# My deck, a diy four month adventure



## jackie treehorn

Like the title says, I started in early may and wrapped up in september. I must say I don't like working with treated lumber, I mainly use sheet goods where evrything is straight and even, seemed liek I spent more time soorting through the lumber than anything. The yard is still a disaster, and I still have some things up my sleeve like a small built in area for the bbq, a serving bar attched to the pergola, and I need to cover up the pt posts for the seating with some cedar. Just need some more time and better weather

the original area






















































Small sundeck for the wife, best spot in the small yard for sun









And that's all I have for now, took a long time, but totally worth it, now I'm just waiting for nicer weather


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## cocobolo

Jackie:
That looks like a pretty nice project. I spent a number of years doing decks and fencing. Loved the decks, hated the fencing.
Are you going to have anything growing on your pergola? Or just leave it alone?
I see two different colors on your decking, is that just stain, or???
And I expect you will be putting a nice walkway over to your wife's deck, right?
She'll love you for that.
Nice job.


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## jackie treehorn

cocobolo said:


> Jackie:
> That looks like a pretty nice project. I spent a number of years doing decks and fencing. Loved the decks, hated the fencing.
> Are you going to have anything growing on your pergola? Or just leave it alone?
> I see two different colors on your decking, is that just stain, or???
> And I expect you will be putting a nice walkway over to your wife's deck, right?
> She'll love you for that.
> Nice job.


 
I dunno what I'll do with the pergola, I'll have some lighting for sure. The two different colors are just the different colors available on the composite decking. I mitered all corners, and routered all ends of each board.
I plan on putting a walkway over to the sundeck, either stamped concrete, or slate pavers.
Thanks for the compliments


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## cocobolo

Of course....what brand of composite is it? Just curious as there have been a few problems.


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## jackie treehorn

cocobolo said:


> Of course....what brand of composite is it? Just curious as there have been a few problems.


it's trex, I searched before buying and came up with problems across all sorts of brands, I have zero trees around, and figure/hope that may help from any build up/mold etc It wasn't till the other day I saw the one big trex thread, granted it was from stuff manufactured a couple years ago, hopefully they got their stuff figured out (crosses fingers)


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## mferguson0414

that looks very nice, wish I had a back yard big enough for a deck like that


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## cocobolo

jackie, I think you might have hit the nail on the head there. I wonder how many people keep their decks clean. I know I'm guilty of not doing so.
I would think that a good clean in the spring and again in the fall might not be a bad idea.
I seem to recall that some of the Trex troubles were just with discolored boards. It likely would help to keep the crud off.
It might be interesting to see just what types of things will stain Trex. I wonder of there is anything on the web about that.
Unlike you rich guys, I have to use wood I cut myself from logs that I find.


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## jackie treehorn

mferguson0414 said:


> that looks very nice, wish I had a back yard big enough for a deck like that


Ha!, I have one of the smallest in the neighborhood, and I dislike yard work which is why I tried to cover up as much as possible with the deck 



cocobolo said:


> I seem to recall that some of the Trex troubles were just with discolored boards.
> Unlike you rich guys, I have to use wood I cut myself from logs that I find.


I ordered what I _thought _I needed, and had to go get more, which were a bit off in color, downside was the time in between, had I gotten it all in one swoop, woulda been fine, you can kinda tell, but it's hard.
As for being rich, 10% off coupons, and 0% interest go a long way, that and no labor charge


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## Tom Struble

very nice you probably added alot to the value of your house .good job:thumbsup:


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## cocobolo

I hear you, jackie!


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## Simply Sal

Nice deck Jackie... well laid out.. it will be good to know how these composite decks hold out 10 yrs down the road.. they are improving them as time goes by. :thumbsup:


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## jackie treehorn

Phase 2 (the BBQ) begins now. Starting with the existing area, I noticed some nice grease stains from last year  Gonna try and cover them up
































Test fitting the barbeque, I went this route since I can't afford the 2 grand for a built in bbq, figure I'll make one myself








Mini fridge will go in the left side
















I knew the left over trex would come in handy someday








More pics coming, the bbq area is one of three parts that I'd like to do under the phase II plan, really depends on time and ambition. I'd like to build a serving bar between the pergola posts closest to the bbq area, and also a small cedar awning over the bbq.


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## Grampa Bud

Do you have clearance to the house wall to fully open the BBQ lid without pulling the Barbie out of its cubby??


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## drtbk4ever

Nice work Jackie. That is fantastic looking deck. 

Do you have any concerns with the BBQ being so close to the house? ie. damage to the siding?


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## Scuba_Dave

If the siding is vinyl I'd be concerned
If its cement board siding you are OK
Not sure about paint finish on cement board being effected by heat

Very nice job, I'm not showing my wife this thread :laughing:


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## drtbk4ever

Scuba_Dave said:


> If the siding is vinyl I'd be concerned


I learned this the hard way.


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## jackie treehorn

Grampa Bud said:


> Do you have clearance to the house wall to fully open the BBQ lid without pulling the Barbie out of its cubby??


