dave@fluke.UUCP (Dave Van Ess) (12/02/85)
> > Now that winter is almost here, it's times to start > thinking about summer again! And what I want for next summer > is a deck. But I need a good set of plans. So if anybody knows > of any good sources for plans or any hot tips about decks and > their construction, please let me know. > I have built several decks and here is the my advice: Look at has many friend's and neighbors decks as possible. Learn from their mistakes. Several books are available. The Sunset book on decks comes to mind. It costs about 6 bucks. Othro has some "do it yourself" books. So does Time, Reader Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens. The Companys the sell treated wood also give out handouts on deck constuction. (Wolmanized comes to mind ) Even if you don't use treated wood, the handout are helpful. ( Any deck that I build will have treated wood for the underside and frame, and either ceder or redwood for the top) Many lumberyards and homecenters have clinics on deck construction. Home Improvement shows sometimes have these clinics. These are usally free. The hope is that you will run right out and buy deck stuff from them. The biggest mistake that I seen people make is that they build to much deck. A deck with treated wood undersides and a tight knot ceder top should cost about $2.50 to $3.00 per sq foot, labor (and beer) excluded (here in Washington, prices may vary elsewhere). I have seen people with 1400 sq foot houses decide they wanted 1800 sq foot decks. Drawing a deck on paper can be deceiving. I find its better to outline the deck area with rope, or spray paint, or lay out tarps, newspapers, or something to define the area. This makes it easier to decide just what size deck you want. Also if you have friends that also want decks, a group purchase of materials can be cheaper because of volume. This is know as group decks (sorry). I hope this is some help. Good Luck Dave Van Ess John Fluke Mfg Co Everett WA