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Tim Livingston
05-04-2011, 8:51 PM
Oh great wise ones, this is a woodworking topic but something different. Does anyone have some great sources of information from the internet on designing and building a deck?

Last year I had a pool put in, it is an above ground but partially buried, I found the information about this on the internet but can't seem to find what I and looking for on decks.

I'm still deciding what I want to build with but Ipe is high on my list as is cedar. I want to incorporate a curve or two and of course will be curving around part of the pool. This deck will be attached to the house and extend to a patio and to the pool. The general deck area is 14x14 and then I'll probably go 1/4 of the way around the pool. (it is 21 foot in diameter) Thanks.

John M Wilson
05-04-2011, 11:13 PM
Hi!

When I built my deck a few years ago, most of the free stuff I found on the internet was worth what I paid for it :)

So, I picked up a few books. I'm not sure if there are newer versions out there, but here is my 2 cents...

Taunton's "Building a Deck" from their Build Like a Pro series was the best one I found. It was detailed enough, yet not over my head. Lots of pictures, but also important things like span tables for joists, and other essential tools for the design process.

Black & Decker's "Complete Guide to Building Decks" was also pretty good, but not nearly as detailed as the Taunton book. Beautiful pictures, but a little thin on the the text.

Home Depot's Decks 1-2-3 was a good companion book, but wasn't quite good enough to be a standalone. Lots of nice pictures, but a little light on the design process.

I would suggest scouring Amazon.com for these and similar books. You can pick these titles up for under $10.00 used, and I found them definitely worth the price.

Also, if you are not familiar with Computer Aided Design, now is an excellent time to learn. I did my deck on Autocad, and that was the best decision I made. It took many weeks to get it right on the computer, but I didn't want a rectangular cookie cutter deck, I wanted something with a little style, which meant angles, levels, etc. Getting this right on the screen before I even dug the first footer hole seemed to take forever, but I am so glad I did. It even impressed the guys at the codes department when I unrolled my prints -- I'm sure it made the permit issuing and inspecting go smoother than it would have. If you don't have access to Autocad, there are several free or cheap Cad programs out there, including Sketchup.

Like any other project, the advanced planning seems to be delaying the "fun" part, but if done well, it can make the fun parts actually fun, and not an exercise in frustration.

Good luck!

Tim Livingston
05-05-2011, 1:01 AM
You know, I'm not sure why I didn't look at that route, guess I'm getting to use to just googling everything. I haven't played much with CAD programs but I did just download sketchup yesterday and bought a cheap program but it doesn't seem worth the little bit I spent on it.

I just went to Amazon and ordered the Tauton book, the B&D book, one from Fine Home Building that was printed in 2011 and one other one. This should get me started. My two boys and myself spend a lot of time outside all summer and fall so with the incorporation of the patio too I want this to turn out perfect, that's why I am asking questions now.

Before I get started I still have to pull the transmission out of my truck, get the electrical pulled to the pool and a whole bunch of other projects so I figured during bad weather I could be researching the decking project. Thanks John for the reply, by the way got any pictures of your deck?

Greg Portland
05-05-2011, 12:03 PM
Ipe is very strong so you don't need as much thickness to span 16" joists. I would highly recommend some form of screwless decking solution around the pool... it will minimize splinters in bare feet. I used EB-TY for my deck and was pleased with the ease of installation. Note that you can buy deck boards pre-notched for this kind of system.