The bbq itself was never meant to be flush mounted so it's gonna stick out a bit anyway, in the pic it shows it recessed a bit which isn't it's final resting spot. 



drtbk4ever said:


> Nice work Jackie. That is fantastic looking deck.
> 
> Do you have any concerns with the BBQ being so close to the house? ie. damage to the siding?





Scuba_Dave said:


> If the siding is vinyl I'd be concerned
> If its cement board siding you are OK
> Not sure about paint finish on cement board being effected by heat
> 
> Very nice job, I'm not showing my wife this thread :laughing:


It's cement siding, I made the counter extra deep to give me about 4" clearance with the lid open, and over 6 with it closed. The HUGE downside to this: I can't find any granite slab scraps over 26" deep, so I may have to use granite tile. I'm hopin the paint won't be affected, but I had my old bbq closer than that last few years without a problem. (keeps fingers crossed)
Thanks for the compliments, I'll post up some more this week


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## Knucklez

> The HUGE downside to this: I can't find any granite slab scraps over 26" deep


my friend, look into "concrete countertop" solutions. you make the mold so you define the dimensions. 

ps. nice job on the deck! its coming along great. hope to see some plantings and lighting in the finished product.

Knucklez


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## jackie treehorn

Knucklez said:


> my friend, look into "concrete countertop" solutions. you make the mold so you define the dimensions.
> 
> ps. nice job on the deck! its coming along great. hope to see some plantings and lighting in the finished product.
> 
> Knucklez


Ha ha, I actually bought a book on it last week, I make fiberglass and plaster molds often, so making the concrete one wouldn't be a problem, it's more the course of having to teach myself to work with a new medium. I'm fine learning something new, but on this particular project I would like to get done in a timely matter since I never really got to enjoy the deck last summer, oh and I have to paint the house and try to get some landscaping done too, time is scarce. 
thanks for the compliment, got some more led lighting on the way.


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## stubits

Looks amazing! Congrats!

Did you use PT or cedar for the pergola construction?


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## 747

I don't like that gas grill so close to that vinyl. I have a neighbor who melted is vinyl like that. Also what is the box on the right of the gas grill that has discolored the vinyl with heat marks? The deck looks great. Personally i like concrete. Just because woods decks are high maintance.


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## drtbk4ever

747, the siding is concrete.

I think that box is some sort of intake or exhaust? That would explain the discoloration if it was.


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## jackie treehorn

stubits said:


> Looks amazing! Congrats!
> 
> Did you use PT or cedar for the pergola construction?


Good ol cedar, I plan to cover up the pt posts for the bench with some cedar to make it all match.

The discoloration on the wall is from the vent for the natural gas fireplace, it doesn't get all that warm out there but for some reason likes to leave soot all over
leaving work early to work on the bbq today


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## jackie treehorn

more goodness


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## Scuba_Dave

Very nice, I like the cut job against the siding :thumbsup:


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## drtbk4ever

Yes, nice attention to detail especially with that cut against the siding.


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## Gary in WA

Hey, good looking craftsmanship! 

A lot of the composite problems stem from not enough air circulation underneath the boards. Just don't close up the air to a confined space and have a water source, you'll be fine. 

Keep an eye on the vine you plant as some could pull pretty hard, you could always add some elbow braces on the wood structure.

The new exterior electrical outlet covers today are much better than older ones. They are actually waterproof, even with cords in them.

The gas flue wall termination requires ?" maybe 8"--- to combustibles. 

Water behind the kitchen unit will possibly mold, completely boxed in like that, keep an eye out for it. Unless you seal the air/water gap behind and next to it. Just some observations to help keep you and any family safe and healthy. Be safe, GBAR


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## jackie treehorn

Started working on the drawer and stuff

























easy access to the required tools 









and the upper awning:

















pretty much level between the awning and the pergola, I wasn't really trying to be that exact, but i'll take it


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## pwhoolboom

That is awesome...good job!


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## jackie treehorn

More has been accomplished, slowly.
test fit before I started staining
















I cut in some grooves in the 2x4's for plexiglass inserts so I can bbq in the rain
























This is the start of the serving bar








I'll have more after the weekend I hope


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## shumakerscott

*Pergola*

You have such nice Pergola's I was wondering about weather protection, I see that you cut slits for Plexiglass. Over here we would put the plexi on top of all the wood. Much less maintainence on the wood. Cover all of it. Your doing great work don't take me wrong. I just look to the future and work & costs to keep it going. Dorf Dude...


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## LadyFinisher

Looks very nice.


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## Aggie67

Jackie, is it true you treat objects like women, man, and you make a helluva caucasian?

God, I love that movie.


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## jackie treehorn

Aggie67 said:


> Jackie, is it true you treat objects like women, man, and you make a helluva caucasian?
> 
> God, I love that movie.


I had Karl Hungus over the other day helping me work on the bbq :laughing:


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## jackie treehorn

El serving bar:


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## Scuba_Dave

I am SO NOT showing this thread to my wife :laughing:


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## gma2rjc

It looks great and it's a cool design. 

