Learn How To Build a Deck with Composite Decking Material

building a deck is the ultimate backyard DIY project it takes some work but you can do it in this series will show you how to build a basic deck from design to framing and stairs to finish first check with your local building department and homeowners association regarding permits and building requirements also call 8 1 1 to mark any underground utility lines when planning size make sure you'll have enough room for your outdoor furniture and that you'll have enough room to move around it's also smart to think about the decking deck boards are typically 5 and a half inches wide so try to plan a deck size that won't leave skinny pieces at the ends when designing remember that the railings need to stay clear of windows and out swinging doors once you have a basic layout bring it to Lowe's to have an associate put together a professional plan and materials list for materials treated lumber is the standard to withstand weather with wet pressure treated lumber you'll need to let it dry before staining as an alternative consider upgrading the decking and railings with composite materials and always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for fasteners and structural Hardware our basic deck construction will be the foundation and 4x4 posts two by ten beams diagonal bracing 2 by 8 framing and joists 5 corridor decking stairs & railings for larger decks you can install parting boards in the middle of the decking you can eliminate some of the posts by attaching a ledger board to your house but it can cause problems later if not done right it's a job usually best left for the pros our our deck is freestanding so it won't be attached to the house when you have a solid plan you can mark the layout with strings and batter boards meet from 2 foot furring strips and screws place the batter boards beyond the corners of your planned area and tie strings to them marking the outer edges of your deck use a single stake next to the house check that the strings are close to level the layout is square when the diagonals are equal adjust the strings as needed then mark them in their final position so they can be taken off and put back in the right place before marking the posts cut the sod if required by code a sod cutter can make this job easier the post layout depends on the size of the beams local building codes and your deck design measuring from the house locate the post lines with additional batter boards and strings mark the post positions on the strings then mark the ground with paint after the posts are laid out mark the height of the deck and posts on the house the deck should be below the door threshold to keep water out of the house measure down the thickness of the decking plus the width of the joists and support beams this notes the top of the posts mark a level line at this height along the house the next steps are to set the posts then build the framing remember to follow local code for deck posts there are several methods for setting posts one way is to pour concrete in the post hole set the post on the concrete and backfill with gravel to help prevent rotting our wooden posts will be attached to concrete footers above ground for either method set the footers below the frost line to help prevent heave during a freeze temporarily remove the layout strings to get them out of the way dig the holes six inches lower than the required frost line depth for your area and slightly wider than the concrete footer tubes a power auger can make this step easier and faster measure to make sure you dug to the right depth next lay out landscape fabric and cut post hole openings later we'll add gravel over the fabric to help with weeds and drainage then pour six inches of all-purpose gravel into the hole and pack it tight with a post put a concrete form into the hole and mark it a few inches above ground pull out the form and cut it with a handsaw set the cut side down in the hole and make sure it's plumb and level now mix concrete according to the directions and fill the tube halfway use a shovel or 2x4 to remove air pockets then fill the rest of the way embed an anchor bolt into the concrete make it plumb and leave no more than an inch of thread showing also backfill as you're working to keep the form in place follow the directions for cure time after the concrete has cured cut away the excess cardboard above ground then finish covering the landscape fabric with gravel secure the post brackets with washers and nuts then set the pressure plates on top now place the posts on the brackets making sure they're plumb and secure with Tenpenny nails or structural screws if you're installing on an existing concrete pad drill into the pad and install concrete anchors to secure the brackets when the posts are in place mark the tops by holding a chalk line on the height Markey made on the house extend it along the posts level it and snap the line use this line to mark the height on the rest of the posts with a level line then cut them with a reciprocating or circular saw next step is to attach support beams made from two two by tens start by determining the crown of the board's the crown is the slight arch in the board and should always arc up clamp the board's together and drive nails about eight inches apart next attach post caps with nails then set the beam on the post caps crown side up and secure to the bracket make sure any joints are over a post apply waterproofing tape or silicone sealant along the top joint of the beams for a waterproof seal once the beams are in place screw diag bracing to the posts to prevent racking to cut the beams to the right length start by setting a straight joist against the house