Thank you for topping and tailing this episode with a very real disaster, and showing humility and empathy. We moved to Auckland from the UK in July 2022; and have found everyone to be so supportive, welcoming and friendly. Prior to TC Gabrielle hitting us we had joined Massey Pony Club, in fact it was just a few days before the end of January floods that destroyed peoples lives and generally wreaked havoc. When the call came out to help recover equipment and fences lost to the river, we jumped at the chance to be part of the huge team that not only supported the club, but each other…I worked with a super chap who wasn’t associated with the club at all, he just thought we may have needed help! Keep up the great work, we will all get through this by supporting each other and demonstrating humility when its needed most!
Agreed. I enjoy learning techniques and tools but for me the real foundation is everyone (beginning with ) Scott and Ray and their friends are thoughtful, intelligent, hardworking and creative people.
Saw the news and immediately thought: "I hope Scott and Jess are alright." I know Auckland and the North Island got the worst of it, but you guys already had those huge rains. Glad to see you didn't get washed away.
My best advice for landscaping is to lean heavily on plants native to your region. Obviously I know very little about native plants in New Zealand, but it looks like the the NZ Department of Conversation has some resources (even one about attracting native birds) and you may even have a more local organization on the south island that can get more specific to your hardiness zone (the city of Nelson appears to have a good resource on it called "Living Heritage: Growing Native Plants in Nelson). The best thing I ever did for my garden was make it (mostly) native plants. The broader ecological benefits are nice, but it also means that your garden is more sustainable because the plants are meant to be growing where they are (less need for interventions like greater watering, fertilizers and pest/disease controls). Anyway, just my perspective. You both seem like folks who have a mind for sustainability and conservation, so I reckon it's a good starting point. Best of luck!
I'm about to plant my backyard at the moment (in NZ) the only problem with natives in NZ is that alot of them are very "messy" I have a few Nikau palms and they constantly drop fronds (yes, it is a word...) That are 4m in length and don't bio degrade, and also 1000s of red berries that are like marbles and cabbage trees constantly drop long leaves that are flax like and connot be chopped up in a chipper as they lock it up instead of being cut up, some rubbish bin companies won't even take them as organic waste, because they are such a problem. I think you have to be careful with what you pick in the way of natives in NZ......
@@nix123ism for sure. There are some definite "don'ts" with native plants in residential yards here as well. Even there very popular Common Milkweed (a host for Monarch caterpillars/butterflies) is actually a pretty terrible yard plant because it can very easily take over. It's absolutely worth doing research about this and reading various first-hand experiences from people with those plants in their yard. Still, I think it's worth the time (and those kinds of stumbles) to create a more sustainable garden.
@@nix123ism The Tui love the Kowhai and flaxes in our garden but the Kowhai drops seed things everywhere and the flax gets caught in the mower and trimmer. I like cabbage trees and flax but would have them well away from the lawn.
Food for thought, when a tree fell in my yard and hit my house and deck, the insurance at first wasn't going to cover the deck. However, because it was physically attached to the house with lag bolts (deck was also 30ft in air), it was considered part of the house and not an independent structure and was ultimately covered for repairs.
Scott thank you for sharing your mistake with the cut board. It makes us diy noobs feel more human even if we do it 100 times more than you! That cut in the first board is exactly the sort of thing I would have done!
Im in HB; and if you haven't already got stuff like this in your emergency pack here's some recommendations. An AM/FM transistor radio & a way to keep it powered. Ideally one with an antenna so its easier to tune it. Know your local Radio NZ frequency. If there's widespread power problems then its highly likely there'll be widespread cellular coverage problems not long afterwards - radio may be your only way of finding anything out. Also, you've got a bunch of power in the batteries for your cordless tools - make sure you have adapters to get USB plugs, or some other form of power connection out of them. You'll need to keep some back for emergency repairs / securing stuff - but once the immediate emergency is gone they might be what you need to power up a phone days after the initial hit.
I'm in HB too, and luckily had power back in 24 hrs and nothing much worse than a leaking roof. I agree wholeheartedly that an am/fm radio would be great for information. One thing that was clear is how completely stuffed we'd be if the water infrastructure had failed. You can get by without a lot of things, but you can't get by without drinking water.
The failure of communications including cellular in Hawkes Bay and other areas follows on from the same failures that happened during the Christchurch earthquakes. Most cell sites only have battery back up, and those batteries only provide around six hours of 'run time' before they go flat and the whole site shuts down. Many cell sites just aren't able to have generators, so they have to rely on batteries. What it shows us however is that in a crisis when power is lost to an area, we cannot rely on cellphones for communication or information. Many radio stations however have generators at the studios and at the transmitter sites, so they can run for many hours (often days) and keep people informed. The only drawback is that most cities have radio networked in from other places (most radio comes from Auckland) so there's no one local with boots on the ground actually reporting what's going on. The studios in Auckland rely on people sending them reports. The best radio is local - with studios in the town or city itself, broadcasting live and able to give people practical information based on real time reporting and what's really happening around the place. Sadly there aren't many truly local radio stations left these days.
Smart move making the deck and house separate from each other. You don't want issues with dry rot, rain, etc. going from one to the other. It's also a lot less work.
I couldn't agree more. My mother in laws deck was attached and when we went to replace it where was a bunch of rot in the house where they connected. We were lucky it wasn't too bad but detached it wouldn't have been a problem!
