Constructing Your Wooden Deck
Nothing adds beauty and elegance to the backyard quite like a deck does. A nice big wooden deck hanging off the back of a house makes the whole backyard seem more peaceful, more tranquil, and more entertaining. There's just something fun about being outside on a deck with friends and family on a nice warm summer evening. Building a new wooden deck, is in and of itself not too difficult a task. You basically start out by building a wooden box with some cross members for support. You then add some decking or planks on top of that wooden box and you have the basic deck. Most decks are supported above ground by using 4x4 or 6 x 6 posts. To secure your wooden deck framing to the posts or to your house is simple enough. A trip to your local hardware store will present you with various metal clamps, clips, and framing devices that make your job easy. They are usually made of galvanized steel so they won't rust. Then simply nail or screw them to your posts or joists and attach them to the other side. This makes putting up a deck fast and easy.
The bottom line when building a deck, be sure to consult a structural engineer to go over your plans. An engineer will ensure that you're framing and decking will support the weight of a deck fully loaded with people. If you don't consult a structural engineer, you run the risk of building a deck that will not support the weight of your partygoers which could lead to a collapse of your wooden deck and potentially to injury. |
