Sunday, May 20, 2007
we must be bored, because we are undertaking yet another project.

just off of our enclosed back porch is a 3.5"x8 foot stoop made of wood (a mini-deck, really) with 4 steps down to the yard. underneath the current deck is a railroad-tie holding wall, collapsing and pulling the current deck down with it.

well okay, it's not that bad...we still use that door to get in and out of the house especially in the summer, but it needs some propping up, and/or tearing down, and our preference is toward the latter. especially when it involves putting up a deck that can hold more than one folding chair.

so...we've been pouring over books on building decks from the library...looking through magazines and web sites for inspiration.

you need to help us...because i want to do something like this and this. and THIS! but we only have the space, time, and resources for a more standard, rectangular deck.

but it's a deck, nonetheless, and we've been talking about it since moving in (after we painting all the rooms in the house, which hasn't happened except for the bathroom which is a lovely dark blue but because of its shade and need for 4 coats, it is the sole reason i'm not painting for a long, long time).

but still, we need your help. do you have a deck? i want to see pictures of them! either send them to me in email (you can find my email address on the right, under the categories list), or give me a link to pictures of your very own deck in the comments.

i'm dreaming of the day we can have a deck party with 257 of our closest friends, so send me some inspiration!

Monday, May 21, 2007 1:54:49 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
Monday, May 21, 2007 12:33:33 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
Hmmmm...

I don't have any pics of our current deck, but I do have one of the new deck (new house - moving in 25 days). So I'll shoot that over to ya!

As for your 'new' deck... we need some landscape pics (from the outside looking at your house). :)

There are lots of things you can do to 'dress' up the deck:
1. Lay the flooring at 45 degree angles - this adds strength to the deck, as well as making it more 'interesting'
2. Use metal for ballisters instead of wood - adds a bit of class to the over all look, without adding too much to the cost (usually 50% - 75% more than wood ballisters)
3. Use composite decking instead of wood - can be bought in multiple colors - cost is usually 2 - 3 times that of traditional wood
4. If using wood ballisters fanning them instead of using them vertical adds come charm

You say you can't make the deck much larger than the 3.5 x 8 that it is now. Is that because of topography or are there trees or other obstructions? The reason I ask is you could 'terrace' you new deck if the topography is preventing a larger 1 level deck.

It is projects like this that I start to miss the 'burgh.

Wait till you see the landscaping project I've got planned for the house! <insert nervous laugh here>
Monday, May 21, 2007 2:13:12 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
We just finished the deck here on this house, off our kitchen:
http://www.castleblake.com/cherryhillhouse.htm

Our Georgia deck was MUCH bigger:
http://www.castleblake.com/georgiahouse.htm (About halfway down the page)
Monday, May 21, 2007 2:27:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
to clarify...we are adding a much larger deck than is what there right now. one that will hold a table, chairs, grill, and room to walk around. i love tiers, but that may come in a few years. for now, just a large, basic deck is all we need. and i'm not a real fan of the composite wood. i know you don't have to treat it, etc...but i just don't like the look and feel of it. i like wood decks, and the cost of it makes it impossible for us at this point.

i will be adding pictures later - after we "clean up the area a bit" ha!

brent - would love to see your new home and landscaping plans.
Monday, May 21, 2007 5:49:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
That's funny, b/c I just blogged about a similar situation. Brandon just built us a deck out our back door b/c it was impossible to get down to the yard with the way it was before. Here is a link to my post about it. http://bbwalker18.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-mothers-day-gift.html
We would have liked an even bigger, fancier, deck, and will probably do that someday on the upper level. But we too did not have alot of resources or time so Brandon built this deck for us for probably around 200 - 300 dollars. It is not huge, but we have enjoyed dining on it the past few nights and we can sit on the deck while Sammi and dog play in the yard. Anyways, if you are going to build it yourselves and want some help, please don't hesitate to ask! Brandon LOVES building things!
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