10' X 12' Backyard Deck

by Wingman87 in Outside > Backyard

7492 Views, 31 Favorites, 0 Comments

10' X 12' Backyard Deck

20220614_185628.jpg
xgN2ug0Zog.jpg

When my wife and I purchased this house a few years ago, we never really liked the deck but had plans to build a new one. Over the years, we slowly removed sections and this year was finally the year to build a new one. Although there are many different ways to build a deck, this instructable is to show how I built it. Make sure to check your local codes for building and permits that might be required.

Supplies

20220512_091436.jpg
20220512_091429.jpg

I will list as many of the tools that I used:

Mitre Saw

Jigsaw

Sawsall

Hammer

Drills and drill bits

Various Screws, nuts and bolts

Joist holders

Corner Braces

Post blocks

Various pressurized wood (posts, decking, stringers,etc)

Levels

Crowbar

Sledgehammer

Demolish the Old Deck

20220512_074307.jpg
20220429_160059.jpg

I am not going to show too much about this, but basically I used a sawsall to slice and dice the deck into smaller pieces that I could haul to the local dump via Uhaul truck. I performed this step multiple times over the years as I slowly removed section by section.

Order New Wood and Materials

20220512_091429.jpg
20220512_091436.jpg

For this step, I worked with a rep from Home Depot to design a deck for me. Once satisfied on design and price, I ordered the wood and materials to be delivered to my home. I live in a town home, so I had to carry this all through the house to the backyard.

Build the Frame

20220512_125930.jpg
20220512_134812.jpg

Started off by building the frame of the deck and figuring out where it will best be laid out. This allowed us to place the post blocks in the right spots. While building the frame, we used a square on each corner before attaching the corner braces.

Attach Joists and Posts

20220512_145939.jpg
20220512_150408.jpg
20220512_153529.jpg

I did not take any pictures of us attaching the joists. However, what we did was first attach the joist end closet to the house, and then did the end furthest from the house. These were attached using galvanized nails.


We measured the post lengths that we would need for each spot and cut each one to size.

Since there were only 2 of us doing this, we did not have enough man power to lift it. What we used instead was a car jack that was well placed in the center, while using 1 of us to stabilize while the other screwed the posts into place.

While attaching the posts, we made sure to leave a very slight degrade leading away from the house to allow rain water to flow away from the house. This slope should be very small.

Add Deck Boards

20220518_154807.jpg
20220512_171146.jpg
20220512_171148.jpg
20220513_110152.jpg
20220513_110157.jpg
20220513_110159.jpg
20220513_115312.jpg
20220513_130308.jpg
20220513_132642.jpg
20220518_162910.jpg
IMG-20220518-WA0002.jpeg

This step is pretty straight forward. Because we wanted to make sure that the deck boards were flush with the end furthest from the house to accommodate stairs, we started with placing the deck boards at the end away from the house. Working our way towards the house, we placed a deck board down and screwed it into place. We used popsicle sticks as spacers between the deck boards. Due to the boards not being 100% straight, we had to use a flat head screw driver and hammer to wedge the boards into place and screw down.

When we got to the final board, it had to be cut length wise using a table saw. To accommodate the cement step, I measured where the cuts would be and used a jigsaw to cut it out. I had to trim the edges a little bit to adjust the fit before screwing down.

Cut and Place Stringers

20220612_165320.jpg
20220614_141633.jpg

I did not get any pictures of cutting the stringers, however, I got help from a carpenter friend to cut 1 stringer to use as a template. I suggest getting help with this step or google how to build a stringer as there is some math to properly make these. This step (pun intended) is important as humans have a natural way of stepping and if the steps measurements are outside of this range, it can cause a tripping hazard.


Our goal was to make wrap around steps (on 2 sides). Using the template, I cut multiple stringers. Using stringer hangers, I placed each stringer 12" apart.

Place Deck Boards on Steps

20220613_165708.jpg
20220614_124138.jpg
20220614_142013.jpg
20220614_144505.jpg
20220614_163957.jpg
20220614_175038.jpg

For this step, I just placed the deck boards down and marked where I would cut the corner. Using a mitre saw, I made my cuts. Screwed the boards down into each stringer.

Finish

20220614_185628.jpg
20220614_185622.jpg

Finished by placing our BBQ and Patio set on the deck. After about a month or so, it is good to go over all the screws with a drill to make sure they are in there snug