How hard is it to build your own deck?

[Baggravation]

I want to spruce up the backyard but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. I'd like to state that I'm a very hard working individual but I typically hire someone to do the hard, manual labour intensive stuff. So how hard is it to build a deck? I went to The Home Depot and they have some step-by-step instructions and videos and what not but I'm not convinced I can do it on my own. I just wanted to make a simple straight-forward deck. Is this something better left to the professionals? I thought I'd save a few bucks and do it myself (I have most of the tools I need) but the task looks daunting.

[MrsSunshine]

heh there, if you know your way around a saw, level, measuring tape, hammer, drill you should do just fine. are you planning on connecting it to your home or is it going to be freestanding or a 'floater' deck. my husband built one last year, took appr. 3 solid days of hard work. (he had my son working with him). he's quite the perfectionist so that may be the reason it took so long. he also incorporated 'doors' and openings for dryers and water wells.
our desk has a base frame, then the deck is built on top of it. its appr. 10x12. nice deck. i love the fact that i can litearlly walk right out from my patio door and not have to worry about stepping down. (back/leg issues). we love our deck. any more questions. feel free to ask.

[Baggravation]

Yes, I need to connect it to the house. Right now I've got some concrete steps from the patio doors down to patio stones but I hate the elevation difference. It's only 3 steps but I've much rather walk right onto a deck. I'm half way done building a wooden canopy. I got some help and we dug into the ground and used cement for the posts. I'm thinking I could use those posts for the base of the deck. You're making it sound easy but I think your husband knew what he was doing aha. So you're saying that I just need to build a sturdy base frame and then build my deck on top? The guy at The Home Depot was saying the deck would move unless I had posts going into the ground that I would need to cement - hence why I'm trying to use the posts I originally planning on using for the canopy.

[dreamcatcher1962]

Just a suggestion, if you have any friends who have experience with this sort of thing get them to help you. Also did you check with your local municipality to see if you need a building permit? You mentioned cement posts, how high off the ground is it going to be? When dh built our deck, because it was going to be approx. 10-12 ft off the ground, we had to have "big foots" installed, which we had our house contractor put in for us.

[Baggravation]

Just a suggestion, if you have any friends who have experience with this sort of thing get them to help you. Also did you check with your local municipality to see if you need a building permit? You mentioned cement posts, how high off the ground is it going to be? When dh built our deck, because it was going to be approx. 10-12 ft off the ground, we had to have "big foots" installed, which we had our house contractor put in for us.

I've got the permit all figured out I got the OK from the city. My deck is only going to be 1-2 feet off the ground.

[MrsSunshine]

ours isn't attached to the ground or building. it is literally a 10x12 floating deck. it fits perfectly in our backyard and can't be moved unless you take it apary. but he built the frame first, then he alternately screwed the deck pieces onto the top. short then long..etc. if it is not attached to your building/home or ground from what we were told you don't need a permit. as its removable easily. yes he does have a little knowledge in construction/carpentry but never built one before. he did alot of research. he's def. a measure 10 times cut once kinda guy. oh and it sits on the ground. its only as high as the wood. so like 6 inches or whatever.

[Baggravation]

ours isn't attached to the ground or building. it is literally a 10x12 floating deck. it fits perfectly in our backyard and can't be moved unless you take it apary. but he built the frame first, then he alternately screwed the deck pieces onto the top. short then long..etc. if it is not attached to your building/home or ground from what we were told you don't need a permit. as its removable easily. yes he does have a little knowledge in construction/carpentry but never built one before. he did alot of research. he's def. a measure 10 times cut once kinda guy. oh and it sits on the ground. its only as high as the wood. so like 6 inches or whatever.

Thank you very much! I've read up quite a bit on it but I think I could use some help. I'm going to try to find some family or friends that can help me with this. This doesn't seem like a one person job ahah

[tjthemanto]

Also be careful when you are digging. Its pretty easy to hit gas lines , water pipes and utility lines. they are often not as deep as you think they are . Your utilities companies or municipality normally provide you a free map and location of the same if you call them.

[Ciel]

In Ontario, the free underground utilities locating firm is called http://on1call.com/.

So if you are in other provinces or territories, you might have to call your utilities companies or the provincial/territorial contact for utility locates.

Union Gas (before Union Energy came to exist) used to have the line "call before you dig" in lots of bill insert brochures/leaflets.

[Darth Penguin]

I've been watching a HGTV show about deck building and I'm sure there's vids on Youtube.

[Baggravation]

The decks they make on HGTV are just amazing. I'm aiming for something far more simple aha. What show do you watch? The one I'm referring to is Deck Wars.

[greatgardener]

Look in my signature... a free plan about Wrap around deck and terrace.

Sure that will can help you !

[Baggravation]

Look in my signature... a free plan about Wrap around deck and terrace.

Sure that will can help you !

WOW. Tons of information. Thank you! I haven't quite started the deck building yet. It's proven to be more challenging than I had anticipated.

[jaydenmoorie]

To built your own desk first off all you need a right technique for cutting the wood with saw and for the drilling if you want more help then check my signature below: