Step1
Dig the holes for the concrete pads. These pads will house the load-bearing posts and keep them in place.
Step2
Clean the holes of any extra dirt or plants that may have fallen in the hole or are growing out of the sides of the hole. Leaving these in the hole will lead to imperfections in the concrete and may eventually affect the structural integrity of your load-bearing posts.
Step3
Set up your concrete mixing area as close to the holes as you possibly can. Smaller jobs may allow you to mix concrete in a smaller container that would be more portable, such as a wheel barrow. Work quickly, since the smaller the amount of concrete you're working with is, the faster it will cure.
Step4
Moisten the dirt in the holes if the soil is particularly dry. This is a crucial step, because if the soil is not moist enough, it will leach the moisture from the cement, causing cracking and sinking. However, if your soil is nice and moist, don't add more moisture or it will take an excessively long time to dry, which will cause mildew and mold to grow.
Step5
Pour the mixed concrete into the holes. It may be easiest to shovel the concrete in so there are no major spills.
Step6
Tap the concrete down with the back of your shovel to remove any air bubbles and to ensure that the mixture has completely filled all the corners and edges of the hole.
Step7
Even out the top of the concrete with a wood float. You can make a wood float by simply using a small section of a 2-by-4-foot board that is slightly larger than the width of the hole.
Step8
Insert the concrete pier into the concrete. The concrete should be cured enough to hold the weight of the pier, but still soft enough to allow it to sink into the concrete slightly. If your particular concrete is too thick for the pier to settle in naturally, then you can twist it back and forth a bit to get it to dig into the concrete.
Step9
Level out the concrete pier. Correct any leveling problems by pressing the pier further into the concrete on the high end.
Step10
Line up the concrete pier with the grid lines that you should have marked during the layout stage of your deck project.
Step11
Smooth out any imperfections around the pier that may have been caused by inserting the piers.
Step12
Cut the posts to the appropriate height. You'll want to cut the posts about 6 inches longer than the desired finished height.
Step13
Slip the post into the fitting of the concrete pier.
Step14
Secure the post with two thinner pieces of wood that are attached to adjoining sides of the post and nailed to stakes in the ground. This will serve as a temporary anchor for your posts. These pieces of wood should be mounted at 90-degree angles on the post, and check that the post is perfectly level and plumb before screwing these support beams in place.
Step15
Anchor each post by screwing it into to the concrete pier.
