That's not a deck... THIS is a deck.

[chelzmalee]

After seeing fellow AFFer Katie's thread on building a pavillion out back, it reminded me that I hadn't posted about the deck out back of my place. This is the deck that has been about 4 years in the making...

Short backstory: There was a big slab of concrete out the back of my house when I purchased it in 2015. I immediately thought it was a great place for a deck. Limited finances held it back, and then I decided to rely on my wonderful family to build it. My uncle is an engineer, my Dad is a toolmaker and my brother is a draftsman and fitter/machinist. None builders, of course, but bloody good at stuff like this.

I got the "roof" on first - I had it done by Spanline. The fellas decided it would be easier to have that done first, then work the deck around that.



From memory I think this was installed in 2018. Colours are Classic Cream and Jasper for the gutters, if anyone is wondering.

(More to come in separate posts on this thread)

 

[Buzzard]

Is that an original Hills Hoist?

 

[chelzmalee]

Next bit was to decide on how the deck would be built. There was a LOT of "meetings" - basically the fellas just stood around and measured stuff, drank beer, drew a mud map, drank more beer, and threw ideas back and forth. I sat and supervised.

Finally it was decided the frame would be steel. My brother drew up designs in CAD and ordered the steel for me. We were on our way! This was mid 2019 from memory. Long story short, the steel sat at my brothers work for 9 months, then it finally got delivered to my house. Were it sat for another 6 months.

Dad retired at the end of June 2020 and suddenly one day things started happening!



Flick supervised the build, and assisted by sitting on the plans. Cats.



Here's my Dad showing off his handywork (not pictured: my Uncle and brother). The frame is finally down! Huzzah!

Then the next discussiuon happened: What timber to use? I had initially thrown out the idea of Ekodeck, but that was quickly quashed due to cost and that it would be hot/hard to attach etc. We eventually settled on Merbau.

 

[chelzmalee]

Is that an original Hills Hoist?

You had me stumped for a minute, so I checked - it is! Hills branding on the winder. It'll get moved in future.

After settling on Merbau, Dad had a long chat with the local hardware store about how it would be attached to the steel and all that boring stuff. We ordered the timber and screws and we were off!



My contribution to the deck was pretty much just supervising.



As Merbau doesn't come in specific lengths when ordering from the hardware store, we got an assortment of lengths. Lots of measuring was done and the planks laid out to see the most economical way to have it all fit.

 

[chelzmalee]

Forgot to mention, we're around November/December of 2020 now.



Boards are now being screwed in. Hooray!



All the boards down. I was so incredibly happy this day - felt like I had an actual deck - even if it wasn't at all safe yet.




Next came the hand rail. Tasmanian Oak base with Merbau on top. Also, a table and 6 chairs was given to me by my Uncle, so feeling rather excited now.

 

[chelzmalee]

And now, here we are. This is yesterdays hard work. Again - I did nothing apart from tell them what I wanted.



We installed aluminium lattice on the Western side for two reasons: 1, reduces the afternoon sun, and 2, gives the neighbours privacy. This was left over from a carport my parents pulled down, and then Dad and Uncle cut it to size.

All that is left is the wire to go between the deck and the handrail - just waiting on a few parts and they can get that done. I'm really looking forward to it because then I can finally (safely) invite people over for a deck warming.

 

[Robert K]

That looks amazing! Wish I had a handy family. Mine are only good at praying and candy crush.

 

[RooFlyer]

Pshaw! This is a deck: 45 sq m IIRC. Knocked up by the local tradie and his offsider in a weekend (its the first story).

PS love the merbau. Mine was just treated pine, stained.

 

[chelzmalee]

Pshaw! This is a deck: 45 sq m IIRC.

Ha ha! I did 20sqm to fly under the radar of requiring a DA from council

 

[Buzzard]

We would like to build a deck at our "other" house. When we do it will be using Ekodeck. More expensive but no maintenance required. I'm over sanding and staining.

 

[zig]

Great deck, and well done on the family endeavour. I hope you enjoy many social gatherings on it.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ha ha! I did 20sqm to fly under the radar of requiring a DA from council

DA? What DA? . Like I said, they take knocked it up ( and the old like back down ) in a weekend. The local council wouldn’t have noticed if I’d demolished the whole house and built a new one.

 

[Pushka]

I have to ask. Are decks a guy thing?

 

[RooFlyer]

Yep. This guy, anyway.

 

[chelzmalee]

I have to ask. Are decks a guy thing?

Given the amount of discussion that went into building mine ... I think so.

I really just like that I have a nice place to act like I'm an adult

 

[Denali]

Given the amount of discussion that went into building mine ... I think so.

I really just like that I have a nice place to act like I'm an adult

Ive lived in this house for 20yrs and it took me getting a charcoal bbq and 3 meals for hubby to build the budget deck, aka Dodgy Deck.

She aint pretty but does does a good job. Shes now painted, covered, furniture and even has corner herb gardens around it and we're finally having meals outdoors (been waiting 20yrs!). Oh and yes, thats an original (60+yr house) hills hoist in the background - we dont use it but its in perfect working condition so not eager to remove it yet.




Corner herb garden, I have another one on the other side. Its now thriving that Im now giving away fresh herbs at my office (you pay $4-$5 per packet/sleeve at the stores).

 

[Major]

I have to ask. Are decks a guy thing?

Absolutely. It's a must for afternoon drinks, entertaining friends and Sunday brunch

 

[Pushka]

Absolutely. It's a must for afternoon drinks, entertaining friends and Sunday brunch

View attachment 239187

Oh I love sitting on decks and drinking. It's the construction - well, as long as it's flat then that's all there is too them surely?

 

[love_the_life]

Oh I love sitting on decks and drinking. It's the construction - well, as long as it's flat then that's all there is too them surely?

I think there are probably people here who believe there's a lot more to a deck.
A friend who was married to a builder was going to have a deck out the back made for Christmas - the husband removed the back steps (a couple) and put down a layer of gravel and that's how it stayed, for years and it was still like that when he died! It was a matter of 'watch the step' if you went out the back door.

 

[DC3]

... well, as long as it's flat then that's all there is too them surely?

I realise that this was a bit tongue in cheek, but it reminded me of a post about COVID vax and the local pharmac_ and an AFFer posted that it was “no big thing to stab a needle into someone's arm”.

Edit: The implication being that these things are easy peasy.