Summer Deck Construction

I have been involved in allot of summer carpentry projects this year and one of the most common is Deck building. I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks that I have run a crossed and made note of while I am working to make the job a little faster and efficient while maintaining a safe working environment.

This is an old cedar deck that is starting to fall apart and breakdown over tough weathering conditions. The owners wanted a new design to increase the square footage as well as building it out of a material that is low matenince that dosent require re-finishing every couple of years.

Demoing existing structures.

Before you get to the fun part of new construction you have to of course demo the old and make way for the new. This too can be a fun stage of any project but also a dangerous one too. I have seen situations get out of control by trying to work to fast or not thinking before you make a cut or put steel to wood in an attempt to persuade a piece of wood to move.

In this picture I am cutting in between the joist bays to break apart the structure in more manageable pieces. Using a cats paw (nail puller) you can remove the nails from the joist to the foundation and the section should be able to come apart allot easier and faster than using a leverage bar to rip up individual planks.