The Deck Handbook - Contents Click to select another page
Part 1: Introduction to Decks
Part 2: Domestic Wood for Decks
Part 3: Exotic and Imported Wood Decks
Part 4: Composite and Plastic Decks
Part 5: Railings, Lighting, Pergolas and Seating
Part 6: Staining, Sealing and Maintaining Your Deck
Part 7: The (Almost) Maintenance Free Deck

The Deck Handbook:
Part 1: Introduction to Decks
Once little more than a homebuilder's afterthought, decks today are the focal point of most backyards. Good for entertaining, curling up with a good book, or just hanging out with a cold one; they serve as the open air family room.

As deck ma­ter­ials and con­struc­tion meth­ods evolve, de­sign­ers are push­ing the li­mits of form and func­tion far­ther than ever be­fore.

In the 1970s, you could have any deck material you wanted, as long as it was wood. On the west coast, Redwood and Western Red Cedar dominated. In the rest of the country, pressure-treated pine (that did not have to be painted) was beginning take over from Douglas Fir (that did) as the deck material of choice.

Today the choice of deck materials is, by contrast, seemingly limitless: wood (of course), including the standards — pressure treated pine, cedar, redwood — and now imported exotic hardwoods such as Ipe (which are even more rot and insect resistant than their domestic counterparts); composite materials, vinyl, concrete, even ceramic and stone tiles. Is There a Maintenance-Free Deck?
(Almost) Maintenace-Free Deck Very nearly. Before you leave us today, see how we build the (Almost) Maintenance-Free Deck.

Some Deck Terminology
To plan your deck you need to consider all the choices available, filter them through your budget and come up with a number of decisions that will affect how your deck will look and perform.

This little handbook is by no means comprehensive. It merely seeks to introduce you to some of the issues involved in planning and building a deck.

Since we will be talking about decks, we will use standard deck terminology. You can refer back to the diagram at left if you encounter a term in this article that you do not recognize. There are deck components not identified in this diagram including ledgers, beams, rim joists, and stair parts. We did not include them here because they are not referred to in this article.

Designing Your Deck
If yours is to be a very simple wood deck on fairly flat ground, you might consider designing it yourself. There are even a number of do-it-yourself design sites on the Internet.

Deck Design Photo-realistic images like this help you visualize the deck before construction begins when it is a lot easier and cheaper to make changes. This is a simple (almost) no-maintenance single level wood deck design.
If, on the other hand, you envision a more complex structure with multiple levels, composite or vinyl material, a railing that involves something more advanced than 2"x2" wood balusters, or interesting lighting effects, then you need a professional designer. That would be, for example, us.

Deck Design A more complex deck with pergola. We use truly sophisticated design software that, among other nice things, allows us to place lighting on the deck then look at it at night to see if the lighting is adequate and properly positioned. We can also look at sunrise, high noon and sunset views to see how the angle of the sun will affect shaded areas on the deck. It even allows us to look at the deck under winter light and summer light. The only thing it will not do is provide artificial snow. They may be working on that.

Our experienced design team can design your deck for you. If we then build your deck for you, the design is free. If you elect to have another builder construct your deck, then you pay only for the design and plans. You can’t lose with this proposition. So contact us for a deck that is uniquely your own. Our computerized design process will let your examine your new deck in full-color photo-quality drawings so you can see what it will look like before the first post-hole is dug.

We can make any changes to the deck design needed until the deck is just right for you. Split Diagonal Decking Pattern Split Diagonal: A rib board separates diagonal sections.


Herringbon Decking Pattern Herringbone: Alternating diagonal sections may be butted or separated by rib boards.
  Straight Decking Pattern Straight: The basic straight pattern. Deck boards are laid parallel to the edge of the deck.

Diagonal Decking Pattern Diagonal: An excellent pattern for smaller decks, deck boards are set at an angle to the edge of the deck. We then create a complete set of plans and specifications suitable for permit application from which the actual deck is built by our skilled and experienced craftsmen and –women.

Decking Patterns
Deck floor pattern choices are endless. They can add style and panache and can make a deck look larger or smaller, or accentuate different areas. Deck floor patterns can be achieved using any flooring material. You can stick with a single pattern or combine different patterns for another look entirely.

Different deck frames support different patterns, so it is important to choose a floor pattern before building. The location and spacing of the supporting joists depends on the decking pattern. Decking boards must always be oriented across the joists. Decking board ends must rest on a joist. They cannot float in mid-air.

By combining these basic patterns, a deck may be made as complex as you may wish. Even very complex patterns, such as the one shown at the top of this page, can be made up of simple combinations of straight and diagonal patterns.

Generally, the more complex the decking pattern, the more complex the framing structure and the more labor and material involved and the more costly the deck.

Cost is also influenced by the method by which deck boards are attached to the deck framework. The most common and least expensive is to nail or screw through the deck boards into the framing structure. This leaves the nail- or screw-heads visible in the deck.

There are also a great variety of hidden fastening systems for use with wood decking, and proprietary attachment mechanisms designed by just about every composite decking manufacturer for use with their own product. All of these involve some sort of hardware device that attaches to the deck board from underneath where it cannot be seen.

As a rule of thumb, hidden decking attachment involves about twice the labor of surface attachment, and about one-third again the material expense for the additional attachment hardware. Powder-Coated Aluminum Decking Powder-coated aluminum has migrated from marine and industrial applications as an up-scale alternative to wood on residential decks. The drawback to aluminum is that it gets very hot — hot enough that an unshaded aluminum deck may become very uncomfortable on sunny days.

