Hi,
I am going to tear down a small porch in our backyard. It is only 6ft by 5 ft with a few steps (from the backdoor to the backyard). The frame looks solid so I am only going to tear off the planking. I will sand it down, install new planking and then paint the whole thing. Any suggestions on planking? (Smooth Cedar 1×4??). The current planking looks to be tongue and groove 1x4s. The current step planking looks like 2x6s. The are all beat up which is why I am rebuilding it.
I am also going to build a hand rail on both sides (currenlty there is no railing). Does anyone know of any place where I could get some free plans? I have been looking at different houses in the neigborhood but it would be nice to have something in print.
I am fairly new to woodworking so I’m looking for something that is fairly basic but still is a good design.
Any help would be appreciated.
Edited 6/24/2004 11:54 am ET by nic
Replies
1x4 cedar would not be strong enough for deck planks. You would want a minimum of 5/4x4 or 5/4x6 pine...2x would be the best choice.
Before you invest in new planking and steps, demo the old and see what condition the structure is in. It might need work also.
You can probably find railing plans in a deck book, which you could get at HD or Lowes or a good bookstore.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Where are you located and what's your climate like? These choices can vary a bit by region. Around here (New England) the standard low-end choice is 5/4 x 6 pressure-treated southern pine. A step up might be Trex or similar composite lumber. A high- end deck might be Ipe or Mahogany. Red cedar and redwood are nice but soft and not that common around here. (It's a long way from the PNW.)
You might want to check out Taunton Press' "Building and Designing Decks" by Scott Schuttner. It has good basic information and illustrations.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
Thanks for the suggestions. I live in Seattle WA. Sorry for the ignorance but is redwood softer than pine? Sounds like either would work. It is a small deck so I don't want to put too much into it since we may remodel the house some day but that is down the line.
Which would be better pine or redwood?
I have never used Trex, is it similar priced and easy to work with?
As I said, I don't work with cedar and redwood much here on the east coast, and the pine is probably a different species as well, but whatever pine you use will almost certainly rot faster than redwood or cedar. I think all three are relatively soft, but this will be a big concern only if this deck will get a lot of traffic. Vertical grain doug fir would also work well, but will also rot in your climate if it's exposed to the elements. Redwood, cedar and even fir will last longer if you pre-stain all sides and edges before screwing them down and are diligent about re-applying stain every year or so.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
Good quality redwood will outlast pine 10 to 1 easy... It is pretty soft... but very rot resistant. Not cheap here tho... comes from CA... I'm in FL --- BRICK
"They say that there is a fine line between genius and insanity. I like to color outside the lines...and then eat the crayons." ~ Me
I actually use a fair amount of cedar in exterior applications, unfortunately don't get much of a shot at redwood. Seen alot of Trex recently, and an overwhelming amount of regular old PT stuff. This is for stuff in and around Boston, MA. Used some IPE down in NYC along with cedar.
-Ray
Stay away from Pt Posts they are garbage and will warp like you never imagined,If you can swing purchising redwood posts and trex decking and Trex handrails you are well on your way to a deck of a life time.Unfortunitely though you will have to build the frame of pressure treated lumber which will be the first part of the deck to fail...so build it strong
Trex... Never hafta do it again.
Yeah
I hope I never hafta do Trex again too.
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For free plans, check your local lumber yard.
My local lumber yard will draw the plans and supplies needed and then give a computer printout of them. They charge you for the service but then credit the cost of the service to your bill if you buy the lumber and supplies from them.