at the edge of the deck square it up by marking six feet from the deck corner on the house and eight feet from the corner on the joist adjust the joist until the diagonal measures 10 feet mark and cut the beams next build the floor frame start by marking the floor joists spacing on all the beams following your building codes typically 16 inches on center then place each rim joist on a beam and transfer the lines down the face of each joist placing an X to the side of the lines indicating where the joists will be attached drill pilot holes through the rim joist into the end joist and secure it with deck screws next attach reinforcing brackets with deck nails or screws don't attach the other rim joist yet position the frame on the beams making sure it's square and secure it with rafter ties if your rim joists are two pieces you can assemble the frame half at a time we're adding bracing in the middle to support parting deck boards hold the floor joist along the 16 inch on center line flush at the top and drive in a screw hold a joist hanger against it tap in the prong tightly wrap it underneath and against the other side and tap in the other prong now secure with joist hanger nails or structural screws install the rest of the joists to when they're all up strike a line and trim them to length finish the frame by attaching the other rim joist with hangers and nails with the frame secure the decking can go on next for composite decks melt the posts to the inside of the joists start by determining the post spacing for the number of posts begin with posts near the house one post at outside corners plus at the top of the stairs now measure the distance between two corner posts and divide by the distance allowed between posts round up to the nearest whole number then subtract one for example 15 feet divided by 5 feet equals 3 minus 1 so you get 2 posts in between make sure the posts are evenly spaced if one lines up over a joist you can reposition it slightly to install the posts cut them to length according to your plan and local codes to mount our posts we're using deck anchors attached to the joists which makes for a stronger railing along the end joist attach extra bracing between the joists to mount the anchors screw a post in place making sure it's plumb mark and drill holes through the end joist and post then insert the carriage bolt place the anchor and tighten the nut and washer attach the anchor with screws each post should have two carriage bolts but will only need one anchor however it's good to anchor the backside of the bracing four posts in the corners add bracing around the post and secure with anchors along the rim joist add bracing behind the post with brackets then secure the post with carriage bolts once all the posts are secured you can install the decking for a cleaner look we're using hidden deck clips starting near the house side of the deck you screws to secure the start-stop clips flush with the rim joist set your first board down and push the groove over the clip prongs next on every joist insert the clip prongs into the board's groove and secure with screws now line up the grooves on the next board with the prongs and push tightly into place overhang the board's by a couple of inches and trim them later continue installing the board's this way the hidden clips set a drainage gap between the boards also cut around the posts as needed with the jig saw the cutouts can be a little bit wider to help fit the boards in place you'll cover the gaps later with post skirts the last board might not be full width so you'll have to rip it to fit set the board in place and attach with composite decking screws later we'll cover it with a fascia board to cut the excess boards snap a chalk line along the end joist and cut with a circular saw at the center of our deck we trimmed the board's the same way to install parting boards now for the railings slide on the posts leaves and glue the collars in place with PVC cement measure the distance between posts and mark both ends of each rail a quarter inch shorter keeping the balusters spacing even between the posts do the same for the top and cut them to length on the bottom rail glue the crush block centered underneath and slide on the brackets hold the rail in place trace the brackets and remove the rail reposition the brackets and flanges mark the holes drill pilot holes then secure the flanges slide on the brackets and lock the rail in place to attach the top rail put the end balusters in place as guides and install the flanges just like the bottom rail insert all the balusters then lock the top rail in place attach post caps with PVC adhesive to finish the railing install the rest of the railings the same way next step is to attach the stairs it's common to build the framing with treated lumber and use composite surface material which is what we'll do with these steps composite deck stairs are typically made from 2 by 12 stringers spaced about 8 to 16 inches apart they rest on a solid foundation and are attached to the deck with hangers they have risers also called toe kicks treads and railings stairs should be at least 36 inches wide you can build your own custom stringers or get pre-cut ones at Lowe's whichever you choose always make sure you follow building codes to start determine the location of your bottom staff set a straight board or level on top of the decking and measure the height where you want your steps to end for example 55 inches divide this measurement by 7 the ideal height for each step round to the nearest whole number to get the number of risers in this case it's 8 now divide 55 by 8 to get the actual height of the risers for us in six and seven-eighths inches if your steps are