FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In

Decks

Decks and patios are coveted spaces in many American homes, providing a comfortable middle ground between indoors and outdoors. Add a roof and you have a porch that can be enjoyed even when it’s raining.

Decks are a blank canvas. Given the same amount of square footage, the choice of materials, how the decking is installed, and details like railings and stairs can produce startlingly different results. Professional deck installers know how to manipulate these elements to produce the effects homeowners are looking for. For ambitious do-it-yourselfers, it may be a process of trial and error — or doing a lot of looking and reading.

Because decks typically take a beating in the weather, and because decks often accommodate a crowd, getting the construction details right is essential to both durability and safety. This includes making accurate load calculations, choosing appropriately sized lumber and fasteners, and following established building practices to put it all together. Patios have their own challenges: what goes under the surface is just as important as the concrete or stone pavers you choose. Pergolas, gazebos, outdoor lighting, fire pits, hot tubs, and other enhancements are ways of turning basic decks or patios into more polished, and useful, spaces.

Where do great ideas for these spaces come from? Firing up Instagram or flipping through coffee table books is a great place to start. Turning those flights of fancy into a dependably built reality is where Fine Homebuilding comes in.

  • Protect Deck Joists

    A rubberized sealant provides inexpensive protection for the tops of decks joists.

  • Flashing-Free Deck Ledger

    Mike Guertin recommends either a freestanding deck or spacers for a tricky house clad in T1-11.

  • Podcast 591: Members-only Aftershow—Hidden Costs of Construction

    The crew talks about unexpected expenses associated with residential construction.

  • Podcast 573: Vibrating Washers, Rot Behind Deck Ledgers, and Tightening Vented Crawlspaces

    Soul-bashing work, spray-foam problems, floors for front-loading washers, attaching decks to cantilevered joists, and vented crawlspaces.

  • Best Deck for a Steel Roof

    For a metal roof, install solid decking such as OSB or plywood.

  • Protect Board Ends to Prevent Rot

    To prevent premature rot on pressure-treated lumber, seal every end cut with penetrating epoxy.

  • Podcast 549: Members-only Aftershow—Patios vs. Decks

    The crew talks about the pros and cons of decks and patios.

  • Butt Joints in Decking

    Avoid rot and split wood by positioning butt joints on a flat block with a dado for drainage.

  • Deck-Board Straightener

    There are specific tools to bend deck boards into position, but nothing is as simple as a pipe clamp and flat bar.

  • Sloping a Deck: Is This Necessary?

    Mike Guertin explains which areas of a deck you need to pay attention to in order to deal with drainage.

Page 1 of 53
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 53
Next

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 318 - October 2023
    • Make Mudsills Square and Level
    • Turn Up the Heat With Induction Cooktops
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: Lloyd Alter
  • Issue 317 - Aug/Sept 2023
    • Finishing Drywall With Seamless Results
    • A Flat Roof in a Cold Climate
    • Compact Cordless Shop Vacs
  • Issue 316 - July 2023
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency
  • Issue 315 - June 2023
    • How to Craft a Copper Roof
    • 5 Lessons from Building in a Cold Climate
    • The Advantages of Cellular PVC Siding
  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok
  • twitter

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok
  • twitter

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in