April 17, 2007
Hitting the deck
Posted by pete at April 17, 2007 12:11 AMWhat did you do this weekend? Me, I built a deck.
Okay, really I assisted in the building of my deck. My good friend Sir Not Appearing on This Blog has vast experience in such projects, and had been railroaded/sweet-talked by The Wife into helping my comparatively non-handy ass with the project. Still, I dug many holes, poured gallons of concrete, and drove a lot of screws.
The first order of business - after obtaining the dimensions (8' x 12') and buying the lumber and concrete, was setting the posts. We wanted to dig the holes on Friday, but typical Houston spring weather conspired against us. So, 8:00 Saturday morning, My friend brings over his auger and we commence to perforate my back yard. Several hours later, we have posts:
If they look a little off center in the middle there, it's because the house's previous owner illegally ran pipe off the main water line to the backyard (long since shut off by the City), and we kept hitting it. If it wasn't that, it was 3" thick roots. Love those old neighborhoods.
Anyway, setting the posts took pretty much all of Saturday. Sunday morning, we finally got to put the joists in:
That pail is the mastic we used to seal the bases of the posts. There's still some on my leg, as I'm irrationally afraid of breaking out the steel wool and getting it off.
Still, once the supports were down, laying down the deck boards took almost no time. Hence, the semi-finished product:
I say "semi-finished" because the 2x6"s turned out to be 2x5.5"s. So I need another board or two. And there's still the roof to build, but for now it'll be nice to have a perch to watch She Who Shall Not Be Named as she nosedives down our slide.
I hate to tell you this, but you can build a deck without having to dig post holes. See here, which is how we did it at our old house.
And when she’s not doing that she can relax in her comfortable green IKEA chair. Glad I’m not the only one buying that stuff.
A clutch performance as Man of the House. well done, looks nice
Difficulty: I’m in a 2nd story condo.
As long as you don’t mind your “deck” being 6” wide, I’m there.
I hate to tell you this, but you can build a deck without having to dig post holes.
You obviously didn’t have an engineer with you. “No post holes” was not an option.
Those deck blocks also aren’t very good for supporting a roof.
Glad I’m not the only one buying that stuff.
It’s great when they’re too young to bitch about how cheap their parents are.
Now install that kickass outdoor Bose speaker so everybody from Dickinson to Tomball can hear the melodious strains of Faster Pussycat.
You obviously didn’t have an engineer with you. “No post holes” was not an option.
There are six or seven engineers involved in building the art car. The damned piano has been redesigned at least a dozen times in very heated discussions. I am just labor, so I’ve done a lot of standing around with a drill in my hand waiting to be told where to start screwing.
It’s been fun.
I’ve done a lot of standing around with a drill in my hand waiting to be told where to start screwing
Kinky.
Dude, if you didn’t know the true dimensions of a 2x6, you really aren’t handy.
Meanwhile your ability to restate something I already wrote is as keen as ever.
Never mind the naysayers. It’s an achievement. Congrats and well done.
What, you don’t take being confirmed in your observations as positive reinforcement?
Awesome dude! Now I won’t trip over the little sinkholes caused by all the decomposing bodies you have back there!
Nice!! I can really hear the pride of a job well done coming through. You know, as a friend, I wouldn’t mind helping you to feel that sense of pride again. So any time you want to build another deck, just come on out to San Diego. Difficulty: I’m in a 2nd story condo.
When do you put in the dry bar?