2018 Fall Home

Page 10 2018 Fall Home & Garden Lincoln Daily News Sept. 26, 2018 Continued nn 5. The landscape is less impacted during the fall. Whenever you build the deck of your chosen design, there are several steps to follow for constructing a deck that will last many years. Ron Pillers of West Coast Deck explains step-by-step instructions for building a deck. First, the deck is attached to the house with a ledger board, which is a lumber beam. Special fasteners will hold and secure the board to the frame of the interior house. Flashing put behind the board will prevent water from getting behind the board and causing damage. The floor joists will need to be attached to the ledger board with a joist hanger to prevent them from dropping or pulling away from the ledger board. He suggests spacing joists either 16 inches apart on center or 12 inches on center. To get the framework level, temporary supports are built and footings poured last. If pouring footings first, you must be careful with the level. It is important to get the posts sturdily in the ground and completely level. Pillers then shows how the post is connected to the beam. It is treated to avoid rot. Pillers shows how to dig and pour concrete footings, though pier blocks work too. The crew digs down sixteen inches or so and tries to avoid the wood contacting the ground unless absolutely necessary. The crew uses triple galvanized metal components because the framing material has copper in the solution and regular steel would rust over time. See how he does it at If your site is in a floodplain, a free-floating deck might be a good option. Bob Vila of This Old House demonstrates how to build this type of deck, which is not attached to a house. Vila says it is almost like a 12 x 15 foot coffee table sitting on little legs. The one he builds is set on the concrete of an old carport. Post brackets made of galvanized metal are used to attach the deck to the concrete and a stub cut nail holds the bracket in place with a solid grip. The small posts will be positioned in these brackets. Metal joist hangers are used to attach the deck boards to the posts and are spaced16 inches apart. Once the joist hangers are in place, the deck can be assembled.