Deck!

I built a deck!

We have this area of the yard on the side of the house which has been just dirt and rocks for… well, for the entire time we’ve lived here. I built a trellis for the entrance to the area which has helped to mask that section, but it still feels unused (mostly because it is).

So, after chatting with Shanin, in which we discussed everything up to the possibility of an ADU, we figured that it would be most in keeping of what we want in the back yard - and can afford - if we put a deck in. Not something high, just enough to make a flat spot for seating. And we thought it would look nicer if we made the deck have two levels. So, with a rough plan in mind, I ordered up some lumber.

Due to the height of the deck, I wouldn’t have to anchor it to the ground, which made things easier. I just put down a pair of pressure-treated 4x4s as a skid plate in trenches which I compacted and into which I laid sand for a foundation, then put the joists across those.

The lower deck just got pressure-treated 4x4s as joists. The deck slats then went perpendicular to the joists, tacked down using screws. Wish I had one of those fancy drivers, but I don’t… oh well.

Yes, I know that the boards are crooked on the lower one; I fixed it

After all the boards went on, I added trim around the sides to neaten up the look.

Even before I stained it, I had to get a shot with the hammock in its new home

And, just for fun, I decided to get a timelapse of me putting this thing together. Enjoy!

Note from the future: I finally got a shot of the deck with stain on it (I know, right?); this is from when we were moving; I wanted a pic of all the things I’d built, but thought I’d add this here.