How to Make a Deck for a Pool

An above-ground pool can seem like an unsightly eyesore in your backyard, and can be inconvenient to swimmers. Most above-ground pool kits or installers provide you with a single access point: a ladder that straddles the side of the pool. In situations like this, the wall of the above-ground pool can feel like a barrier to the swimmer and the world outside. One common solution to above ground pool woes is to install a deck.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flour
• String
• Carpenter's T square
• Carpenter's pencil
• Tape measure
• Level
• Shovel
• Concrete
• Water
• Wheel barrow
• Landscape fabric
• Landscape edging
• Gravel
• 4-inch X 4-inch pressure-treated wood posts
• 2-inch X 6-inch pressure-treated wood boards
• 2-inch X 4-inch pressure-treated wood boards
• Wooden lattice
• Saw
• Wood nails
• Hammer

1. Lay out the area for your decking by pouring flour along the perimeter of the deck. Use a string and t-square to figure out where the supports for your deck will be, and mark this spot with flour.

2. Dig post holes for all of your supporting posts. Mix concrete in a wheelbarrow. Place a 4-inch X 4-inch plank in the hole and brace it with 2-inch X 4-inch boards to ensure that the planks stand upright. Fill the hole with concrete and allow it to harden and cure. The support posts that are closest to the sides of the pool should be approximately 3 inches away from the side of the pool.

3. Measure the posts with a tape measure and level, and mark a cut line at the tops. If you plan to use them to support a deck rail, mark them at the height for the rail. Otherwise mark the posts so that the deck will fit underneath the coping (the top of the above-ground pool). Cut your posts with a saw.

4. Dig out 1 to 4 inches of dirt from beneath the deck area. Cover the ground with landscaping plastic and edge it with landscaping edging. Then fill with gravel. This will keep grass from growing under the deck.

5. Measure 2-inch X 6-inch boards for your floor joists, and make cutting marks. Each board that is parallel to your pool should measure the same as the distance from the post that is nearest to the pool to the post that is the most far away. Each board that is perpendicular to the pool should measure the same as the length between the two outside support joists. Cut the joists to this length. Then nail the joists sideways on the outside of each post using wood nails. Use a level to ensure that the joists are perpendicular to the posts.

6. Attach your decking by laying out the 2-inch X 4-inch boards over the top of the joists and nailing them down. The decking should be parallel to the pool. The wood should extend just under the lip of the coping and should be allowed to run past the joists. Use the string to determine where to cut the wood, and cut it flush with the joists once you have nailed it in place.

7. Build a rail by attaching 2-inch X 4-inch boards to the top of the 4-inch X 4-inch posts. Measure the distance from the top of the rail to the deck, and the length of the rail. Cut a piece of wooden lattice to match this size, and attach it with wood nails to the outside of the deck rail.

Tips & Warnings

• When participating in construction, it is always wise to wear safety gear. Goggles, a hard hat, and gloves are important when constructing your wooden deck. For mixing concrete, you may wish to wear protective clothing and add a mask so that you do not accidentally breathe concrete dust.

References

• Build a Backyard Pool Deck
• How to Build a Side Pool Deck
• CreateYourDeck.com

Resources

• Create Your Deck Blog