Deck - Week 5

Miter saw setup

It rained all day Saturday so not much was accomplished. Actually, it pretty much rained all week putting a serious damper in any progress. I manged to get a tarp setup underneath the deck to protect the new saw while I cut stair planks. I got a few stairs installed before the rain became too miserable to continue.

A few stairs done

I'm using vinyl trim for the stair risers to match the railing. It didn't rain Sunday so I was able to get all the stairs done plus the framing for the step off the kitchen door. I broke 3 T15 bits while screwing down the CorectDeck CX decking. That stuff is crazy dense. So it was off to HomeDespot to get more T15 bits and a new set of drill bits and a quick release adapter. My new 12" sliding compound miter saw is working well. Kerry said Merry Xmas, Happy, Birthday, Merry Xmas, Happy, Birthday, Merry Xmas, Happy, Birthday, etc. for the next few years for that one. The weather is supposed to be good this week, so I should finish the blocking and kitchen sliding glass door step and be able to get started on the picture frame before the weekend. Forcast is showing rain for Saturday again... Blah.

Deck - Week 4

First 8 joists in place

On Thursday I took a vacation day to get a headstart on the deck before the weekend. I managed to put in 8 16 foot joists by myself. It was slow but satisfying.

First 8 joists as seen from above

All joists and ends done; stair stringers set up

On Saturday, the wife's friend, Tim came over to lend a hand for the day. Dad came for another weekend of hard labor. We managed to get all the joists up and also setup two of the stairway stringers. After Tim left in the afternoon we poured the concrete footers for the stair-posts.

Stair stringers

Stair posts set in place and center-line stringer added

On Sunday Dad and I added the center-line stair stringer and set the stair posts in concrete. We also bolted the face boards on and bolted the tops of the stringers to the joists.

Beam-ends trimmed

Also on Sunday we trimmed the ends of the beams. This week I'll finish fastening various bits that are only temporarily tacked in place. I'll try to finish the blocking for the picture frame deck boards and build the step from the sliding-glass door. The deck has been a great excuse to accumulate more toys. The latest is the 12" sliding compound miter saw that will be used extensively for cutting the decking which will be laid on a 45 degree angle.

Deck - Week 3

First beam clamped in place

On Saturday I was able to put up the last post and use a couple of straps to locate and level the first beam. I cut the post notches with a chainsaw which made a mess and turned out pretty uneven and very rough. I told the wife I needed a new toy and ran out Sunday morning to buy a reciprocating "Sawsall." I was also able to complete the flashing on the ledger boards and put in the last few bolts securing them to the house. Also Saturday I put up the rim joist so I could locate the outside edge of the beams which would go up Sunday.

Three beams in place

Sunday, thanks to JTB and his son I was able to get all three beams bolted to the posts. The new saw greatly helped the effort and made the cuts much cleaner and neater than the chainsaw. We also managed to get the center-line double joist square to the house and use that as a reference for squaring up the rim joist and a couple of other key joists. Next: joists and more joists, blocking for the picture-frame deck boards trimming the beam ends and possibly adding the stair posts and framing.

Deck - Weeks 1 and 2

Above: 3 first post holes dug and 11 more waiting.

The first three post holes were dug by hand to avoid hitting the gas line (yellow flags). Luckily the gas line was not seen so the post hole locations did not need to be modified. The remaining 11 holes were dug with the assistance of a post-hole auger. It made the job easier but I still had to pry out several hundred pounds of rocks by hand. All in all it was a weekend's work to get the holes dug followed by the inspection later that week.

Above: Ledger boards in place.

The second weekend saw the ledger boards installed after removal of the siding. Dad stopped by to help out and teach me the right way of doing these things. I've always been his manual labor and never really paid attention to how things are supposed to go together. I was just told what to do and when and how to do it while I was growing up. This project is all about me really learning about how to do things right.

7 of 8 posts in place.

Sunday of weekend number 2 and we were able to get 7 of 8 posts in place with lots of temporary bracing. I still need a ton more concrete to fill the holes to the top and I still need a few more bolts and flashing on the ledger boards.
Next weekend: Post number 8 and 2 of 3 beams. All I need is some muscle...

Purcellville, VA 4th of July Parade

Commuter Upgrade

Check out the new 27x1.125 Vittorias on the '83 Takara. It changes the look completely from the 27x1.25 Kendas with the gumwalls.

Scenic Western Loudoun County

Crappy cell phone shots during a typical 30 mile ride around the county. Top: 5 image panorama. Bottom: 3 image panorama.