Nail horizontal floor joists and plywood sheets on top. 2) is using the break the only way to keep it maintenance free ? The holes on the upper and lower rails were slightly bigger to allow the pickets to stand plumb. Here’s a picture of one of the post caps. Steve’s crew installed a white, vinyl rail system, and the picture below shows one of the steel posts and plastic spacers. The page is not reading friendly. I will be attaching my ledger board with carriage bolts through a brick wall, but I was only planning to build one support beam with (5) 6×6 posts. Great set of pictures that really helps to visualize the project. I understand that your ledger board in this case was not “load bearing” and that your deck was free standing. I look forward to hearing from you shortly. I have seen this on a few other composite decks around here, my parents’ being one. The same homeowners that had Steve’s crew build a custom shed have contracted him again to construct a new, composite deck on the back of their home. Tip: Building your shed will be easier if you follow shed plans. Love this article I will be using it in a few weeks for renovating my deck which is nearly identical in size and shape. ", "Easier explanation could not have been found. The base can be a small concrete slab, a small deck or even a treated 2x12 leveled in over a 6-in. This was a great project to see come together. I haven’t noticed that before either, but now that you mention it, it looks a bit funny. I’ll definitely be reading and re-reading this guide so the steps sink in before starting my own home decking project. The guys mitered all the corners and used finish nails to fasten the boards. Improperly flashed decks can cause a lot of problems, because leaks may not be visible right away, and they are not always readily diagnosed. I just want to know if that is to code. Within 2 years all rim joists were deteriorating some to the point of simply falling out. After the concrete cured, they moved the stairs into place with the top of the stairs resting on the deck support beam. We can’t use carriage bolts where I am. If this still seems confusing, Todd from Home Construction Improvement has a very simple Stair Stringer Calculator spreadsheet you can download for free. The general idea is that since water flows down with gravity, you can overlap waterproof membranes (like siding, stucco, metal flashing etc.) Lay out the stairs by drawing on the outside of the square, sliding the square along until it meets the last mark to learn how to build steps. I swear they contracted to any Joe Schmoe. tread. Fasten stringers to the skirts with 3-in. Contractors use flashing to prevent water and moisture from finding their way into a home. The importance of re-checking square measurements cannot be overstated in a deck build. In our tutorial on How to Build a Shed, we provide a video on checking and marking dimension lumber to identify the crown. I made the 45 degree cut and the straight cuts just barely touch. ;as one contractor suggested to keep the weight lighter compared to green treated lumber. If you enjoy this article, check out our other Project Guides. I love how low-maintenance the composite is. Insane post, Never seen such a long post on the internet before . Steve’s crew cuts the end at a 45° and measured the opposite side to ensure the angle stays true. The YouTube channel "TA Outdoors" made a pretty good video about making a cabin out of pallet wood, you should check it out. While building the stairs, the guys also built a concrete form and poured a small concrete pad. When attaching stair stringers, use a level to draw two plumb lines to mark the left and right positions for the skirts and horizontal lines to mark the top tread location. I wonder how much something like that is going to cost. My deck was built 3-4 years ago and our railings look exactly the same as these, but I don’t have an additional handrail. Instead, they opted to maximize the space and that results in two posts right next to each other. Step 1 - Review the Preliminaries. You may want to stain or paint your new shed to make it last longer. Steve’s crew marked their joists at 12″ oc. Each footer needed to be deeper than the frost line, and here in Maryland that means footers must be at least 30″ deep. Ugh. Once the crew had set a few more posts, they ran a tape measure along the diagonals to check for square. The simple instructions and, "The animated visuals are the key. Steve’s crew cut the upper and lower rails at a 35° angle, and trimmed them to length with equal portions cut from both sides to maintain an even appearance. Building the stairs was not an overly difficult process; the key to success was making accurate cuts. To stay current on all our Pro-Follows, subscribe via RSS or email.