How to Build a Deck (Attached to House)

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

PARTS. These are the basic deck parts and their descriptions..
Ledger Board - This gets attached to the house with lag bolts. It is typically a 2x10 or 2x12 (depends on the size of the deck).
Posts - These are attached to the footings and hold up the two ends of the beam. They are typically 6x6s.
Footings - These are cement blocks in the ground to which the posts are attached.
Beam - This sits on top of the two posts and runs parallel to the house. It is typically two 2x10s or two 2x12s (depends on the size of the deck).
Joists - These run perpendicular to the house, running from the ledger board to (over) the beam. These are typically 2x10s (depends on the size of the deck though).
Decking (Deck Boards) - These sit on top of the joists and run parallel to the house. This is what you stand on.
Post Anchor - One end of this metal bracket gets cemented into the footing. The other end gets attached to the bottom of the post.
Joist Hanger - This metal bracket gets attached to the house and holds the joists in place at one end.
Post Cap - This metal bracket sits on top of the posts and holds the beam in place.
Step 2

ATTACH THE LEDGER BOARD. The ledger board should be a few inches longer than the beam (so that the two end joist hangers can be screwed in properly). When you have decided on the location and the size of the deck, attach the ledger board to the house using lag bolts.
Step 3

Cross Measurements

TAKE CROSS MEASUREMENTS. Use cross measurements to determine the proper location for two footings/posts.
Step 4

CREATE THE FOOTINGS. Dig two post holes (a post hole digging tool can be used for this) and fill them with cement. Immediately proceed with next step, while the cement is wet.
Step 5

Post Anchor

INSTALL POST ANCHORS. Place two post anchors in the wet cement, one in each cement footing. Make sure they are level and plum. The distance between the footings should be slightly less than the length of the beam.
Step 6

INSTALL THE POSTS. When the cement footings are dry, cut the posts to the proper height. Make the posts short enough so that when everything is in place, there is a slight slope of the deck from the house outward to allow for water run-off. Attach each post to each post anchor bracket using large screws or small lag bolts. Check that the two posts are the same height. In other words, the two posts should be level to ensure that the beam will be level.
Step 7

Joist Hanger

ATTACH THE JOIST HANGERS. Attach the joist hangers to the ledger board every 12" to 18". Space it out so that a joist hanger is very close to each end of the ledger board.
Step 8

INSTALL THE BEAM. Attach the beam (the two 2byXs) to the top of the posts using a post cap bracket. Use hex bolts, washers, and nuts for this. Make sure the beam is level. The top of the beam should be lower than the bottom of the joist hangers (to allow for proper water run-off).
Step 9

Hurricane Tie Bracket

ATTACH THE HURRICANE TIE BRACKETS. Screw hurricane tie brackets to the top of the beams.
Step 10

INSTALL THE JOISTS. Place one end of the joist into the joist holder. The other end of the joist should go through hurricane tie so
that it sits on top of the beam. A short overhang (usually about a foot) is best. Screw the joists in place.
Step 11

INSTALL THE DECKING. Lay out the decking leaving a small amount of space (about 1/8 inch) between each decking board. A large nail can be used to space them out properly. The boards should run parallel to the house. Then screw or nail the decking boards into place.

How to Build a Deck (Attached to House)

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