This is the best and simplest deck build I’ve seen on YT,well done . Thanks for sharing and the useful tip about fixing either end before securing the middle of the boards👍🏻
Well done. Good explanations. And way to improvise where needed. 👍🏻 Sometimes you just gotta work with what ya have and make it work for you. 😊 And like you said several times, it’s YOUR deck. If you were doing it for someone else and the homeowner has difference preferences and an infinite budget, sure you could’ve done it different. Good job repurposing the materials that you had.
Thank you so much for this! You are great at simple explanations that get right to the point, but you are thorough. That is such a game changer for me. (I never have to fast forward like I do elsewhere. 😂) I am a fine art painter but I am doing this deck! You make it look easy so I am going for it. Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge. You are a good guy.
This is a great video! I have one question that I didn't notice in the video -> for the first 2x6 pressure treated wood that's close to the house, do I need to do anything? More of saying, is the deck fully floated and not attached to the house?
I might have missed this watching this video, but the board against the home - was that secured in any way? And the same thing for the 4x8s resting on the pavers - were those secured to the pavers? Besides these two things looks like a fairly easy, and attractive project.
Hi! Congratulations on the new home! I’m glad I could be of help. Feel free to join my patreon page (link on my description of video) so you can exclusively reach out for advice and help 👍🏽😊
This is something I'm definitely interested in as I have to put up a new porch on the front of the house and I need a solid concrete block at the bottom to support the steps, placing it deep enough in the ground to avoid issues with temperature variances as I live in the Northeast. I'd like to ask is it difficult to remove the 2x4s once everything has dried and in this situation where it's buried in the ground a little bit would I even need to remove the 2x4s? How is that done without chipping the concrete? And wouldI use a rubber mallet? I'm visualizing adherence between the concrete and the 2x4s.This may not turn out to be a problem but I'm asking in advance so I'll know what to expect. TIA!
Hi thank you so much for making this as simple as it gets! I have one question. At the 7:00 minute mark, you said: "I placed an extender here". Where did you place it? And why?
Great video! The gravel and sand under the pavers…how big of a space do you do you place the substrate? Say your pavers are 16”, would you do 16x16 of substrate? Or do you do a bigger substrate base - like 20x20 of substrate?
If you are going to spend the extra cash on trex composite decking you should have gotten the no-groove facia boards. For a plain Jane deck like you have picture framing is a really nice added touch so why not do it since you are going to be living with that for a couple of decades? I just started using joist tape on my last build. I'm using g-tape in particular. I won't build a deck without it now. Every gap where your wood is exposed to any moisture it will dry rot even if it is pressure treated. Even if your code doesn't require joist blocking on an 8 foot span, I still always block 8 foot joist spans and then longer spans of course. Just throwing down concrete blocks is not a great way to foundation your deck. I dig down at least a foot square below grade or deeper depending on what I'm building. I then put rebar down into the hole, a couple inches of gravel and pour each footing. I build a 12 inch square by 4 or more inches high form for the top of each concrete footing to provide the base above ground for the deck to sit on. I then bracket the beams(or posts) to the concrete. Where I am it pays for me to use hurricane brackets for the joists. From the ground up everything is attached and fixed to what is below it and above it so the deck can't just slide off its base. The whole thing would have to be lifted off the ground. If you needed 12 foot beams why didn't you get 12 foot beams? Putting 8's and 4's together will work but why do it that way? Home Depot has 12 foot 4 x 4 treated or mine do in Texas anyway. I am not a professional builder but I get involved in projects every so often.
No. Unless you have unusually high temps and it's exposed to the sun all day. Mine has been the best thing I've done for two decades plus. And you won't skip if it gets wet either.
I noticed you didn't use the camo lever tool like most people do. You had any problems with your deck? I'd like to avoid spending $100+ on a tool I'm only going to use one time.
If you buy a 10ft board of Trex and a 20 ft board of Trex (of the exact same kind) does the price come out exactly the same based on how many feet you buy or do they make the 20 ft board slightly cheaper?