There used to be slightly different requirements. I recall something about a “deck” being seperate actually being a “platform” which had different requirements to something attached to a house. Or that could be urban myth /shrug
In my Local Area in Sydney if the deck is connected to the house you need to ensure there is a termite barrier in place, and for warranty reason those barriers (physical or chemical) need to installed by the supplier. If its detached by 20mm or more you don't need the barrier. In addition there's a longer approval process for attached decks as an engineer needs to check the plans more carefully.
I had a dream last night that you invited some subscribers to your house to see the work you guys are doing. Jess, you had a horse called Cluster as well. The only "true to life" area was your living room, the french doors and the deck. At the end you took us out for a yummy lunch / dinner and when we said goodbye I was really corny and said "See you in the next exciting episode" ... True dream.
Up here in the Far North, we mostly got hammered by the wind. We missed most of the rain, but our already fragile power network north of Kaikohe got absolutely pasted. Some communities and Kaitaia itself did have limited power as there's a handful of backup gensets at various substations, but once communications were lost due to the main cable fault near Kawakawa, that really threw a spanner in the works. But all in all, we are okay way up here. I'd like to say Rest in Peace to the two volunteer firefighters (one of them was a local veterinarian) lost to the Muriwai landslide, and for everyone affected to stay strong and soldier on. This will end and we will rebuild better
Very thoughtful and respectful of you to include the horrific disaster on New Zealand. You are a top notch kinda guy👍 Hurricane Fiona hit us here several months ago, Sept 2022, in Atlantic Canada, late Sept. There is a lot of clean up but so many heartbreaking stories. What was miraculous was that NO one was killed! We hold on to that fact as well wait for the Winter to end so restoration and clean up can continue. My heart goes out to the fireman that was found dead. He risked his life to serve others. My heart goes out to all the people and animals that are suffering or have passed away. 💝🇨🇦
Those wide boards look great. It's good practice to back cut any butt joined boards by about 5 deg, provides an air gap so the end of the boards can dry out quicker and so the water wont pool. Using a minimum gap of 5mm between parallel boards will also help drainage and stop build up of dirt between boards.
Scott I’m gonna be honest with you… I don’t find hardly anything you do on this channel, to be fascinating. I enjoy watching you as a carpenter and your attitude, and I like seeing how things are constructed and made to be beautiful in New Zealand. With that said… the trick you had for cutting those wedges was damn brilliant. How has something that simple never crossed my mind. I’ve been looking like an absolute moron cutting wedges for years now. Thank you for that. I know the start of my comment sounded rude, but in order for you to understand it, you would have to be privy to the number of hours I spend watching UA-cam and learning how to make things. Your wedge trick there, will inevitably save me time, which will in turn make me more money. So thank you for the money.
One thing that we do for our decks is put flashing tape on all of the joists and any flat surface that water can sit on. The most crucial spot to tape seems to be the stair stringers since you are basically exposing end grain. The black tape also has the added benefit of making the joists disappear in the shadows when viewing from the top.
Very glad you, Jess, and your neighbors appear to be safe Scott. I was also immediately concerned based on the deluge you documented last year in Nelson. I'm very sorry for everyone that was affected and thankful that you took the time to share some resources to help.
I couldn't agree with you more about keeping the deck independent of the house. Every other person I've seen build decks online attaches to the house and I've always said they are insane for doing that.
I've lived here 45 years and each week I have to pause your videos to study the location shots to figure out where they were taken from! It's quite impressive how you manage to pick well known locations and houses around town but then show them from super zoomed-in views from unusual directions that makes them unrecognisable to a local. On one previous video I was looking a shot of the Trafalgar St bridge for about 4 minutes before I realised where it was and that's the bloody middle of main street in town! lol :) Who is all that photography courtesy of? Scott or Jess? Ka Pai
I went to nelson recently and was on absolute high alert for the week I was there. No Scott spottings but cool to see the same scenery and the lovely small city.
I spent a short but memorable time in the Cathedral City 40 years ago and would have moved there if I could have gained employment in my profession. Alas that wasn't to be but it still doesn't change the fact that Nelson is a great place IMO.
Cyclone hit us badly but we are okay and our hearts go out to those that have lost loved ones, property, and livelihoods. After all the devastation it was actually good to sit down today while there is some sun outside and watch this video and know that life goes on. Thank you for that reminder of normality.
Here in Canada, you might avoid attaching a deck to the house if you cannot get your poured footings to the same depth as the house footings. If they are different depths, the frost could push the deck footings up. Love your vids, Scott. Keep ‘em coming!
Glad you all are safe. When I heard New Zealand was getting bad storms first thought was of you all. Hopefully those impacted by the damage are able to quickly get help. After seeing all the damage in Florida in person this summer from hurricane Ian my heart goes out for you all.
Has been an interesting summer alright! Hard out that earthquake was pretty strong, in welly for it. Hope any family and friends up north are ok. Much love Scottie!
The earlier earthquake 2 weeks ago near Te Aroha, we were just 4km from it. Felt like a truck hit the house. Made a loud bang and very violent jolt, followed by about 10 seconds of gentle swaying.
I used to hire writers. A typo, grammatical error, or misspelling in a resume was an instant disqualifier. If a person didn’t do good work for themselves and their future, what could I expect if they just did it for money? So it is a joy to watch Scott do exceptional work - on his own home.
Thanks for all your advice over various videos! I’ve just finished installing an oak deck on an elevated platform, and all the decking tips made it look perfect! First time doing it and there wasn’t room for error, so really pleased with the results.
Enjoyed the show! Very nice deck! Flush with the inside floor, no step down, I like. I'm in California, only lived here 1.5 years but felt no earthquakes...yet! Thank goodness earthquake is not like Turkey and Syria!