too short for your comfort reduce the number of risers by one and calculate again since we're using the deck itself for the top riser Wilson one step for our treads we're using composite decking planks making the run about 11 inches along with wood and composite toe kicks on the back you can use the total run length to determine where to build your landing support one common landing is a concrete pad it has a four inch layer of gravel underneath and extends beyond the steps about 36 inches another option is to install concrete footers to locate them use the total length of the run also mark where the steps will attach to the deck the posts and footers should be in line with the two outer marks you can make the footers even with the ground check out our posts and framing video for steps on setting posts when you have your footers installed and the rise and run determined mark the steps on the stringers with a framing square set stair gauges at the height of the rise and the length of the run hold the square at the corner of the plank and mark the top run slide the square along the plank and mark both rise and run continue marking until you have your number of steps at the top step subtract the thickness of the toe kick and strike a perpendicular line this is where the stairs attach to the deck and there is no toe kick at the bottom step mark the thickness of the tread to ship the entire set of stairs down when the treads are installed this will make the bottom step the same height as the others cut the stringer with a circular saw and finish with a hand saw use this stringer as a template to mark and cut the others next install a two by eight below the joist to attach the stringers brace it to the joist or beam behind attach the posts to the footers like you did for the deck frame now hold the stringers and hangers flush with the top of the 2 by 8 and Mark nail the hangers to the 2 by 8 and attach the outer stringers at the bottom screw them to the posts and attach the bottom toe kick then install the other stringers next secure posts at the bottom of the stairs with bracing anchors and carriage bolts now cut all the toe kicks out of wood and composite also cut the treads attach the toe kicks first [Music] then the treads with matching colored screws leave a small gap between the treads for a cleaner look we cut extra composite stringers and covered the wood stringers after the treads are in place you can finish with the railings slide on the post sleeves and glue the collars in place hold the bottom rail against the posts hole centered mark the angle at each end and cut the rail align the holes with the top rail transfer the angles then cut the top rail [Music] slide the brackets on the bottom rail and mark the bracket location on the post drill pilot holes and secure with screws to install the balusters use a tee bevel to get the angle mark the balusters and cut next place balusters inserts in the holes and attach the balusters now position the top rail and secure in place with screws finish the railings with post caps then fill in around the footers with gravel one thing you can do to make your deck really stand out is update the railings on wood decks consider replacing the traditional wood balusters with metal the sleek black metal accents a traditional wood deck with a modern touch if you want a new look for your composite railings some systems make it easy to change the style of balusters just remove the top rails and go from white to black balusters for a contemporary look lighting always makes a deck shine and it's really helpful on stairs to install low-voltage lighting cut the holes then mount the fixtures and covers then secure a transformer near an outlet route the cables and connect the lights solar lights are a snap to mount because they don't have cables also post caps are a simple way to illuminate your new gathering space on the decking puck lights can be installed using a drill with a hole saw the light sit flush with the decking and provide a nice soft glow around the perimeter got leftover materials build a matching bench for extra seating on a composite deck use treated lumber for the framing and composite materials for a smooth seating surface then dress up your deck with skirting on our deck we attached framing to the posts and screwed on lattice we finished up by adding vinyl trim then we wrap the joists with composite boards another option is skirting made of deck boards they can be installed on the posts or on the rim and end joists like we're doing add a fascia board when the planks are in place of course don't forget about other furniture and accessories tables are a must for the classic summer barbecue or coffee and dessert add an umbrella to protect guests from the hot Sun a gazebo with lounge seating creates a cozy place to relax add soft cushions lamps and a rug to make the space more inviting keep a deck box nearby to store pillows finally fill in with plants and landscaping to complete a stylish and welcoming backyard getaway to learn about each step of deck installation go to lowes.com/howto [Music]

Channel: Lowe's Home Improvement

Views: 376,449

Keywords: how to, diy, lowe’s, lowes, how-to, howto, how to build a deck, diy deck, build a deck, building a deck, deck, composite deck, building a deck out of composite material, how to build, build, building, diy projects, building projects, outdoor deck, building a composite deck, deck plans, deck ideas, composite decking material, diy ideas, diy videos, how to videos, composite decking, composite materials, learn how to, how to build a deck with composite decking

Id: WHeDNhcO_Oc

Length: 19min 19sec (1159 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 25 2018