@@sneat2028 Yeah mine is 16x12 Trex composite and has 9 6x6 footers in like 25 or so inches of concrete as a freestanding ground level deck. It's tornado proof lol.
Using a grooved board as fascia is a bad idea, because the groove will collect water! Unless you think of it as a moat that will protect your deck from macroscopic invaders 😁
@@tuesdayepting9417 He didn't make it super clear but I think he said the decking he used was reclaimed (previously used). Probably didn't want to talk about it too much because using NEW decking ordered from home depot would definitely make this project more than $1400 (closer to $2500 just for the TREX).
How was the floating deck attached to the house? At 8:11, the deck appears to be securely in place but there is no indication if it was nailed or screwed in to the bottom part of the house. Thank you.
Floating decks are not attached to the house, that's why they're called a "floating deck". That being said, a deck over 200 sf requires footers in most states. This should have been a "free standing deck".
Part of the issue of "floating decks" versus "attached decks" is building permit issues. Most communities allow a DIY floating deck to be put in by anyone WITHOUT the requirement of costly permits, inspector visits, etc. If it's an attached deck, then you MUST pay for a permit and deal with inspectors, etc.
Is anybody out there useing the tough blocks to build a floating deck of this size? It seems so much easy and quicker than digging holes for footers or using concrete blocks.
I used tuffblock deck blocks to build a deck 3 years ago . It is still strong and stable. I am starting a deck platform for under an outdooor sauna very soon and am using tuffblock again for this project
My floating platform for under the outdoor sauna was completed 4 weeks ago. It’s 8 feet by 10 feet with 16” centers and is super solid. Tuff blocks were the best option for this job allowing me to keep the platform low to the ground. They also make it very easy to keep the structure level.
That vinyl wood is not all that great. It’s plastic and get as hot as hell so don’t forget not to go barefoot on it. Plus it wines up and warps with too much heat. Sure it doesn’t rot but there are way too many negatives for me to ever use it again
they have end pieces for the finish no grooves on the edge also the space between the ground and the 4x4s should be at least 12'' way to close to the ground sorry
@@robertpattillo2503 I was thinking the same thing. Needs to be elevated more. Especially if it rains hard, the water would go --- you know where --- and just sit in a soup underneath that deck and never dry out for a while. You can tell that's happening by the wood rot at the ends of the vertical boards on the house. Note the discoloration and raggedy ends especially at the far corner at the 2:40 minute mark. I would have hoped that these guys would have at least addressed that by (1) cleaning off that dirt, and (2) assessing the wood ends if any structural rot was present going into the house, where the previously rotted deck connected to the house and if so, repaired that and (3) given that entire wood (bottom part) a fresh coat of paint. At least that would have guaranteed no water/rot issue later, now that that area's being hidden by the new decking. Good video demo anyway.
If your going to fascia the edges why not cut the end board to size using your circular saw and add a fasica to give yourself a neat job. Having an overhang on a board, over time with people stepping on and off will ruin it quickly and require a fix with a new board that won't match the decking. Would have taken you 10 mins more to do that...
I was thinking of that too, Kyle. Folks stepping off the end of that last board would bend the plastic down, eventually causing it to fail. By adding an additional 2x4 along underneath, to add support under that overhanging edge, would have solved that problem. An average American adult dude today weighing 230-250 pounds would quickly make that end bend if stepped off on.
This is the best and simplest deck build I’ve seen on YT,well done . Thanks for sharing and the useful tip about fixing either end before securing the middle of the boards👍🏻
Thank so much for the feedback! 🙏🏽😊
You should be a shop class teacher when you retire ! Love how simple and to the point and the tips you offered along the way !
Thank you so much for the love and support! 🙏🏽😊
I love the way you explain everything! Your 'go with what works' makes it feel like I could accomplish it.
really innovative approach to installing the pavers as a base!