Got service just in time to watch the new episode. (I’m in Hawks Bay) with no power still 5th day. This video keeping my mind of things here. Cheers mate. Chippy to chippy 👍 keep these episodes coming.
Doing a great job there! The pace of work is so refreshing & I find your videos very therapeutic in a world where fast trumps right so often because of labour budget constraints. The attention to detail is just how this sort of work should be. I really like tge Pardau method... going to try that on my own back deck this spring. Stay safe, hope the climate troubles improve...
I just know it's going to be a beautiful deck.... because it's been some time since you built one, and those ones we saw in your earlier episodes were really nice.
Really looking forward to when you start renovating the kitchen, we did ours summer of 2022 with no experience. Going to be neat seeing a professional going through the somewhat same process we did
I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s called bimetallic corrosion- I had to learn about it many years ago. One of the many reasons why you shouldn’t burn h3 (cca) in your log burner-it stuffs the flue.
absolutely love your videos mate. keep up the good work.. every time I'm feeling drained and over work, your videos motivate me to be the best tradesman i can be!!!
Love your channel guys, totally addicted! Big DIYer myself so have picked up a lot of tips. Just built a roof platform after getting inspired by one of your other videos. Got some tips from the experience of our Vitex deck build down in Welly if ya interested as well 😊… - I used a 100mm nail for spacing instead. Conveniently they are about 3mm wide so perfect for deck plank gaps. Double check overall measurements each 2-4 planks using first as datum. - There’s a profile you can get called watershed or crown profiles. These have a slightly curved top so subtle you can’t make it out. But it helps shed water and we’ve found greater longevity with the 1 deck we have that’s got it. - Good tip on oiling ends. I didn’t and they’ve cracked. Bugger. - You didn’t go over the hole template I think I spied you had but that makes such a big difference. I ended up using an offcut of Vitex and cut the holes exact on that then line the end of that up with a new board and drill through guide and into the board below. Worked a treat to get every board hole in exactly the same place. No pencil marks either 😉 Keep up the great vids! You’re inspiring more people than you realise. 👍
Careful on the freehand table saw work 😅 For my table saw I have a general purpose sled that slides next to the blade and has a simple hold-down (could be just a scrap of wood laid over it and held down with a screw). When I have a cut like that to make, I lay the piece on the sled and get the angle lined up, clamp it down, then tack an offcut next to it to repeat the angle. Depending on what you're cutting you can also add a stop block so you repeat the length as well as the angle. If you no longer need that angle, just carefully pry off the scraps that you tacked on and you're ready to set up the sled for a different cut. Love the videos, always happy to see Scott Brown pop up in the feed
Jess plant impatient flowers in you new planters around the edge of the deck. And between them have Scott build ass and glass or coffee mug benches. Good on you for remembering those worse off. We have a young lady friend coming to Auckland for a university class, and we hope it will still come off as planned.
We live in Wellington so weren’t affected by the cyclone. The earthquake though was a reminder that Mother Nature still runs the show. We also feel for everyone who has been effected - especially in the Hawkes Bay.
We're in Whanganui and we got the rain, but the full force we got from all 3 cyclones was the wind. I'm from Wellington so the force wasn't surprising to me, but the length of time that it went for was surprising. This last one we also had an earthquake the next day. It went on for ages !!! The weather cycle is definitely changing for us 😥
Nice looking wood. A couple of comments though. As fiddly and time consuming as it is, coating boarding with decking oil before laying them provides all round weather/water protection; Second, consistent board spacers, similar to tile spacers can be bought for comparitively little cost, and they will provide a much more consistent gap than self-made wedges (or in the case of a deck I had built, galvanised brackets used as spacers); also, if you are butting up against a wall, it's an idea to cut channels a few mm deep into the wall or board to allow water to run through, as that area may become a collection point from rain, etc. Obviously you waterproof and/paint it, but the idea is to provide a bit of flowthrough for water which pools or runs down the wall. A cutting blade on an angle grinder works well, as unsafe as those are.
Good on you guys, awful things happening in the North Island, but good to see you address it… We planted lavender around our deck, it was fine initially but over time it began to grow over the deck and wasn’t doing the deck any favours so we dug them up and planted star jasmine instead, which is much easier to control and doesn’t invade the deck area, smells nice in November/ December when it flowers too…
Ponytail palms and revoluta cycads looks amazing in landscapes. They green all year round, and grow slow with no maintenance. They are great visual anchoring plants in a garden
Scott, for the first board you could cut 5mm to the side of the board so you make the gap 5mm shorter and the gap thighter, and leave the end of the board uncut (the part that past the long of the house) leaving that part with the full width of the board so you can joined with the following board, and is so small difference on the part that's against the house that you will never notice. Sorry for my english, it's not my first lenguage, chears from Uruguay.
I recently looked at a deck that my builder had done. He cut the ends of each board at a 45° so they overlapped and left on one line of screws not a double at ever joint. It looks so good
If I ever visit NZ, I'd love to stop by and lend a hand with whatever project you have cooking, if only to get a cup of coffee from you! @15:03 - it's a big what?!
Reminds me of when I built my deck. Mocked everything up in 3D purchased all the timber the model said I would need plus 10% extra and come to find out the boards weren't all the same width so by the time I ran out of boards, I still wasn't finished.... Ahhh.... memories...
Concerning your deck doors, you should add security pins to your hinges. Hinges on the outside can be quite easily opened and an intruder could be inside your house within 1 minute. The security hinge pins cost less than a avocado toast and greatly secure the door they are installed on.
