How to Build a Simple Patio Deck

A simple patio deck offers space to relax outdoors.

Building a patio expands your living space and encourages the whole family to spend more time enjoying the outdoors. A patio deck typically refers to a surface that is either ground level or slightly raised and does not require a rail or staircase. You can build a simple weatherproof patio deck yourself over a few days and the structure can last for years with little maintenance.

Things You'll Need

• Circular saw
• 2-by-12-inch wood boards
• Tape measure
• Stain or paint
• Concrete block piers
• Drill
• 2 1/2-inch screws
• Pencil
• Hand saw

Instructions

1. Use a circular saw to cut four wooden boards down to the width and length of the patio deck. The width boards will be the sides of the frame and the length boards will be the front and back.

2. Cut one support board for every foot of patio length, minus one. The boards should be 4 inches shorter than the width so they will fit inside of the frame. For example, a 10-by-10-foot patio deck calls for nine supports measuring 9 feet 8 inches.

3. Divide the width of the patio in inches by four to figure the amount of surface timbers needed. A 10-by-10-foot patio is 120 inches wide, which will require 30 2-by-4-inch boards for the surface.

4. Stain or paint all of the cut boards.

5. Place two concrete block piers for every support board. Space the corresponding piers to be perpendicular to the front and back of the patio, 1 foot apart from the neighboring pier. Set the support boards in the block piers at each end.

6. Place a concrete block pier where the ends of the frame boards will go. Set the front and back frame boards so they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the supports. Set the side boards in the piers and attach them to the front and back frame boards with four 2 1/2-inch screws through each end.

7. Secure the supports to the frame by drilling four 2 1/2-inch screws through the front and back boards into each end.

8. Lay the 2-by-4-inch surface timbers across the frame, perpendicular to the support boards. Attach the timbers to the frame and support boards with two 2 1/2-inch screws where they overlap the boards beneath. Use a pencil to draw a cut line where the surface timbers hang over the frame and cut the excess.

References

• Garden Advice: Decking Guide
• Deck Plans: How it Works

Resources

• Great Landscaping Ideas: Deck Design and Building