Hi all.
Yet another low level deck project completed at my partner’s place.
A good practice run for the project at mine.
Before:
starting the frame
stopped raining for long enough to dig out the grass and dig the footings
I didn’t take a photo of the weed matting and gravel that went in after this photo. I didn’t use builders plastic because I didn’t want to increase the impervious area on the lot too much. Thankfully we have a drain within the concrete area built by my partner’s grandfather back in the day. Old bloke knew what he was on about that’s for sure. We designed an access hatch so we can get to the drain for maintenance.
Adding a new pergola beam so we could remove the middle post from the existing pergola (thankfully no rain that day)
Man it would have been easier if the joists and bearers didn’t have to be flush!
Laying out the spotted gum decking
No one tells you that most boards have a bit of a bow. The wedge technique worked well to get the spacing right and straighten the boards at the same time. Every 6th board secured in place first, then the wedges used to get the rest of the boards in and evenly spaced. Used a countersunk drill bit to pre drill the screw holes. A lot of drilling for 1500 screws!
So many rain delays. It was great when I had enough boards on to set the drop saw up under cover.
Bought a cheap track saw to finish the edges. I get told I’m a perfectionist, really it was an excuse. I’ve wanted one for ages.
Agonised over what finish to use. Ended up with something that wouldn’t go white if it was subjected to a big storm within 24 hours. Building a deck in a La Niña year is a challenge!
Finished product is great and we’ve had a few sunny days to enjoy.
I’m really proud of the work I’ve done. Thanks workshop community for all of the helpful ideas and information.