Powder-Coated Aluminum Decking Concrete decking needs little maintenance and resists deterioration for a lifetime. Other Decking Materials
While the most common decking material is wood or a wood substitute, the drive for increasingly maintenance-free decks has revived interest in other decking materials.

Decking takes the most abuse on a typical deck, and while railings may suffer from the elements over time, especially the horizontal parts of the railing like the handrail, no part of the deck deteriorates faster or requires more maintenance than the decking. In consequence, other, more durable materials are getting a second look.

Aluminum decking, long popular on marine docks and commercial decks, is becoming the up-scale deck of choice in many localities. Durable and virtually corrosion free, aluminum needs little more than a broom and garden hose to stay new looking nearly forever. Its one big drawback is heat retention. Aluminum gets hot enough that an unshaded aluminum deck may become very uncomfortable on sunny days.

Concrete, long popular as decking for poolside decks, has migrated into backyards that do not boast a swimming poll. Because it is poured wet and needs a lot of reinforcement until it cures and hardens, concrete is an expensive Photo: John Bridge. Ceramic Tile Decking Ceramic tile elevated decking by master tiler John Bridge. deck, and it is not a look that everyone likes. While there are many variations of decorative concrete, stained and formed to look like stone, for example, these enhancements add to the cost of an already pricey product. Many homeowners, rather than choosing concrete formed and finished to look like tile, are opting instead for actual tile as a decking material.

Ceramic and stone tile on patios is common in the U.S., but the idea has not, for some reason, widely migrated to decks. Possibly, because in the past building a strong deck understructure suitable for tile was not a trivial undertaking, involving as it did wet concrete and much skill at getting it very level. Today, however, the invention of fiber cement tile underlayment panels makes the process much easier and much less expensive. In fact, depending on one's choice of tile, a tile deck will cost barely more than a treated pine deck, but somewhat less that a cedar deck. But rather than lasting for a few years, will last your lifetime, and probably that of your children and grandchildren.

Properly set tile is a lifetime deck that needs almost no maintenance beyond a periodic sweeping and washing. An almost infinite variety of colors and patterns make tile an easy match for any decor, and unlike concrete, avoids that "industrial" look that so many object to. (For more information on ceramic and stone tiles as a deck surface, skip to Part 7: The (Almost) Maintenance Free Deck.



Need to learn more about designing, planning and building a deck or porch? Try these articles:
  • Can I Do It Myself
    You can always do at least some of your remodeling yourself. How much you can do depends on the extent of the work to be done, how much knowledge you have of building techniques and such things as building code requirements; and the three "T"s: Time, Talent and Tools. Find out what you can tackle yourself and what you should absolutely leave for the pros.


  • The Construction Process
    Once your blueprints are completed, the real work begins. Your project manager works with you to develop a construction process that minimizes disruption to your household while work is in progress.


  • The Deck Handbook Part 2: Domestic Wood for Decks
    By far he most wood most commonly used for decks is pressure-treated pine. But it is not the only species widely used. Tamarack, cypress and the cedars have found their place in American decks.


  • The Deck Handbook Part 3: Exotic and Imported Deck Woods.
    In the ever-widening quest for wood that looks good, is structurally adaptable and resists rot and decay, imported hardwoods have become significant niche players. The most common are Ipe (pronounced "ee-PAY") and the old standby mahogany. Others include Teak, Cumaru and Jarrah.


  • The Deck Handbook Part 4: Composite and Plastic Decks.
    decking first hit the market around 25 years ago, it was trumpeted as the best thing to happen to deck building since decking screws replaced nails. hat enthusiasm was short-lived. Within a very few years significant flaws in the material began to surface...


  • The Deck Handbook Part 5: Railings, Lighting, Pergolas and Seating
    The feature that brings the most character to a deck is its railing. Deck railings are required in most localities on any deck higher than 36" (24" in some places) from the ground...


  • The Deck Handbook Part 6: Staining, Sealing and Maintaining Your Deck
    Wood rots. Some woods rot quickly, some very slowly, but all are going to deteriorate to uselessness eventually. Learn how staining and sealing protect you deck and the products to use to reduce wood deck maintenance to a minimum.


  • The Deck Handbook Part 7: The (Almost) Maintenance Free Deck
    It is entirely possible to build a deck that is almost maintenance-free. It requires understanding why deck fails, a little common-sense, some unlikely deck materials, and a fresh approach, but it is possible. In fact, it costs very little more to build an almost maintenance-free deck than it does to build a standard pine deck. Here's how we do it.


  • Building by Design: The Design-Builder Concept
    A design-builder is a modern form of an ancient approach to building structures — that of the master builder. A master builder of old was a combination architect, engineer and builder, responsible for every phase of building a structure from initial concept to completion. Design-building firms such as StarCraft Custom Builders continue this oldest of building traditions.


  • The Design Process
    If your plans include substantial changes to your kitchen or bath, or another room, or you are contemplating an addition; then a construction plan is required. Learn how your ideas are turned into a concept plan and then a construction blueprint in a three-step process using computer-assisted design.


  • Living Through Remodeling
    Remodeling will disrupt just about every routine you have; including some you are not aware of having. But this noisy, gritty process doesn't necessarily mean you will be tearing out your hair. With a little advance planning, it is possible to live through even major renovations with your sanity and good nature largely intact. Check out our remodeling survivors guide.