Always refer to local building codes to be exact. Finish the stairs with 1×8 riser boards, ripped to fit, and treads (Photo 19). Include details for the footings, attachment to the house, steps and handrails, and brand of composite decking. The lower boards hide the treated framing. The deck material is also unusual. Then use a speed square to mark the 3-1/2-in.-deep notches at these locations. Spindles are usually placed 4 inches apart and made from 2-by-2-inch boards. If your deck is elevated more than 12 inches, you’ll need to adjust the height of your footers to accommodate for the extra height. Cut and nail blocking between the joists at the midpoint. Use 16d common hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel nails to attach the hanger to the house and to the beams. Predrill holes. Connect the marks and cut the angle with a power miter saw or circular saw. deck screws. They won’t split and twist like regular 6x6s and are almost perfectly straight. You’ll have to drive nails through the top face of the first board (Photo 9). Measure the overhang (it should be 1-1/2 in.) Check out more wood deck designs if this particular one doesn’t do it for you. Nail a 6-in. This small deck is packed with features: composite decking, cantilevered seating nooks, a cedar pergola, custom railing, cascading stairs—all illustrated with solid, easy-to-understand construction details. Give us a call at 877.685.1377 or request service online and transform your backyard with a new deck! For starters, the deck joists run parallel to the house and overhang the beams to form the cantilevered bays on both sides. Use the 6-8-10 triangle method to establish lines that are perpendicular to the house (Photo 1). The second 2×12 simply improves the appearance. Use a 2×10 scrap to aid in positioning. We’re happy to announce our deck material calculator to help you build your next deck. Attach the beams for the lower deck section to the two outside posts with special inverted flange joist hangers. Then move them to your sawhorses for cutting and drilling (Photo 12). It also assumes floor joists are 16 inches apart and 6 x 6 footers (stumps) are 8 feet apart and the deck is ground level. Double-check that the beam assembly is square. Nail a second 2×12 to the first to create a beam. Cut the lower rail caps to fit (see “Marking and Cutting the Lower Rail Cap,” below). The copper tubing will age naturally to a mellow bronze color, and after many years may turn green. Your local hardware store should point you in the right direction based on the dimensions in this calculator. Use 2-1/2-in. bags of concrete for each footing hole and shovel it in. Secure the top of the stringers to the deck with hangers. Codes vary slightly, so check with your building inspector before constructing the stairs. This calculator uses standard 2 x 6 pressure treated lumber for decking available at most hardware stores. This will ensure that the posts will be parallel to each other when the caps are screwed in. If you have some carpentry experience, you shouldn’t have any trouble building this deck. Gun bluing solution will also work. The rail system combines horizontal boards for privacy and an open design of copper plumbing tubes at the top, allowing you to see out easily. Then position the posts with their outside edges flush with the beams (Figure C) and attach them with metal post-to- beam anchors (Photo 7). It takes an hour or so but helps prevent mistakes. Line up the beams with the lower marks. Adjust your framing dimensions if you use a different-width deck board. Mark the post locations. You should purchase an additional 25 percent wood to allow for framing pieces and waste. x 4-in. Splice the second 2×12 in the center. A 12 -by-12-foot deck will need 144 lineal feet of decking. Then nail on a diagonal brace. In general, the more pigment, or color, a deck finish has, the greater protection it offers. and nail the first board into place. Pry out the cutout piece and clean up the notch with a sharp chisel. See Figure E. Start at the top and work down, using 5/8-in. Our latest shed is also a pavilion—and you can build it, too! Also sight down the front joist and outside joists of the overhanging sections to make sure they’re straight. Copyright © Mr. Handyman, All rights reserved. The amount of wood you will need for a 12-by-12-foot porch is determined by your deck plans and your experience as a carpenter. After the beam hangers have been attached to the house, the next step is to construct the beams and install them on temporary supports. Keep in mind, building codes vary state-by-state. The key is to mark boards in place whenever possible. Then fill the holes with the soil you removed, packing it as you go. We recommend our users to update the browser. To simplify the design process, draw the entire stair system actual size on a large piece of cardboard (Figure F). Then mark the post at the bottom of the joist and cut each post at the marks. above the ground, you can build the two sets of steps exactly as shown in Figure A. Run the edge of your saw bed against the straightedge to cut a straight line for the recessed stair nosing board. Do this by leveling the beams and marking the temporary 2×4 supports. This calculator will tell you the size of the joist boards necessary based on the square footage of the deck. Check the return policy of your supplier before purchasing materials. Allow for an additional 15 percent of decking for waste and another additional 15 percent if you plan to lay your decking horizontally. and screw temporary blocks behind it. We used manufactured 6×6 posts for the trellis. down from the house. Calculate size of the stair runs and make stringer supports for the stairs. and a tread about 10 in. Then drive 2-in. Cover the ends of the boards near the stairs by wrapping the boards and 4×4 posts with 1x6s (Photo 17 and Figure E). Next stake out two sets of batter boards about 1 ft. outside the perimeter of the deck (Photo 1). Otherwise you’ll have to adjust the rise or change the number of steps to fit your situation. Plan the overlaps so the butt ends of the boards are facing the sides of the deck where they’re less conspicuous. Nail joist hangers to the beams. Mark the intersection of the two tails. The variety of decking materials and variables is overwhelming. Rest the beams on the beam hangers and nail a 2×10 across the front.