Well done. Good explanations. And way to improvise where needed. 👍🏻 Sometimes you just gotta work with what ya have and make it work for you. 😊
And like you said several times, it’s YOUR deck. If you were doing it for someone else and the homeowner has difference preferences and an infinite budget, sure you could’ve done it different. Good job repurposing the materials that you had.
Thank you so much for this! You are great at simple explanations that get right to the point, but you are thorough. That is such a game changer for me. (I never have to fast forward like I do elsewhere. 😂) I am a fine art painter but I am doing this deck! You make it look easy so I am going for it. Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge. You are a good guy.
Best video on UA-cam. You are an excellent teacher. I am confident on doing this now
Thank you so much Albert! 🙏🏽😊
This is a great video! I have one question that I didn't notice in the video -> for the first 2x6 pressure treated wood that's close to the house, do I need to do anything? More of saying, is the deck fully floated and not attached to the house?
I might have missed this watching this video, but the board against the home - was that secured in any way? And the same thing for the 4x8s resting on the pavers - were those secured to the pavers? Besides these two things looks like a fairly easy, and attractive project.
wondering about the same thing lol
Why not ad another end board to mate up with the overhang.
That is another option 👍🏽😊
My friend did that for his deck just in case someone heavy stands at the edge of the board.
Thats what I was thinking. If I or someone else stepped on that overhang, it would break.
Perfect. thanks for the video!
Wow 🤩 you make it look so easy
Thank you 🙏🏽! It was a lot of hard work 😓😆
Cool! Gave me some pointers.
Thank you for watching! 🙏🏽👍🏽
Love it, I just brought a new home!! This is gonna be so helpful, thanks for sharing! 👊🏽
Hi! Congratulations on the new home! I’m glad I could be of help. Feel free to join my patreon page (link on my description of video) so you can exclusively reach out for advice and help 👍🏽😊
@@FixThisHouse thanks 😄
This is something I'm definitely interested in as I have to put up a new porch on the front of the house and I need a solid concrete block at the bottom to support the steps, placing it deep enough in the ground to avoid issues with temperature variances as I live in the Northeast. I'd like to ask is it difficult to remove the 2x4s once everything has dried and in this situation where it's buried in the ground a little bit would I even need to remove the 2x4s? How is that done without chipping the concrete? And wouldI use a rubber mallet? I'm visualizing adherence between the concrete and the 2x4s.This may not turn out to be a problem but I'm asking in advance so I'll know what to expect. TIA!
Did you attach it to the house?
Nice deck build.
With this type of deck be sturdy enough for a metal gazebo let's say the size of a maybe 10x12?
Excillent! question. what would the labor cost to build that?. Thanks
Hi thank you so much for making this as simple as it gets! I have one question. At the 7:00 minute mark, you said: "I placed an extender here". Where did you place it? And why?
how much was the total cost? without the labor
Great video! The gravel and sand under the pavers…how big of a space do you do you place the substrate? Say your pavers are 16”, would you do 16x16 of substrate? Or do you do a bigger substrate base - like 20x20 of substrate?
Thats what I was wondering too, but I guess the previous deck laid down the gravel and sand already?
Awesome video.
Thank you so much!! 🙏🏽😊
Great Video! Thanks for posting🤩
Thank you so much Martha! 🙏🏽😊
Thanks guys
Nice work brother!!
Good job
I'm a couple years late, but thanks for the video!
If you are going to spend the extra cash on trex composite decking you should have gotten the no-groove facia boards.
For a plain Jane deck like you have picture framing is a really nice added touch so why not do it since you are going to be living with that for a couple of decades?
I just started using joist tape on my last build. I'm using g-tape in particular. I won't build a deck without it now. Every gap where your wood is exposed to any moisture it will dry rot even if it is pressure treated.
Even if your code doesn't require joist blocking on an 8 foot span, I still always block 8 foot joist spans and then longer spans of course.