Using wedges to get even gaps...I'm going to steal this idea 👌 chapeau, paureu. On a different note: I'm going to be very sad, when the deck jokes inevitably fade out once you finish this project
@@firesurfer I use spacers too, but when you have to cover a given width you get problems, because the boards are never exactly the same. Lets say your deck is 6m wide and you have boards that are supposed to be 14cm with a 1cm gap that means you need 40 boards. Now when the boards vary from 13,8 to 14,2mm you will be off a couple of mm or even cm with fixed gaps, and you are going to have to improvise reaching the end making the gaps bigger or smaller. But when you can adjust the gaps with wedges to correct for the boards imperfections you can make everything look perfect
to be honest that first board with the larger gap isn't an issue, helps let the rain move away and not get caught so would slow water ingress/rot over the years. i've had an unintentional experiment going on some garages i did recently and a shed i did a while back (they face each other on the same site), both have concrete ramps that come up to level with the threshold but the shed side comes flush to the brickwork while the garages have a 30mm gap. the first inch of concrete from the shed stays wet for a long time whereas the garage brickwork and ramp never has any lingering moisture. for those who are horrified by concrete running up to brickwork and a concerned about penetrating damp the shed has a cavity wall (it's a fancy shed) so it'll just drain down the cavity harmlessly unless i have 225mm (9in) of rain and it floods the void but i reckon i'll have bigger problems at that point
Hi Scott. I like putting the sealer oil on the end grain as you show on the deck boards. I have wondered if the oil doesn't, over time, vaporize and go away. If that is truly what occurs, then the end grains are again open to wicking in moisture. I don't have a good suggestion for what to provide long term end grain protection. Maybe "pine tar", grease or silicone sealer materials might be worth investigating. Just offering a suggestion from the US midwest. Please keep making videos.
It is good to show the mistakes - we all make them. For plantings - your climate similar to mine-a mix of perennials Japanese holly, Japanese maple, aucuba, yew, Rhododendrons, hydrangea, lilac, some grasses and roses in groups of 3 by colour , smoke bush, it will look great
Gosh, been years since I saw the wedge method of spacing boards out - nowadays use 3mm plastic packers between each board to get the gaps even. Do sympathies on the board frustration damaged and knots - just had to re-mill a casement mullion, after the milling found the heartwood was showing signs of rot. It's so difficult getting decent, affordable timber presently in the UK.
Hey Scott Maybe ask Makita for a Quick Drive system (Simpson Strong Tie). I use the corded version. Works a treat, don’t need to pilot. Just bung a string line down and fit the gauge. I reckon I could screw off a big deck in an hour, on your hands and knees maybe be a day. Just saying Love your work
Is it a possibility to move the AC outdoor unit, not sure how much you Kiwis charge but us Aussie AC guys would be like up to about $1000 depending on difficulty to disconnect, re-pipe to new position, and reconnect, plus move the electrical. That way you don't see it when you are on your deck. Recommended against building some sort of timber cover because it restricts the airflow more than you would think making it work much harder and costing more on your power bill. Deck looks great so far!
Championing donations is one thing, additional props for not doing a sponsored episode. Tasteful.
Ray couldn't look more Dutch wearing that hat if he tried...what a guy!
He’s no chef like Pardeu.
Van Gogh???
I have the wooden shoes but I do not have the straw hat. Come to think of it, my father has both. A lightbulb is turning on!
Has he ever mentioned which city he's originally from?
My great-grandmother came from Valkenswaard
@@spikefivefivefive cool, I'm living 10 minutes from Valkenswaard. Was there even yesterday 😁
Ray needs his own channel. I’d watch his little tips and tricks videos !!
Thank you for topping and tailing this episode with a very real disaster, and showing humility and empathy. We moved to Auckland from the UK in July 2022; and have found everyone to be so supportive, welcoming and friendly. Prior to TC Gabrielle hitting us we had joined Massey Pony Club, in fact it was just a few days before the end of January floods that destroyed peoples lives and generally wreaked havoc. When the call came out to help recover equipment and fences lost to the river, we jumped at the chance to be part of the huge team that not only supported the club, but each other…I worked with a super chap who wasn’t associated with the club at all, he just thought we may have needed help! Keep up the great work, we will all get through this by supporting each other and demonstrating humility when its needed most!
Ray is a total asset in this now Scott. Solid work lads
Agreed. I enjoy learning techniques and tools but for me the real foundation is everyone (beginning with ) Scott and Ray and their friends are thoughtful, intelligent, hardworking and creative people.
Saw the news and immediately thought: "I hope Scott and Jess are alright." I know Auckland and the North Island got the worst of it, but you guys already had those huge rains. Glad to see you didn't get washed away.
My best advice for landscaping is to lean heavily on plants native to your region. Obviously I know very little about native plants in New Zealand, but it looks like the the NZ Department of Conversation has some resources (even one about attracting native birds) and you may even have a more local organization on the south island that can get more specific to your hardiness zone (the city of Nelson appears to have a good resource on it called "Living Heritage: Growing Native Plants in Nelson). The best thing I ever did for my garden was make it (mostly) native plants. The broader ecological benefits are nice, but it also means that your garden is more sustainable because the plants are meant to be growing where they are (less need for interventions like greater watering, fertilizers and pest/disease controls).
Anyway, just my perspective. You both seem like folks who have a mind for sustainability and conservation, so I reckon it's a good starting point. Best of luck!
