Wood is a great material for outdoor decks, and is often the best choice for creating an attractive, durable and long-lasting deck. DIYers will enjoy the ability to customize their wood platform deck plans to suit their own taste and requirements. Learn how to build one in this article. First, you must pick a place to build your deck. Then, you’ll need to prepare the land and choose what materials to use for building it. Finally, you’ll need to construct your deck putting in posts and beams, installing steps, securing railings and stairs.
Build a wood platform deck with these basic steps. Then clear away the weeds and fill in the dirt, using gravel to level it out. A wood platform deck provides a surface that is several inches above ground level, which makes it easy to walk on even when wearing shoes with thick heels or a backpack loaded with books and binders.
The construction of a wood deck can be a DIY project for homeowners who are experienced in home improvements and handy around the house. A wooden deck is built from pressure-treated lumber that is resistant to rot, mold, weathering and insects, making it an ideal material for outdoor structures. It’s important to begin with a solid plan so the platform functions properly without any structural flaws or squeaky floorboards. Once you know how to build a wood platform deck, you can make it more attractive by adding a railing and benches along the edge of the deck.
Pick the Right Material
When deciding on the type of material for your deck, you should take into consideration its durability and maintenance. Pressure-treated lumber will last longer than wood boards, but it can be more difficult to work with because it needs to be treated before being installed. Cedar also lasts a long time and looks great, but requires more maintenance. Composite materials like Trex offer a low-maintenance option that looks just as nice as real wood without the hassle of treating or staining every few years.
Know How Many Deck Boards You’ll Need
If you’re building a wood platform deck, you will need to know how many deck boards you’ll need. To do this, measure the deck area and calculate the number of board feet needed.
Once you know how many board feet your project requires, there are several factors that can affect how many boards you actually purchase:
- Check the requirements for widths. Some lumber comes in standard sizes such as 2×10 or 4×8; others may be cut to order at special milling facilities.
- Check your local building codes for height restrictions on stairs and railings — certain species may not meet those regulations if they’re installed unevenly or improperly trimmed down after installation (for example).
Measure Twice and Cut Once
Before you cut any boards, it’s important to know how long and wide your deck is going to be. This will help you plan where you’ll put the stairs and railings so that they’re in the right place.
Measure twice and cut once is an old proverb for a reason: mistakes are very costly in this situation. If you get it wrong and don’t realize until after making all of your cuts, there’s no way back from having to start over again. If this happens, take solace in the fact that at least now you know what size each board needs to be.
Next comes the fun part: measuring out the wood for each step of your platform deck. Make sure not only do these measurements work with other parts of your deck, but also ensure they comply with local building codes before proceeding any further (in most cases). You may also want additional support beams running perpendicular through some or all steps if desired; these can be added later on as well after all measurements have been made correctly beforehand.
Lay Out the Floor and Frame the Corners
Now that the joists are in place, it’s time to lay out the floor. This will be done with pressure-treated decking boards (1x6s or 1x8s). Start by measuring and marking where each board will need to be placed. The best way to do this is by using a level as you mark each point on the face of your joists. If you don’t have a level, use another method like stringing a line across from one part of your structure and holding it up to form an X with tape. When you’re finished marking all of your points, take off any lines that remained after creating an X because these aren’t necessary for building your platform deck frame. Next, cut some 2x4s into four equal lengths for framing around each corner post don’t forget about including space for attaching electrical conduit.
Use Decking Screws to Attach the Floor to the Corner Posts
- Use screws that are long enough to go through the posts and into the floor.
- Use screws that are long enough to go through the floor and into the joist.
- Don’t use screws that are too long, because they might poke through and break your decking surface when you drive them in (and they will be visible).
- Don’t use screws that are too short, because then you won’t have a secure connection between your post and floor or between your post and joist you want those connections strong.
Building a wood platform deck is not that hard, as long as you use the right tools.
Building a wood platform deck is not that hard, as long as you use the right tools. To get started, you will need:
- A tape measure for measuring your deck’s dimensions and for making sure it’s level
- A drill for attaching your floor to the joists below it
- A screwdriver to secure the flooring onto your joists (this can be done by hand if they’re accessible)
- A saw or handsaw in order to cut the wood slats into planks suitable for building your deck
Final words
That’s how you build a wood platform deck. Hopefully we’ve given you some ideas and tips to help you tackle your own project. Now that we’ve gone through the basics, it’s time for you to get out there and start building.
