Cart:

View your shopping cart.
Home

How to Build a Deck

This deck building guide will take you through the entire deck building process from checking your material list, to pouring footings, substructure, decking, railings, and more.

Follow through the guide as you come to each step of your build for great tips and techniques.

We are in the process of rewriting this guide to make it up to date and more complete with lots of great deck building information so check back often to see what's new.

1. Deck Plan Preparation: Before You Get Started
1.1 Inspect Your Deck Building Lumber and Materials
1.2 Deck Building Tools
1.3 How to Check a Materials List, or Write Your Own
1.4 Tips for Organizing Materials at Your Job Site
2. Deck Layout and Footing Position Spacing
3. Post Hole Excavation and Post Setting
4. Installing Deck Ledgers
5. Installing 2x8 Deck Beams
6. Deck Joist Installation
7. Blocking Your Deck Joists
8. Framing Cut Corners
9. Outside "Rim Joist" or Faceplate Installation
10. Framing a Level Change
11. Framing High Decks
12. Custom Deck Framing
13. Hidden Fasteners
13.1 Shadoe Track Hidden Fasteners
13.2 CAMO Hidden Deck Fastening System
14. Installing Joist Cap
15. Decking Installation
15.1 Decking: Wood Deck Boards
15.2 Decking: Composite Deck Boards
15.3 Decking: Installing Shadoe Track
15.4 Decking: CAMO Hidden Deck Fastening System
15.5 Decking: Laying Deck Boards Around a Bump Out
15.6 Decking: Scribing Decking to Stone
15.7 Decking: Pattern Boards
15.8 Decking: Perimeter Boards
16. Railings
16.1 Railings: Installing Wood Deck Rail Posts
16.2 Railings: Deck Railing Installation
16.3 Railings: Glass Panels in a Wood Frame
16.4 Railings: Aluminum Railings
17. Skirts
17.1 Skirts: Installing Horizontal Skirt Supports
17.2 Skirts: Skirt Installation
18. Stairs
18.1 Stairs: Box Steps
18.2 Stairs: Wood Riser Stairs
18.3 Stairs: Wrap Around Stringer Stairs
19. Deck Trim
20. Benches
20.1 Benches: Wood Deck Bench Plan
20.2 Benches: Composite Deck Bench Plan
20.3 Benches: Wrap Around Bench
21. Planters and Planter Boxes
22. Privacy Screens
22.1 Privacy Screens: Lattice Privacy Screen
22.2 Privacy Screens: Tongue and Groove Privacy Screen
22.3 Privacy Screens: Tongue and Groove Privacy Screen with Top Lattice
22.4 Privacy Screens: V - Pattern Tongue and Groove Privacy Screen
22.5 Privacy Screens: V-Pattern Tongue and Groove Privacy Screen with Top Lattice
22.6 Privacy Screens: Frosted Glass Privacy Screen
22.7 Privacy Screens: Fixed Louver Privacy Screens
23. Outdoor Lighting
24. Framing an Arch or Curve on Your Deck
25. Framing a Deck for Hot Tub Installation
26. Framing a Deck Around a Pool

© 2021, DIY Deck Plans. All rights reserved.