Fantastic advice - planting with species that are endemic to your area is definitely the way to go 😊😊
I'm about to plant my backyard at the moment (in NZ) the only problem with natives in NZ is that alot of them are very "messy" I have a few Nikau palms and they constantly drop fronds (yes, it is a word...) That are 4m in length and don't bio degrade, and also 1000s of red berries that are like marbles and cabbage trees constantly drop long leaves that are flax like and connot be chopped up in a chipper as they lock it up instead of being cut up, some rubbish bin companies won't even take them as organic waste, because they are such a problem. I think you have to be careful with what you pick in the way of natives in NZ......
@@nix123ism for sure. There are some definite "don'ts" with native plants in residential yards here as well. Even there very popular Common Milkweed (a host for Monarch caterpillars/butterflies) is actually a pretty terrible yard plant because it can very easily take over. It's absolutely worth doing research about this and reading various first-hand experiences from people with those plants in their yard. Still, I think it's worth the time (and those kinds of stumbles) to create a more sustainable garden.
@@nix123ism The Tui love the Kowhai and flaxes in our garden but the Kowhai drops seed things everywhere and the flax gets caught in the mower and trimmer. I like cabbage trees and flax but would have them well away from the lawn.
most native plants in nz are boring unfortunately.
Food for thought, when a tree fell in my yard and hit my house and deck, the insurance at first wasn't going to cover the deck. However, because it was physically attached to the house with lag bolts (deck was also 30ft in air), it was considered part of the house and not an independent structure and was ultimately covered for repairs.
Great to see you rockin’ the old mans corded Makita jig saw. I have he exact same model and they are beasts! Glad you guys are safe
Scott thank you for sharing your mistake with the cut board. It makes us diy noobs feel more human even if we do it 100 times more than you! That cut in the first board is exactly the sort of thing I would have done!
Im in HB; and if you haven't already got stuff like this in your emergency pack here's some recommendations. An AM/FM transistor radio & a way to keep it powered. Ideally one with an antenna so its easier to tune it. Know your local Radio NZ frequency. If there's widespread power problems then its highly likely there'll be widespread cellular coverage problems not long afterwards - radio may be your only way of finding anything out.
Also, you've got a bunch of power in the batteries for your cordless tools - make sure you have adapters to get USB plugs, or some other form of power connection out of them. You'll need to keep some back for emergency repairs / securing stuff - but once the immediate emergency is gone they might be what you need to power up a phone days after the initial hit.
I'm in HB too, and luckily had power back in 24 hrs and nothing much worse than a leaking roof. I agree wholeheartedly that an am/fm radio would be great for information. One thing that was clear is how completely stuffed we'd be if the water infrastructure had failed. You can get by without a lot of things, but you can't get by without drinking water.
The failure of communications including cellular in Hawkes Bay and other areas follows on from the same failures that happened during the Christchurch earthquakes. Most cell sites only have battery back up, and those batteries only provide around six hours of 'run time' before they go flat and the whole site shuts down. Many cell sites just aren't able to have generators, so they have to rely on batteries.
What it shows us however is that in a crisis when power is lost to an area, we cannot rely on cellphones for communication or information.
Many radio stations however have generators at the studios and at the transmitter sites, so they can run for many hours (often days) and keep people informed.
The only drawback is that most cities have radio networked in from other places (most radio comes from Auckland) so there's no one local with boots on the ground actually reporting what's going on. The studios in Auckland rely on people sending them reports.
The best radio is local - with studios in the town or city itself, broadcasting live and able to give people practical information based on real time reporting and what's really happening around the place. Sadly there aren't many truly local radio stations left these days.
Smart move making the deck and house separate from each other. You don't want issues with dry rot, rain, etc. going from one to the other. It's also a lot less work.
I couldn't agree more. My mother in laws deck was attached and when we went to replace it where was a bunch of rot in the house where they connected. We were lucky it wasn't too bad but detached it wouldn't have been a problem!
There used to be slightly different requirements. I recall something about a “deck” being seperate actually being a “platform” which had different requirements to something attached to a house.
Or that could be urban myth /shrug
In my Local Area in Sydney if the deck is connected to the house you need to ensure there is a termite barrier in place, and for warranty reason those barriers (physical or chemical) need to installed by the supplier. If its detached by 20mm or more you don't need the barrier.
In addition there's a longer approval process for attached decks as an engineer needs to check the plans more carefully.
In Nelson on holiday. Absolutely beautiful town. It’s buzzing with activity tonight. Probably not about Scott’s deck.
I had a dream last night that you invited some subscribers to your house to see the work you guys are doing. Jess, you had a horse called Cluster as well. The only "true to life" area was your living room, the french doors and the deck. At the end you took us out for a yummy lunch / dinner and when we said goodbye I was really corny and said "See you in the next exciting episode" ... True dream.
that's funny shit
Up here in the Far North, we mostly got hammered by the wind. We missed most of the rain, but our already fragile power network north of Kaikohe got absolutely pasted. Some communities and Kaitaia itself did have limited power as there's a handful of backup gensets at various substations, but once communications were lost due to the main cable fault near Kawakawa, that really threw a spanner in the works. But all in all, we are okay way up here. I'd like to say Rest in Peace to the two volunteer firefighters (one of them was a local veterinarian) lost to the Muriwai landslide, and for everyone affected to stay strong and soldier on. This will end and we will rebuild better
Very thoughtful and respectful of you to include the horrific disaster on New Zealand. You are a top notch kinda guy👍 Hurricane Fiona hit us here several months ago, Sept 2022, in Atlantic Canada, late Sept. There is a lot of clean up but so many heartbreaking stories. What was miraculous was that NO one was killed! We hold on to that fact as well wait for the Winter to end so restoration and clean up can continue. My heart goes out to the fireman that was found dead. He risked his life to serve others. My heart goes out to all the people and animals that are suffering or have passed away. 💝🇨🇦
Those wide boards look great. It's good practice to back cut any butt joined boards by about 5 deg, provides an air gap so the end of the boards can dry out quicker and so the water wont pool. Using a minimum gap of 5mm between parallel boards will also help drainage and stop build up of dirt between boards.
