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Decks - Page 2 of 53

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.

  • 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.

  • Smart Deck Spacers

    A small block of wood glued to the spacer prevents it from falling through the cracks.

  • 5 Steps for Flashing a Deck Ledger

    A multilayered approach keeps water out of the house at this critical connection.

  • Podcast 527: Sloping Decks, Brick-Filled Framing, and Skylights

    Significantly sloped decks, masonry-filled stud bays, and installing skylights in a cathedral ceiling.

  • Sponsored Content
    Refinish A Weathered Deck

    Exposure to sun and weather eventually can lead to a fading or peeling deck. In this video, learn how to properly prep and refinish a deck with ZAR Deck & Siding stain.

  • Fast, Accurate Cuts Around Posts

    A post-sized hole in a scrap deck board serves as a template for installing diagonal decking.

  • Energy Efficient on Multiple Levels

    This contemporary home is built on the foundation of a razed house and is characterized by exposed steel framing.

  • How to Avoid Sloped Stringers on Deck Stairs

    Lumber shrinks, so adjust your stair-stringer layout to allow for the wood to shrink along its width.

  • Splicing Deck Joists Over a Beam

    When joining deck joists over a center beam, overlapping them is the simplest, but butting them over the center beam will allow you to maintain one continuous line of fasteners.

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 320 - Dec 2023/Jan 2024
    • How to Reuse Salvaged Wood
    • Chainsaw Retrofit and Energy Performance
    • Maximize HVAC Efficiency
  • Issue 319 - November 2023
    • Nearly Net-Zero ADU
    • An Easy Approach to Coffered Ceilings
    • Understanding Types of Roof Vents
  • 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

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