DIY Deck Build - Advisable?

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Paul1977

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#280842 14-Jan-2021 13:00

The builder who was going to do my deck (with me as helper to keep costs down) has changed jobs and now isn't available. I've been looking at various guides, and it all looks do-able (in theory), but is this something I should attempt myself having never done one before?

Most of the tools that I don't have myself I'm able to borrow, but I haven't tackled anything like this before so am a little uncertain if it's a good idea.

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644 posts

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#2635397 14-Jan-2021 13:17

They are pretty straight forward, with plenty of how to guides out there. I have done a couple myself, with little building skills. Both were pretty basic at ground level and didn't need consents.

Dynamic

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#2635398 14-Jan-2021 13:21

I'm a DIY kinda guy when the mood strikes me, so I'd absolutely encourage it.

Perhaps ask the guy if he can duck in every day for half an hour on his way home to check your progress and pick up a cash donation.

With decks, take care to allow for expansion! I had a place where the deck was butted up hard against the fibre cement clad house. The deck expanded and cracked the fibre cement just below the visible level. Water crept in and rotted the sh!tboard flooring. The builder who fixed it is now able to send several generations of his great grandchildren to private school. :oP

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chevrolux

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#2635399 14-Jan-2021 13:22

Yea go hard!!

I've just built one around my spa pool and add a pergola over the spa too. Was all good fun.

Had a general idea of how to acheive it, and just watched the Mitre10 video for the little specifics. Something a work mate said too was use big tie downs when putting the actual decking timber on to get it all even across the length, and lets do you say 10 at a time - worked really well and much more efficient than getting each board squared up individually.

alavaliant

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#2635401 14-Jan-2021 13:28

I'd suggest caution if you are going to try it yourself. There can be ways that you can end up with a less ideal build, that might not be obvious when starting off. At a minimum I'd suggest trying to get somebody experienced in such matters to look at your plans (and what timber etc you plan to buy to use) before you start.

I did a extension to an existing deck myself several years ago. And while I thought I had everything planned out. It turned out that I had selected a softer type of decking wood vs the original deck. So while I matched the size of supports and spacing for the existing deck. The softer decking wood meant that expanded part of the deck flexes enough under weight due to the wood sagging that people tend to notice and comment about how it feels. n.b. Before anybody gets concerned about safety - it's 25cm off the ground and the movement is just some slight flexing which hasn't changed in the 7 years the deck extension has existed). It's just annoying that I didn't realize at the start and pick a timber type that more closely matched the existing decking material.

timmmay

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#2635443 14-Jan-2021 13:43

Dynamic:

With decks, take care to allow for expansion! I had a place where the deck was butted up hard against the fibre cement clad house. The deck expanded and cracked the fibre cement just below the visible level. Water crept in and rotted the sh!tboard flooring. The builder who fixed it is now able to send several generations of his great grandchildren to private school. :oP

I recall a few years ago a builder telling me decks weren't allowed to touch the house, and I expect there's some kind of regulation and perhaps an associated council consent. Is consent generally required for low decks?

I need to replace mine one day.

Paul1977

3709 posts

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#2635449 14-Jan-2021 13:50

Thanks for the feedback.

The decking material will be Outdure ResortDeck composite, on a timber sub frame. The hidden fixings for the ResortDeck also act as spacers, which if I go ahead doing it myself should idiot proof a lot of it (I hope).

I'm far more hesitant with the sub frame (in particular getting the piles straight and level).

Paul1977

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#2635459 14-Jan-2021 14:10

I thought I'd read (possibly years ago) on Geekzone, that the easiest way to do the posts is to attached them to the bearers first and brace the whole thing in place, then concrete the holes.

Does that sound right, or am I misremembering?

neb

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#2635566 14-Jan-2021 14:39

chevrolux:
Yea go hard!!

Are you telling him to build a deck or read the Piranha Tools catalogue?

neb

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#2635569 14-Jan-2021 14:47

timmmay:
I recall a few years ago a builder telling me decks weren't allowed to touch the house, and I expect there's some kind of regulation and perhaps an associated council consent. Is consent generally required for low decks?

The builders here put what look like HDPE blocks (can't go and check at the moment) between the deck and the house when they replaced our deck, which had previously been nailed straight into the fibrolite, so it's not too onerous.

For the OP, before you start post details here so the peanut gallery can comment. For example when putting bearers on top of piles alongside the standard moisture barrier between the top of the pile and the bearer (required) another thing you can do (not required) is do an angle cut along the top of the pile where the bearer isn't resting on it to let water run off, which reduces the opportunity for rot. Just minor hints like that. And post photos as you go so we can tell you what you did wrong :-).

Dial111

855 posts

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#2635576 14-Jan-2021 14:58

Go for it! Remember, measure twice, cut once

Paul1977

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#2635579 14-Jan-2021 15:07

The general consensus seem to me to give it a shot!

I'll do a bunch more reading of guides and watching YouTube over the weekend to make sure I think I'm up for it.

Starlith

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#2635580 14-Jan-2021 15:07

Nice, just don't put the deck boards the wrong way.

I see way too many NZ DIY deck jobs and they have groove side facing upwards and flatside underneath which is totally wrong but very typical NZ.

Paul1977

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#2635587 14-Jan-2021 15:17

Starlith:

Nice, just don't put the deck boards the wrong way.

I see way too many NZ DIY deck jobs and they have groove side facing upwards and flatside underneath which is totally wrong but very typical NZ.

Yep, bugs me every time I see a deck like that. I have to bite my tongue not to tell them their deck is wrong!

neb

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#2635595 14-Jan-2021 15:22

Paul1977:
Starlith:

Nice, just don't put the deck boards the wrong way.

I see way too many NZ DIY deck jobs and they have groove side facing upwards and flatside underneath which is totally wrong but very typical NZ.

Yep, bugs me every time I see a deck like that. I have to bite my tongue not to tell them their deck is wrong!

It would help to explain the reason for the grooves-down placing: The grooves are meant to help airflow to stop moisture buildup. Conversely, grooves-up will allow debris and later moss and mould to build up in the grooves. Once you know the reason it's obvious, but without that I can see how people would install them "with the grippy side up".

ratsun81

348 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2635603 14-Jan-2021 15:33

The TL;DR is that groove up you get water pooling in the groove creating a larger slip point in comparison as well as a failure point in the material. Groove down means the material actually wicks water away i.e a larger surface area

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