Decks, Patios and Porches

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

This wooden privacy screen works as a fence-like barrier between your patio or deck and your neighbors.

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.

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

This is an in-depth step-by-step to guide you through the deck framing process.

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

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...

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.

Decks can work wonders in many different ways...contemporary in style, yet simple and natural. They blend home and landscape with broad, inviting vistas creating a feeling of freedom and expansiveness and offer an oasis of comfort in the open air. Sometimes the best room of the house is outside on the wood deck. Scroll down the page and click on the download link.

With the deck floor complete, build custom railings. The decks support posts serve as mounts for the new railing system.

Learn basic deck construction with this easy design.

If you would like to gain access to your deck from the yard but do not have a staircase, you can build and install one in a day or two.

...One answer is a sunroof over your patio or deck. If designed properly, a sunroof can cut the summer sun, but still allow winter sun rays to warm the house. The sunroof shown is a typical do-it-yourself project, placed over a wood deck, although sunroofs can also be constructed over patios as well.

A floating deck adds a great elevated place to sit and enjoy a view of a yard. Only a few inches off the ground, this platform takes a little time but is easy once you get going.

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