Just throwing down concrete blocks is not a great way to foundation your deck. I dig down at least a foot square below grade or deeper depending on what I'm building. I then put rebar down into the hole, a couple inches of gravel and pour each footing. I build a 12 inch square by 4 or more inches high form for the top of each concrete footing to provide the base above ground for the deck to sit on. I then bracket the beams(or posts) to the concrete. Where I am it pays for me to use hurricane brackets for the joists. From the ground up everything is attached and fixed to what is below it and above it so the deck can't just slide off its base. The whole thing would have to be lifted off the ground.
If you needed 12 foot beams why didn't you get 12 foot beams? Putting 8's and 4's together will work but why do it that way? Home Depot has 12 foot 4 x 4 treated or mine do in Texas anyway.
I am not a professional builder but I get involved in projects every so often.
Hi! Thank you for your input 🙏🏽 unfortunately during the lumber shortage homed Depot or Lowe’s didn’t have the 12’ available. 🥲
Will the composite deck get too hot to step on with bear foot in summer time? Just curious. Thanks.
Hi! It does get warm for it has that plasticky feel to it.
No. Unless you have unusually high temps and it's exposed to the sun all day. Mine has been the best thing I've done for two decades plus. And you won't skip if it gets wet either.
Nice work, nice deck. Just wish you had mentioned how many man-hours the job took.
Dis my way💰
That deck looks amazing! Can you come build one for me?
Great video!
Nice work! Thanks for sharing.👍
Thank you for the love and support! 👍🏽😊🙏🏽
I noticed you didn't use the camo lever tool like most people do. You had any problems with your deck?
I'd like to avoid spending $100+ on a tool I'm only going to use one time.
Nice bro!!!
Thanks bro!
great job .
@@carlosmatias3825 Carlos!!!!! Wazzup!!!! This is tom!
Thank you 🙏🏽
@@Forged_Garage how are Tom
If you buy a 10ft board of Trex and a 20 ft board of Trex (of the exact same kind) does the price come out exactly the same based on how many feet you buy or do they make the 20 ft board slightly cheaper?
Wow! Great job👍🏾
Thank you 🙏🏽!
Great job, but the grooved facia pieces are somewhat painful to my eyes. At least you can replace them pretty easily if they start to bother you.
Nice job bro...
Thank you 🙏🏽!
Can you please give me an idea how much usually is this kind of work? If I hire people?
Are the composite boards sturdy enough?
What kind of material you used in this composite deck tutorial?
Awesome 👍🏼
Thank you 🙏🏽
How do you keep small animals from living under it?
What part of the country are you in that you didn’t use footers?
That's what I'm wondering because in most states a deck over 200 sf should have footers.
@@sneat2028 Yeah mine is 16x12 Trex composite and has 9 6x6 footers in like 25 or so inches of concrete as a freestanding ground level deck. It's tornado proof lol.
what is your pricing on decking?
hi, the 4x4 's did you use at 4 ft, 8ft and 12 ft. you did not put any 4x4 at 0 and 16 ends?
Hi! I did not. The left end is sitting on top of the existing concrete patio. The over end has a floating effect.
How much does it cost to build this deck?
Using a grooved board as fascia is a bad idea, because the groove will collect water! Unless you think of it as a moat that will protect your deck from macroscopic invaders 😁
Can you use plastic instead of weed mat?
Are you sure it is the Trex Composite deck boards???
Yes sir 👍🏽😊
@@FixThisHouse Which one is this from Trex? Enhanced Basics or Enhanced Naturals or Select or Transcends?
With the 4x4s making contact with the ground, attached to the joist, attached to the house, do you have any worry termites?
No termites in this area or any issues with them 👍🏽
Great job! What was the total cost?
Thank you! Honestly this cost me less than $1400. Prices of material vary on certain areas. I live here in the Pacific Northwest 🌲😊✌🏽
I live in the PNW as well! did you order the decking at home depot?
@@tuesdayepting9417 He didn't make it super clear but I think he said the decking he used was reclaimed (previously used). Probably didn't want to talk about it too much because using NEW decking ordered from home depot would definitely make this project more than $1400 (closer to $2500 just for the TREX).