Scott I’m gonna be honest with you… I don’t find hardly anything you do on this channel, to be fascinating. I enjoy watching you as a carpenter and your attitude, and I like seeing how things are constructed and made to be beautiful in New Zealand. With that said… the trick you had for cutting those wedges was damn brilliant. How has something that simple never crossed my mind. I’ve been looking like an absolute moron cutting wedges for years now. Thank you for that. I know the start of my comment sounded rude, but in order for you to understand it, you would have to be privy to the number of hours I spend watching UA-cam and learning how to make things. Your wedge trick there, will inevitably save me time, which will in turn make me more money. So thank you for the money.
My wife flew up to the disaster as a nurse, to help out for 9 days.
I am so proud of her. It wasn't easy work up there!
One thing that we do for our decks is put flashing tape on all of the joists and any flat surface that water can sit on. The most crucial spot to tape seems to be the stair stringers since you are basically exposing end grain. The black tape also has the added benefit of making the joists disappear in the shadows when viewing from the top.
Very glad you, Jess, and your neighbors appear to be safe Scott. I was also immediately concerned based on the deluge you documented last year in Nelson. I'm very sorry for everyone that was affected and thankful that you took the time to share some resources to help.
I couldn't agree with you more about keeping the deck independent of the house. Every other person I've seen build decks online attaches to the house and I've always said they are insane for doing that.
Cardboard patterns are less expensive than a full length board! I am glad you did not hide your error. We all do it!
I've lived here 45 years and each week I have to pause your videos to study the location shots to figure out where they were taken from! It's quite impressive how you manage to pick well known locations and houses around town but then show them from super zoomed-in views from unusual directions that makes them unrecognisable to a local. On one previous video I was looking a shot of the Trafalgar St bridge for about 4 minutes before I realised where it was and that's the bloody middle of main street in town! lol :) Who is all that photography courtesy of? Scott or Jess? Ka Pai
I went to nelson recently and was on absolute high alert for the week I was there. No Scott spottings but cool to see the same scenery and the lovely small city.
I spent a short but memorable time in the Cathedral City 40 years ago and would have moved there if I could have gained employment in my profession. Alas that wasn't to be but it still doesn't change the fact that Nelson is a great place IMO.
That kitchen/lounge/dining room is going to look awesome when it's finished. Can't wait to see it!👍
Cyclone hit us badly but we are okay and our hearts go out to those that have lost loved ones, property, and livelihoods. After all the devastation it was actually good to sit down today while there is some sun outside and watch this video and know that life goes on. Thank you for that reminder of normality.
Here in Canada, you might avoid attaching a deck to the house if you cannot get your poured footings to the same depth as the house footings. If they are different depths, the frost could push the deck footings up.
Love your vids, Scott. Keep ‘em coming!
Thanks for keeping your mistakes in. They make me feel better on my own stuff ups . Keeping it real.
Scotts deck is growing nicely. looks even better when its wet. i would not put many shrubbing near the deck, it makes it look smaller.
Glad you all are safe. When I heard New Zealand was getting bad storms first thought was of you all. Hopefully those impacted by the damage are able to quickly get help. After seeing all the damage in Florida in person this summer from hurricane Ian my heart goes out for you all.
A great start to my Saturday SBC… Tis a fabulous addition to your house. Enjoy your coffee on the deck!☕️😎
Has been an interesting summer alright! Hard out that earthquake was pretty strong, in welly for it. Hope any family and friends up north are ok. Much love Scottie!
With nice hardwood decking we use hidden fasteners here in the States. No holes showing! 😁👍🏻
My Opa was dutch and everytime I hear Ray talk it brings a smile to my face, sound so much alike
The earlier earthquake 2 weeks ago near Te Aroha, we were just 4km from it. Felt like a truck hit the house. Made a loud bang and very violent jolt, followed by about 10 seconds of gentle swaying.
Glad you all are safe
i love Tulips, they come back every year bright and cheerful colors
Stay safe guys. Deck looks phenomenal 👌
God bless you guys stay safe. Thoughts and prayers to all affected and especially to our first responders Kia Kaha
Defo love the longer videos from you guys, always very fun to watch. Cheers guys
I used to hire writers. A typo, grammatical error, or misspelling in a resume was an instant disqualifier. If a person didn’t do good work for themselves and their future, what could I expect if they just did it for money? So it is a joy to watch Scott do exceptional work - on his own home.
Thanks for all your advice over various videos! I’ve just finished installing an oak deck on an elevated platform, and all the decking tips made it look perfect! First time doing it and there wasn’t room for error, so really pleased with the results.
Enjoyed the show! Very nice deck! Flush with the inside floor, no step down, I like. I'm in California, only lived here 1.5 years but felt no earthquakes...yet! Thank goodness earthquake is not like Turkey and Syria!
Got service just in time to watch the new episode. (I’m in Hawks Bay) with no power still 5th day. This video keeping my mind of things here. Cheers mate. Chippy to chippy 👍 keep these episodes coming.
