To give you some idea about how a deck is constructed, let's take a look at the parts that make up a deck:. Beams: the horizontal support structure for the deck frame, placed on the posts, beneath the joists. Here we will focus only on the decking materials, but if you want to know the total cost to build a deck, you'll need to take into account the price of the substructure posts, beams, and joists.
To estimate how much it will cost to build a deck, you need to decide on the types of materials you are going to use. Deck flooring can be made of natural wood, synthetics, or composite a mixture of plastic and wood.
Different types vary in looks, price, availability, need for maintenance, and resistance to rot, decay and insects. Alternatively, you can go for plywood decking - it is cheap, fast and easy to install, but you may have a problem with standing water, which can damage the deck.
Nails - driving them is a bit faster, but if you do this incorrectly you may mar the wood, and removing a nail is more difficult than removing a screw. Hidden fasteners - allow the creation a smooth surface, but you'll need deck boards with a grooved edge of a size that is compatible with the clips.
Determine the length and width of your deck - you can do this by marking out the corners your designated building area with stakes, putting a string between them, and measuring the length of the line with a measuring tape. Enter the values into the decking calculator. It will output the square footage of your deck.
Enter the length, width, and price of the decking boards you've chosen. The calculator will tell you the square footage of the boards. Choose the type of fasteners you will use, and the deck cost calculator will output the number of fasteners needed. Take a look at the number of screws, nails, or hidden clips needed.
Find a pack which contains an equal or larger number and enter its price into the deck material calculator.
The calculator will estimate the cost of building your deck. If you want to know what equations the deck cost calculator uses, or want to calculate the cost yourself, read the example below:. Kickstart your decking project A deck is essentially an open-air extension of your living space. What do you want to use your decking for? How big should your decked area be?
Top tip - Recreate your socialising space If you're looking to entertain on your decking, arrange your garden furniture in the space you're considering for decking.
Draw up a simple plan of your house and garden, and mark where you want to build your deck. Where do you want to lay your decking? However, if you have your pick, there are a few things to think about when choosing your site: Is the ground level or does it have a noticeable slope?
Level gardens offer the easiest conditions for laying decking. But even the most difficult or steep of slopes can work with decking. How close is the site to your house? Decking can work well both adjoining your home and further away from it. If you're looking to step out from your home onto the decking, there are few important extra considerations that must be made during installation, but we'll take you through those later during the laying process. How much sun does it get?
The south-facing side of the house will offer the most sunshine, however if you're looking to avoid the sun, select a shady spot. What's the view from the site? Perhaps you have a particularly stunning view that you'd like to look on from your decking, or the rear of your house. How much privacy does the site afford? Does it offer you the privacy that you want from your neighbours and does it maintain their privacy from you?
Do you have any existing features to work around? From trees to posts, there's no need to remove anything else from your space to accommodate your decking - simply work around them. And if it's a tree, it makes sense to research the species as some trees can be very fast growing and so might need much more room than you first anticipate. Top tip: Check for underground pipes and cables Rent a cable avoidance tool CAT to check for any pipes or cables beneath the proposed decking area.
Take the guess work out of purchasing the materials to build a deck and save time and money. There are many ways to build a deck. We like to keep things simple, which is why this deck material calculator estimates materials for a ground level deck without stairs or a railing.
The variety of decking materials and variables is overwhelming. This calculator uses standard 2 x 6 pressure treated lumber for decking available at most hardware stores. It also assumes floor joists are 16 inches apart and 6 x 6 footers stumps are 8 feet apart and the deck is ground level. A few other important factors to keep in mind are:. Keep in mind, building codes vary state-by-state. If necessary, secure any necessary building permits before building a deck. Due to variables out of our control, Mr.
Instead, many stagger their decking. Much in the same way you would install laminate or hardwood flooring, you stagger your deck planks so that the butt ends of one row are never next to the butt ends on the following row. A stair-step pattern, in which you stagger each piece so that each joist has a butt end starting with the last joist and working your way back joist by joist as you add rows. This is easy if it is a square or rectangular — length x width.
If you have a deck with sections, you should divide it into parts, find each area, and then add them together. An overhang will protect your deck frame from the impacts of moisture and sun more than a flush deck board.
The type of decking material you use when you build a deck will not affect how many boards you need if they are all the same width. The standard decking material, pressure-treated wood, is the local framing lumber found in your big box home reno store that has also been pressure treated with preservative. That means it was put into a pressure chamber and infused with chemicals that will make it last longer in the outdoors. Since pressure-treated lumber is often quite wet when you purchase it, the possibility of shrinkage is very real.
Lumber is far less prone to shrinking lengthwise, so your butt joints will remain fairly snug. PT lumber comes in a variety of lengths as mentioned above. When using it you need gloves, plus a mask and eye protection when cutting it. Cedar decking has the same dimensions available as pressure-treated decking.
The difference is that the options for cedar can vary depending on where you live.
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