Where are you located?
How many each for wood total?
you can't even see it from far away 👌
Composite decking may require smaller spacing, e.g. 12" o.c. You did not explain how ledger board is attached to the home, if at all...
Damn one board is 54$? Sheesh. The brown is 81$!
Interesting.. not using any noggings in between the joist... nice work though
Composite deck boards should be on 12 inch centers
💯👍
Thank you! 🙏🏽😊
How was the floating deck attached to the house? At 8:11, the deck appears to be securely in place but there is no indication if it was nailed or screwed in to the bottom part of the house. Thank you.
Floating decks are not attached to the house, that's why they're called a "floating deck". That being said, a deck over 200 sf requires footers in most states. This should have been a "free standing deck".
Part of the issue of "floating decks" versus "attached decks" is building permit issues. Most communities allow a DIY floating deck to be put in by anyone WITHOUT the requirement of costly permits, inspector visits, etc. If it's an attached deck, then you MUST pay for a permit and deal with inspectors, etc.
Is anybody out there useing the tough blocks to build a floating deck of this size? It seems so much easy and quicker than digging holes for footers or using concrete blocks.
I used tuffblock deck blocks to build a deck 3 years ago . It is still strong and stable. I am starting a deck platform for under an outdooor sauna very soon and am using tuffblock again for this project
Used a different type of tuff block which was less expensive for my shed/joists and worked awsome.
My floating platform for under the outdoor sauna was completed 4 weeks ago. It’s 8 feet by 10 feet with 16” centers and is super solid. Tuff blocks were the best option for this job allowing me to keep the platform low to the ground. They also make it very easy to keep the structure level.
Eurotec adjustable pedestal on landscape pavers is a better method than tufblocks fyi.
That vinyl wood is not all that great. It’s plastic and get as hot as hell so don’t forget not to go barefoot on it. Plus it wines up and warps with too much heat. Sure it doesn’t rot but there are way too many negatives for me to ever use it again
they have end pieces for the finish no grooves on the edge also the space between the ground and the 4x4s should be at least 12'' way to close to the ground sorry
That sounds like it would require steps to access the deck. Why would it require 12 inches of clearance between the ground and 4 by 4s?
@@robertpattillo2503
I was thinking the same thing. Needs to be elevated more. Especially if it rains hard, the water would go --- you know where --- and just sit in a soup underneath that deck and never dry out for a while. You can tell that's happening by the wood rot at the ends of the vertical boards on the house. Note the discoloration and raggedy ends especially at the far corner at the 2:40 minute mark. I would have hoped that these guys would have at least addressed that by (1) cleaning off that dirt, and (2) assessing the wood ends if any structural rot was present going into the house, where the previously rotted deck connected to the house and if so, repaired that and (3) given that entire wood (bottom part) a fresh coat of paint. At least that would have guaranteed no water/rot issue later, now that that area's being hidden by the new decking. Good video demo anyway.
Feel like it be just as fast to set posts instead of fighting thise pavers
You didn't clean up the side of the building when you removed the original lever. Remind me to never hire you.
Looks like you are just sitting the concrete pads on existing soil. Can't believe you actually used a deck board to trim it out along the edge.
Totally wrong wrong way to install a deck. Its going to wabble and sink over time.
It’s been 2 years still holding strong and stable my friend 🙏🏽😊
not very professional
not that good
Ok
If your going to fascia the edges why not cut the end board to size using your circular saw and add a fasica to give yourself a neat job.
Having an overhang on a board, over time with people stepping on and off will ruin it quickly and require a fix with a new board that won't match the decking. Would have taken you 10 mins more to do that...
Thank you for the feedback 👍🏽😊
I was thinking of that too, Kyle. Folks stepping off the end of that last board would bend the plastic down, eventually causing it to fail. By adding an additional 2x4 along underneath, to add support under that overhanging edge, would have solved that problem. An average American adult dude today weighing 230-250 pounds would quickly make that end bend if stepped off on.