I always thought it was pardo. Watching from Amarillo texas. I am an electrician. Scott is alway great to watch. Keep it up
Your attention to detail is impressive! I enjoy seeing someone still taking pride in their work in the trades. Have a great day!
Beautiful Deck. Driftwood with air plants always adds a nice touch.
If you’re not making mistakes you’re not doing anything! Love your videos. Cheers from the States.
Doing a great job there! The pace of work is so refreshing & I find your videos very therapeutic in a world where fast trumps right so often because of labour budget constraints. The attention to detail is just how this sort of work should be. I really like tge Pardau method... going to try that on my own back deck this spring.
Stay safe, hope the climate troubles improve...
I just know it's going to be a beautiful deck.... because it's been some time since you built one, and those ones we saw in your earlier episodes were really nice.
"You okay Scott"
Scott:" Yeah, why you ask?"
"well your balancing on your dieeeck"
Really looking forward to when you start renovating the kitchen, we did ours summer of 2022 with no experience. Going to be neat seeing a professional going through the somewhat same process we did
That is one old school jigsaw there Scotty haven't seen one in years, beautiful job on the deck .
awesome info at 4:30 for my geek knowledge !! copper and zinc
I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s called bimetallic corrosion- I had to learn about it many years ago. One of the many reasons why you shouldn’t burn h3 (cca) in your log burner-it stuffs the flue.
absolutely love your videos mate. keep up the good work.. every time I'm feeling drained and over work, your videos motivate me to be the best tradesman i can be!!!
You guys are too cute, and that decking looks gorgeous!
Love your channel guys, totally addicted! Big DIYer myself so have picked up a lot of tips. Just built a roof platform after getting inspired by one of your other videos.
Got some tips from the experience of our Vitex deck build down in Welly if ya interested as well 😊…
- I used a 100mm nail for spacing instead. Conveniently they are about 3mm wide so perfect for deck plank gaps. Double check overall measurements each 2-4 planks using first as datum.
- There’s a profile you can get called watershed or crown profiles. These have a slightly curved top so subtle you can’t make it out. But it helps shed water and we’ve found greater longevity with the 1 deck we have that’s got it.
- Good tip on oiling ends. I didn’t and they’ve cracked. Bugger.
- You didn’t go over the hole template I think I spied you had but that makes such a big difference. I ended up using an offcut of Vitex and cut the holes exact on that then line the end of that up with a new board and drill through guide and into the board below. Worked a treat to get every board hole in exactly the same place. No pencil marks either 😉
Keep up the great vids! You’re inspiring more people than you realise. 👍
First time I’ve seen Scott make a mistake. I’ve watched for years and have always thought he was an immortal 😂
Careful on the freehand table saw work 😅
For my table saw I have a general purpose sled that slides next to the blade and has a simple hold-down (could be just a scrap of wood laid over it and held down with a screw). When I have a cut like that to make, I lay the piece on the sled and get the angle lined up, clamp it down, then tack an offcut next to it to repeat the angle. Depending on what you're cutting you can also add a stop block so you repeat the length as well as the angle. If you no longer need that angle, just carefully pry off the scraps that you tacked on and you're ready to set up the sled for a different cut.
Love the videos, always happy to see Scott Brown pop up in the feed
Jess plant impatient flowers in you new planters around the edge of the deck. And between them have Scott build ass and glass or coffee mug benches. Good on you for remembering those worse off. We have a young lady friend coming to Auckland for a university class, and we hope it will still come off as planned.
Nice tip on how to make quick and many wedges! Greetings from Norway!
G,day Scott Brown Carpentry from Sydney Australia.
You will have many exciting hours over weekends, oiling your deck.
🌏🇭🇲
Love that old makita jigsaw, so retro.
Awful news re: cyclone but the best way to respect those who passed is to keep on living to the fullest. Thanks for uploading today man!
When I saw Ray coming it somehow made remember Pareau... Then you mentioned Pareau. Good times
Awesome seeing an old tool like that Makita still going
We live in Wellington so weren’t affected by the cyclone. The earthquake though was a reminder that Mother Nature still runs the show. We also feel for everyone who has been effected - especially in the Hawkes Bay.
We're in Whanganui and we got the rain, but the full force we got from all 3 cyclones was the wind. I'm from Wellington so the force wasn't surprising to me, but the length of time that it went for was surprising. This last one we also had an earthquake the next day. It went on for ages !!! The weather cycle is definitely changing for us 😥
Loved the party when he said he might have to have a joint.
Always picture frame your deck
horrible mental image, lol
Thanks for the entertaining video - skadoosh!
Plant suggestion - purple agapanthus. Great as a pretty border plant and very tough!
We call the board attached to the house a ledger here. And from a permitting perspective, it can be an issue in some locales.
Nice looking wood. A couple of comments though. As fiddly and time consuming as it is, coating boarding with decking oil before laying them provides all round weather/water protection; Second, consistent board spacers, similar to tile spacers can be bought for comparitively little cost, and they will provide a much more consistent gap than self-made wedges (or in the case of a deck I had built, galvanised brackets used as spacers); also, if you are butting up against a wall, it's an idea to cut channels a few mm deep into the wall or board to allow water to run through, as that area may become a collection point from rain, etc. Obviously you waterproof and/paint it, but the idea is to provide a bit of flowthrough for water which pools or runs down the wall. A cutting blade on an angle grinder works well, as unsafe as those are.