When it's all done, are we all invited over for a burger? LOL


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## drtbk4ever

Nice work Jackie.


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## jackie treehorn

Granite in









Had to make my own quarter round cedar, that was fun...


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## Scuba_Dave

Did you bring the granite down over the top of the posts?
Looks great


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## jackie treehorn

Scuba_Dave said:


> Did you bring the granite down over the top of the posts?
> Looks great


It's actually 26x26 granite tiles, we notched them around the post.


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## Scuba_Dave

Yeah, I knew it was tile
I just didn't see any cuts around the posts
Nice job


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## DIYtestdummy

Scuba_Dave said:


> I am SO NOT showing this thread to my wife :laughing:


I am SO gonna show my wife. "Loooky what else I wanna do. Now stop going shopping so I can do it!"

I just got finished building and painting baluster-type rails to surround the pool and enclose the patio. Pergolas are next, and I'm still trying to relocate the grill to somewhere other than its current spot that is perfect distance from the inside kitchen. 

Great job on that tile!!!


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## jackie treehorn

I threw in some yard work in the middle of all this:










2ft x 2ft paver walkway to the sun deck, no fun with those back breakers




































Got the last bit of the step finished









Almost done...


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## Gary in WA

I'm curious as to sod over pit-run gravel, will that root? Looks like your almost there. Be safe, G


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## gma2rjc

That looks beautiful. You did a great job!


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## jackie treehorn

GBAR in WA said:


> I'm curious as to sod over pit-run gravel, will that root? Looks like your almost there. Be safe, G


It definately won't root, and it will never grow, it's artificial turf


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## Scuba_Dave

Looks good for artificial turf

I have a 2nd driveway, 3/4" rock down, then stone dust packed down
Grass & crap still grows & weed, pulls up fairly easy unless it gets big
Like when it rains for 24 days out of 28 :furious:


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## Gary in WA

I thought it it looked a little off....... Are those artificial weeds in that artificial dirt? lol Be safe, G


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## jackie treehorn

Lighting test, kinda sucks that I got the step light leds last year from a different source, and then the new ones this year don't match, but it is what it is, don't feel like replacing the trex boards for new ones with better matching lights
































Wife wants to do one of those hanging bamboo outdoor light sets on the pergola to help out there, I wanna do led's, we'll see what happens (or who wins)


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## BVavra

good work!

What did you use to fill the seams in the granite?


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## jackie treehorn

BVavra said:


> good work!
> 
> What did you use to fill the seams in the granite?


Thanks! I used grout, and a commercial grade sealer


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## drtbk4ever

Nice work.

What finish did you put on that cedar?


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## jackie treehorn

drtbk4ever said:


> Nice work.
> 
> What finish did you put on that cedar?


I used a "natural tone" outdoor sealer/stain, can't say I'm all that impressed with it either, it looks nice, but after the one season on the pergola there are a couple spots I'd like to touch up.


Got a few more plants in and I painted the house, pretty much done with it all now. Time to sit back and relax.


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## david.plymouth

jackie treehorn said:


> Phase 2 (the BBQ) begins now. Starting with the existing area, I noticed some nice grease stains from last year  Gonna try and cover them up
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Great job on your deck, I built one with composite (EverX) deckboards about 6 years ago and is still looks great. Zero maintenance unlike my neighbor who power washed and re-stains his wood deck every year. One question I have, what did you do with all the leftover offcuts? I have a pile of 12" - 16" pieces in my basement that I have to get rid of as I'm finishing the basement. I hate to to put them in the garbage so they end up in a landfill.


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## jackie treehorn

david.plymouth said:


> Great job on your deck, I built one with composite (EverX) deckboards about 6 years ago and is still looks great. Zero maintenance unlike my neighbor who power washed and re-stains his wood deck every year. One question I have, what did you do with all the leftover offcuts? I have a pile of 12" - 16" pieces in my basement that I have to get rid of as I'm finishing the basement. I hate to to put them in the garbage so they end up in a landfill.


I ended up using the left overs to line the inside of the bbq storage area, I still have a bit left, thought about making a planter or two out of them.


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## AtlanticWBConst.

Very Nice work. Creative and well laid out. 

Great pictures.

Thanks for posting everything.


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## jongordo8

Wow that deck is amazing...you should be very proud of your work. Just curious as to what your budget was and final total for materials?


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## jackie treehorn

jongordo8 said:


> Wow that deck is amazing...you should be very proud of your work. Just curious as to what your budget was and final total for materials?


Oh geez, I din't want to spend over 4500 on the deck, but that was before I really got started, I think ~5000-5500, but there's some tools etc, I bought with that too. The bbq area and grass were done this summer, The bbq and fridge were a bit, but I sold some bbq's to pay for the one I bought. Probably a grand for the cedar and granite. If I hadn't diy, I'd probably still have an old concrete patio back there, I never got any quotes to see the cost, but I figure it would be a lot more than that


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## bigtone

Awesome work. I was curious as to what kind of tree that is as you come off the deck next to the stairs, the small red one. Thanks


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