearly nowhere after 4 hours with paint scraper, orbital sander with course sandpaper and fingernails (some of the paint sheets off, other bits are really on there). I gave up on the heat gun after 15 min. Is there any way to speed this up without using chemicals? Can I leave the paint on the railings (which is in better shape), and just sand and paint it? And how do I get the hook and eye sandpaper to stay on the orbital sander for long enough to wear out said sandpaper?

Paint was glopped on over dirt, bird shit and gods know what else, and it was applied thickly. The porch itself was (like so much of the rest of the house) apparently built by a 4th grade class on holiday.

The goal is not a cover on House Beautiful, but rather to end up with something that looks decent, does not attract any more attention from the zoning zombies and does not require major surgery every year. Repainting every few years is fine. I'd rather spend a little more on paint and get another year or two out of it than repaint frequently. I'd rather not spend huge amounts on paint that will last 2 months longer than cheap stuff.

Any paint recommendations? Primer recommendations? Should I break down, and put some kind of outdoor carpet thing on the high traffic bit up the steps to the door (I think that kind of thing looks tacky, although that would fit in with the tone of the neighbourhood)? And, how do I deal with the damp boards (I'm in Michigan, if that makes a difference). I'm doing this alone, and really need to move on to other house issues within a few weeks.

Planning a Deck

sharksandwich — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 14:21:52 -0800

I would like to build a deck in the space between my home and garage. A buddy of mine is a rough carpenter who could do all of the physical labor, but he's really poor at design and organization. How should I go about getting a set of plans/drawings/materials list for him to follow? Are their architects that do this sort of thing? Any idea on cost?

DIY Planters

chaz — Wed, 14 Jul 2004 15:58:04 -0800

I want to add some plants to my deck and I'm looking for planters, or rather looking for industrial materials which might make good planters that can be bought for cheap. I spent hours on my Tandy looking through Google and Froogle, but can't seen to find anything appropriate. What I'm dreaming about would be any sort of tub or industrial looking trough or whatever which could be adapted to hold various plants. Metal and wood are the desired materials. If anyone has advice about where to go, how to look, or on specific materials that might make good planters, please post!