Good on you guys, awful things happening in the North Island, but good to see you address it… We planted lavender around our deck, it was fine initially but over time it began to grow over the deck and wasn’t doing the deck any favours so we dug them up and planted star jasmine instead, which is much easier to control and doesn’t invade the deck area, smells nice in November/ December when it flowers too…
Lol ive done that exact same measurement stuff up soo many times, good to know im not the only one!
That jigsaw looks like it came on the ark. Glad to see it’s still working ;)
Ponytail palms and revoluta cycads looks amazing in landscapes. They green all year round, and grow slow with no maintenance. They are great visual anchoring plants in a garden
Scott, for the first board you could cut 5mm to the side of the board so you make the gap 5mm shorter and the gap thighter, and leave the end of the board uncut (the part that past the long of the house) leaving that part with the full width of the board so you can joined with the following board, and is so small difference on the part that's against the house that you will never notice.
Sorry for my english, it's not my first lenguage, chears from Uruguay.
I recently looked at a deck that my builder had done. He cut the ends of each board at a 45° so they overlapped and left on one line of screws not a double at ever joint. It looks so good
Titebond III on the ends of the boards will seal splendidly.
Deck looks great.
I'd add a Gardenia to each end of the deck. They smell so good when they are in bloom.
If I ever visit NZ, I'd love to stop by and lend a hand with whatever project you have cooking, if only to get a cup of coffee from you! @15:03 - it's a big what?!
Had to rewatch you sliding that level across the joists at 5:43 😎👌
Reminds me of when I built my deck. Mocked everything up in 3D purchased all the timber the model said I would need plus 10% extra and come to find out the boards weren't all the same width so by the time I ran out of boards, I still wasn't finished.... Ahhh.... memories...
Concerning your deck doors, you should add security pins to your hinges. Hinges on the outside can be quite easily opened and an intruder could be inside your house within 1 minute. The security hinge pins cost less than a avocado toast and greatly secure the door they are installed on.
Using wedges to get even gaps...I'm going to steal this idea 👌 chapeau, paureu.
On a different note: I'm going to be very sad, when the deck jokes inevitably fade out once you finish this project
Many people use spacers for ceramic tile instead of screws. Cheap and reusable for your next tile job.
@@firesurfer I use spacers too, but when you have to cover a given width you get problems, because the boards are never exactly the same. Lets say your deck is 6m wide and you have boards that are supposed to be 14cm with a 1cm gap that means you need 40 boards. Now when the boards vary from 13,8 to 14,2mm you will be off a couple of mm or even cm with fixed gaps, and you are going to have to improvise reaching the end making the gaps bigger or smaller. But when you can adjust the gaps with wedges to correct for the boards imperfections you can make everything look perfect
Beautiful! You make it look so easy!
to be honest that first board with the larger gap isn't an issue, helps let the rain move away and not get caught so would slow water ingress/rot over the years. i've had an unintentional experiment going on some garages i did recently and a shed i did a while back (they face each other on the same site), both have concrete ramps that come up to level with the threshold but the shed side comes flush to the brickwork while the garages have a 30mm gap. the first inch of concrete from the shed stays wet for a long time whereas the garage brickwork and ramp never has any lingering moisture.
for those who are horrified by concrete running up to brickwork and a concerned about penetrating damp the shed has a cavity wall (it's a fancy shed) so it'll just drain down the cavity harmlessly unless i have 225mm (9in) of rain and it floods the void but i reckon i'll have bigger problems at that point
Stay safe guys. Lovely work as always.
Hi Scott. I like putting the sealer oil on the end grain as you show on the deck boards. I have wondered if the oil doesn't, over time, vaporize and go away. If that is truly what occurs, then the end grains are again open to wicking in moisture. I don't have a good suggestion for what to provide long term end grain protection. Maybe "pine tar", grease or silicone sealer materials might be worth investigating. Just offering a suggestion from the US midwest. Please keep making videos.
It is good to show the mistakes - we all make them. For plantings - your climate similar to mine-a mix of perennials Japanese holly, Japanese maple, aucuba, yew, Rhododendrons, hydrangea, lilac, some grasses and roses in groups of 3 by colour , smoke bush, it will look great
The first board... why didn't you just rip a few millimetres off the side facing the house and deepen the cut around the corner?
Hey Scott a little trick u use is get a new chalk line and put baby powder/ talcum powder in it to flick your screw lines then washing right away
Glad you are ok.
+1 for Spax screws, did my large deck with them. Cost a bit more but worth every cent.
Gosh, been years since I saw the wedge method of spacing boards out - nowadays use 3mm plastic packers between each board to get the gaps even.
Do sympathies on the board frustration damaged and knots - just had to re-mill a casement mullion, after the milling found the heartwood was showing signs of rot. It's so difficult getting decent, affordable timber presently in the UK.
Hey Scott
Maybe ask Makita for a Quick Drive system (Simpson Strong Tie). I use the corded version.
Works a treat, don’t need to pilot. Just bung a string line down and fit the gauge.
I reckon I could screw off a big deck in an hour, on your hands and knees maybe be a day.
Just saying
Love your work
Is it a possibility to move the AC outdoor unit, not sure how much you Kiwis charge but us Aussie AC guys would be like up to about $1000 depending on difficulty to disconnect, re-pipe to new position, and reconnect, plus move the electrical. That way you don't see it when you are on your deck. Recommended against building some sort of timber cover because it restricts the airflow more than you would think making it work much harder and costing more on your power bill. Deck looks great so far!
I hope all is well with Paerau. Is he fairing through the cyclone?! wish you and your lady the best on your home.
Looking good Scotty 👌