Decks, Patios and Porches

14 ft x 16 ft post and beam supports. PDF nubmer 6406.

Stairs and railings for Outdoor Porch Deck. PDF number 6407.

If you match the siding and roofing to the existing house, the add-on will look like part of the original design.

Cracked slab? No patio at all? The cure is easy; Cover the area with pre-built deck squares. You just drop the squares into position and nail them in place.

An unbroken expanse of flat deck can be bland and boring. Here is an idea to enliven a deck area with multiple levels, stepping down to the pool area.

Mark off the deck area using string. The string will help you visualize the size and appearance of the finished deck and will also serve as a guide for excavation and post placement. But trust me, it will always look smaller this way than when it is done.

Few home improvements can match a wood deck for usefulness, beauty and enhanced value to a home. For adults, decks offer outdoor living space for entertaining, sun bathing and dining. For children, they provide an excellent outdoor play area.

Learn basic deck construction with this easy design.

Build your new deck around an existing tree. Here is how...

My mom wanted a patio. She wanted a nice, shady place beside her house to relax, read, sip lemonade and host the occasional barbecue. This meant Dad and I had a new project on our hands.

This is an ideal method of how to lay decking boards straight and is most suitable for extra long decks. It involves pinging a chalkline where every third decking board is to go, giving a perfectly straight line of where to fix that decking board to.

Take your pick of two easy-to-build decks that add safety, storage, and seating to the above-ground pool.

Built right, it can be an outdoor space that is easy to live with. Ask your local building inspector about possible exceptions to the code.

Decks add an outdoor room to the house and ties together the houses staggered elements and levels out an uneven yard that is unusable.

Doris deck offers a breathtaking view of the Santa Monica Bay. There is just one drawback. It can get very windy up here. Doris asked Ron to help her build a windbreak.

A kwila deck, handrail and steps that requires a permit. All the details including the working plans, cost etc.

Decks are some of the most popular homeowner projects. They can be a small extension off a family room, bedroom or dining area; or they can be a spacious outdoor room large enough for a party. Decks can be single level or multi-level; they can be some of the simplest first projects for a beginner, or elaborate examples of sophisticated craftsmanship.

Decks are a great way to add defined space to an otherwise-empty yard â and you can entertain in high style. Here is the building plan.

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva is method for constructing a handsome on-grade deck. Article by Scott Gibson.

Building a home deck, including site plan, trial layout, lumber, diagrams, instructions. ...

This plan contains an attractive deck design that two handy persons with intermediate building skills can construct in a weekend. Build it with versatile pressure-treated Southern Pine lumber and your new deck will provide many years of outdoor living enjoyment. Scroll down the page and click on the download link.

Here is the correct method of attaching a new deck to a house.

An unbroken expanse of flat deck can be bland and boring. Here is an idea to enliven a deck area with multiple levels, stepping up to a spa.

Mark Clement says, I am a big fan of anything that saves me time and increases quality. The first backyard decks and front porches I laid out were the standard affair of strings pulled from the foundation, tied to stakes, and criss-crossed all over the place so I could locate and dig post holes before setting them and framing the deck on top. Now I do it reverse order. I make more money and have much more dependable control points for framing.

Build a free standing deck anywhere in your yrd by following these step-by-step instructions.

This is a step-by-step account of a deck, seat and pergola complex building project. It covers all aspects of construction, time frame, unforeseen problems (if any), owners and builders comments and more.

So you want to build a deck but your yard is sloped. Here is what you do.

Ahhhh, the romance of a screened porch lemonade and cool comfort for those hot summer days and a hammock or chaise lounge for slumbering those warm nights away. And it is all outside where you can still enjoy Mother Nature without the hassle of insects...

While they could have opted to replace the old redwood with new wood, doing this would only mean restarting the annual maintenance regimen. Rather than continuing to surrender one weekend per year, the Petersons chose ChoiceDek, a wood composite material made by Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies.

This see-through deck railing offers a clear view of your yard.