Our weekend project...we built a deck - Loaded with pics

Boo&BugsMom wrote: We built a deck in the back of our house this weekend.

It all started on Friday, as Troy was ripping apart our old porch (sorry, don't have a before pic). He fell back onto his arm, which resulted in a badly sprained and slightly fractured wrist, a torn up knee, and a sprained ankle. Here he is, in his glory, after the fall. He had to go to the ER to get it splinted.



This is the start of the project. Getting the frame in.






The men taking a break.

Boo&BugsMom replied: Finally, the boards went in.


Tanner wanted to help so he went and got his play toolbelt to put on.


It started to pour outside and horrible thunderstorms came through. Although, that didn't stop them much.


The semi--finished product. We still have to put trim up around the areas where the lattice meets so it looks seamless. Then I have to start planting a few things and put some edging around it to make it look pretty. This is the back yard view.


This is the side view by the driveway. As you can see, our neighbors are pretty close together, which is the reason why we used the lattice. Our one neighbor used lattice on her deck as well and it seems to give her, and now hopefully us, a bit more privacy.


Screwing down the deck boards. Tanner had to help Troy since he could only use one hand.

stella6979 replied: Very nice Jennie! They did an awesome job!
Sorry to hear about Troy though. Fractured wrists SUCK!!!! I hope he's not right handed!!!

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Thanks! Actually, he is left handed, thank God. That would have sucked even more had he been right handed

mckayleesmom replied: Cute porch....sucks about the fall...Hope troy feels better soon.

luvmykids replied: Wow, they really cranked it out! Sorry about Troy, that isn't a fun way to start the weekend!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Great job! Sorry about the fall! I hope he heals up quickly!

Boo&BugsMom replied: We did take his brace off last night to let it get some air. Let me tell ya, I had never smelled anything worse than a bunch of 2-day-old sweaty dirty wrappings. Temps on Saturday reached near 90 and he had been outside working in that ALL day, and on Sunday. Peeeeewwww!!!!

He is able to bend it down a bit, but still can not bend it up and can't carry anything with weight. The swelling has gone down, but he still has to keep it immoble for a bit.

coasterqueen replied: Great job! That looks great.

Now can you send no rain vibes my way (for 2 weeks) so that I can get my patio poured? I want my pool up!

Teesa®© replied: Poor Troy, but the porch looks awesome!!

A&A'smommy replied: It looks great!!! I'm sorry about Troys wrist that sucks!!

lovemy2 replied: OK - we started putting our deck on almost THREE weeks ago and its still not done - we have had 5 stitches, wrong size decking ordered, rain, 90 degree weather, a birthday party for Olivia and a WHOLE host of other issues to go along with it - needless to say I have a great deck - however it has no boards on top of it to walk on

Anyway - GREAT JOB Troy - and sorry about the bumps and bruises

CantWait replied: Looks great!!!! Hope Troy heals quick, what a sweetheart for continuing on with the project and a great group of friends for the help.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied: Wow ! Great deck!!!!!!!! Tim and his friend, Drew, tore ours down and rebuilt it last May. Took them 4 solid weekends to do it because it was just the two of them. Having all of those guys come help out was a great idea on your part.

MoonMama replied: Love the deck great job guys! Tons of heal quicky vibes Troy.

MommyToAshley replied: WOW -- your deck looks awesome!! I can't believe they got that done in one weekend. And, what a trooper Troy is to continue after the fall. I hope he's feeling better and heal quickly -- poor guy.

gr33n3y3z replied: It looks really nice guys a job well done

Boo&BugsMom replied: I have to say, if it weren't for Troy's dad, it wouldn't be done. He is a deck building master...not to mention he drove down 3 1/2 hours and stayed the weekend with us just to get it done. I do have a pretty great FIL I must say. And my dad who also helped, my brother, and 2 friends, never complained and about it either and pitched in until we didn't need them.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: WOW! That is awesome Jennie and Troy!!!!

I thought that deck looked awfully professional to be a bunch of amateurs! It's beautiful! Ask them if they mind coming to TX next to build me one! I pay in beer!

DVFlyer replied: Construction question:

It doesn't appear that they used pressure treated 4x4's or cement for the posts. What kind of wood/ construction technique was used?

TheOaf66 replied:
all of the wood is pressure treated

no cement was not used in the holes to compensate for our wonderful winters here...using cement in the bottoms (we dug 3-4' deep) and in the spring when the ground thaws it causes the concreste to break apart. The year after that when the ground shifts your posts will shift as well. We just put rocks and dirt in the holes.

TheOaf66 replied:
a trip to TX and paying in beer...when do you need me there

holley79 replied: I love it!! OK so the last picture scared me beacuse Troy already had an ER visit and it looked like an ER visit in the making.

Calimama replied: Wow!! It always amazes me when people can take slabs of wood and turn it into something!

DVFlyer replied:
Thanks, Troy. That is interesting. A friend just built a deck in colorado and used those large cardboard tubes filled with cement. I'll have to ask him if he knows if he will have any freezing/ expanding/ contracting issues.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied:
uh oh -- that's what we used, too. Those cardboard tubes filled with cement. Its been a year and so far, so good. We are in St.Louis. Crazy weather all the time. Extreme cold and extreme hot. Hope we didnt make a mistake using those.

DVFlyer replied: I think both are acceptable types of construction. Depending on the size, the tubes generally hold significantly more cement than most people use for typical "post hole" construction so I would imagine the temperature shifts do not affect them.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied:
<whew> Good! It sure would suck to have something happen after all that hard work.

Cece00 replied: Looks great! Sorry about Troy's arm.

HuskerMom replied: Nice deck! So when's the first BBQ on it? Hope the arm heals quick!