Materials Checklist for a Deck

Enjoy your deck more by building it yourself.

Building your own deck is a time-consuming and expensive project that is also rewarding and fulfilling. While the wood or other deck material may be the most expensive aspect of your deck-building project, you can recoup some of the cost by building it yourself with the help of a few family members or friends. In the process, you'll learn much about construction and at the end, have something that you can take ownership of and pride in, knowing that you built it yourself from scratch.

Foundation

Just like a house, every deck needs a foundation. Sonotubes and concrete are the two materials you'll need for the foundation of your deck. Sonotubes are a brand of forming tubes that have been used for more than fifty years on construction and building projects. They are an economical way to create columns that will form the basis of your deck's support structure. Concrete is poured into the tubes to form the deck foundation.

Substructure

The substructure of your deck is what is beneath the surface that you will one day eat, dance, drink, entertain and relax upon. Materials needed for the substructure are posts, beams, ledger board, rim and deck joists and bracing. Beams are dimensional cuts of lumber that sit atop posts horizontally. Joists are other pieces of dimensional or cut and measured lumber that set parallel to each other, forming the frame or structure of the deck; joists rest on top of beams. Ledger board is a piece of lumber secured to your house which supports the rim and deck joists and forms the outer perimeter of the deck. Posts are additional pieces of dimensional lumber that support the beams and deck substructure. Bracing, or blocking, provides support near the outer edges of the deck for stairs and stringers.

Surface Material

Surface material makes up the deck materials needed to create the surface of the deck. Think of it as the part of the deck that you will sit, walk, stand and play on. Surface materials include the decking, top and bottom rails, balusters, stair stringers and treads and skirt boards. Decking is the wood or other material you are building your deck from. Balusters are vertically arranged lumber pieces that usually measure two feet by two feet and are spaced between top and bottom rails to provide a barrier so that users don't fall off the deck while enjoying it. Stringers are dimensional pieces of lumber that support the stair treads of deck stairs.

Hardware

Hardware is needed to secure lumber together and make your deck strong and sturdy. Hardware needed for your deck includes joist hangers, joist hanger nails, anchor bolts, post bases, post and beam connectors, carriage bolts, lag screws, washers, nuts, decking screws or nails, flashing and caulking. The exact amounts of hardware needed varies depending upon the size and surface area of your deck. Lastly, you will also need exterior stain or paint with which to coat your finished wood deck. A stain will add color and help protect your deck from inclement weather.

References

• Eastford Building Supply: Printable Deck Material Checklist
• Sonotube: Sonotube Round Concrete Forms Brochure PDF
• Ideas for Deck Designs: Deck Components