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How to Build a Deck 
Welcome to the H.R.C. clinic for building your custom deck. 

Here we present you with a deck layout that includes the basics. With your imagination, you can expand upon and customize  the set of instructions presented here. 

Safety First 
Glossary 
The Ledger Board 
Installing Joist Hangers 
Laying Out the Footings 
Digging the Footings 
Setting the Posts 
Beam Installation 
The Railing 
Stair Elements 

Power Tools 
Always wear safety glasses when using any power tool. 
Unplug power tools when loading them, changing blades, or making adjustments. 
Never use power tools in the rain. 
Never use any power tools in a way not recommended by the manufacturer. 

Ladders 
The distance from the base of the ladder to the wall should be 1/4 the height of the ladder.  Make sure the ladder's foot pads are secure on the ground. Use a leg leveler (you can buy one) if the ladder is uneven. Never shim it.  Have someone support the ladder when you are climbing up and down. Keep ladders away from electrical lines and pay attention to overhead lines when moving an extended ladder into position.  Never attempt to stretch when on a ladder. If you can't reach, move the ladder. If you use a ladder plank, make sure it overhangs the supporting ladders by the recommended distance and that two people never use a plank rated for one. 

Glossary
Beam. Spans between the posts and supports the joists. 
Decking boards. Floor surface of the deck nailed to the joists. 
Fascia. Boards that are attached around the sides of the deck floor, covering the ends of the deck boards and the perimeter joists for decorative purposes. 

Footings. Concrete bases embedded in the ground. They provide main support for the deck. 

Joists. Provide support for the decking boards, usually 16 inches on center. 
Joist hangers. Metal fasteners that attach joists to ledger board. 

Ledger board. The board that attaches directly to the existing structure. 

Piers. Concrete blocks located above the footing. Usually 6 inches high. 

Posts. Vertical supports that rest on piers and support the beam. 

Post anchors. Metal brackets that attach the post to piers. 

Rim joist. Sometimes called "perimeter joist." Butts up against the joist ends, usually on the side of the deck away from the house. 

The Ledger Board
1.Use a level to mark a line where the ledger board will go. Measure down 1 1/2 inches for the deck board and 9 1/2 inches for the width of the ledger board, assuming you're using 2x10's. 
2.If the house has wood siding, cut the siding away with a circular saw. Set the blade to cut only through the thickness of the siding. Finish out the cuts with a chisel and hammer in sharp corners. If the siding is aluminum, a circular saw can chew it up. Move the saw backwards slowly. This will take a little longer. For stucco, masonry blades are available. 
3.Pry loose the first siding board. Cut the others with a handsaw and remove. 
4.Cut the ends of the ledger boards to square them off. Test fit the ledger board where you want it to go. 

Installing Joist Hangers
1.To install the joist hangers on the ledger board, pre-drill for lag screws with a 3/8-inch wood bit. 
2.Nail the ledger board to the house, leaving an area wide enough at the top for the decking. If the ledger board is bowed, use a pry bar to adjust and secure into place. 
3.Drill for lag screws through the pre-drilled holes just through the sheathing and part way through the rim joist. 
4.Once the drilling is complete, squirt caulk into each hole to seal the hole and keep moisture out. 
5.Using 4-inch lag screws, hammer in as far as you drilled. Use a ratchet to drive the lag screw in further. Be sure to use a washer to keep from drilling it in too far. 
6.Caulk with a thick bead on top of the ledger board before positioning the flashing up underneath the exposed siding. Be sure to check with your local building department to see if additional steps against moisture need to be taken at this time. 

Laying Out the Footings
1.Use a plumb bob to determine where the posts will go starting with the left side. 
2.Mark the siding, tap in a nail and tie a piece of builder's string to the nail. This line represents the left side of the deck. 
3.Do the same for the right side of the deck. 
4.Tie the ends of the strings to batter boards, which were driven in a couple of feet beyond where the deck ends. 
5.To square the strings, use the 3-4-5 method. Measure out 3 feet from the house on the left string, then 4 feet along the house from the starting point. For a 90-degree angle, the measurement must be 5 feet from the 3-foot point on the string to the 4-foot point on the house. Make any adjustments and retie builder's string if necessary. 
6.Square off the right side just the same. 
7.Measure along the strings just how far out the deck will come and mark the string. 
8.Using batter boards, tie the string between the two marked points, forming the outer edge of the deck parallel with the house. 
9.Mark the center point of each post along the string. 
10.Plumb down to the ground from the mark on the string and mark it with a piece of plastic held in place with a nail. 
11.Take down the strings but leave the batter boards. You'll use them later when locating the post. Next, you can dig the footings. 

Digging the Footings
1.Footings for the posts can be dug by hand with a post hole digger, but for time's sake and convenience, you might rent a power auger. This will require two people, so you'll need a helper. 
2.Before digging, make sure any water lines have been clearly marked. Power augers dig 36 inches deep. You'll need a 42-inch hole so finish out the depth with a post hole digger. 
3.Building code may require the bottom of the hole to be actually wider than the top of the hole for added support. If so, it may be a little difficult, but your post hole digger will do the job. 
4.Pour concrete into the footings. Depending on how much you need, you may want to hire it done. 
5.Put the builder strings up just like before to position the pier blocks if using them. 
6.Level the pier block by pressing it into the freshly poured concrete. Finish the other pier blocks. 
7.Take down the builder strings and let the concrete cure. 

Setting the Posts
1.Position the post on top of the pier. Using a long 2x4, put one in a joist hanger against the house. 
2.Hold the other end against the post. Making sure the 2x4 is level, mark the post height. 
3.Mark the line on all four sides of the post. Cut each side with a circular saw. Finish cutting all the way through with a hand saw. 
4.Drill a hole in the top of the pier (for the connecting pin) with a masonry bit. 
5.Drill a hole in the bottom center of the post. Put a piece of tape on the wood bit to determine the depth of the hole before drilling. 
6.Squirt sub-floor adhesive on the top of the pier and insert the pin. This will bond the post to the pier. The pin will keep the post from kicking out. 
7.Brace the post once you're sure it is plumb. 

Beam Installation
1.Attach the joist hangers. 
2.Place the beam on top of the post and toenail (drive nail in at an angle) into place. 
3.Nail the beam into the rim joist on either side. 
4.Measure diagonally in both directions. The measurement should be equal. If not, adjust by removing the nails out of the beam, reposition and re-nail. 
5.Check each board for a crown (bowing) by looking down the length of the board. Mark the "crown side" (the side that bows upward). Always install boards with the crown side up. Over time they level out. 

The Railing 
The overall height of the railing should be 36 inches from the top of the deck to the top of the rail. 

1.Cut the post length allowing for overhang and cap rail. 
2.Notch the post 1 1/2 inches to allow the post a tight fit against the rim joist. 
3.Notch the decking 1 1/2 inches deep x the post width (if using a 4x4 for the post, the width is 3 1/2 inches). 
4.Apply sub-floor adhesive to the post before positioning. 
5.Plumb the post and secure with 3/8-inch lag screws. (2 lag screws per post.) 

To equally space your spindles (or pickets), determine the length of the railing and space equally. Four-inch spacing is the norm.

1.Secure the bottom rail 4 1/2 inches up from the top of the deck. To do this, put a 4 1/2-inch wooden block against each post and rest the bottom railing on top of them, then nail in place. 
2.Secure the top rail flush with the top of the posts. 
3.Center the 2x6 cap rail over the posts and nail in place. 
4.Attach the pickets (2x2) flush with the underneath of the cap rail to the bottom of the bottom rail. Begin in the middle of the railing to correct any bowing. 
5.To give the pickets a more finished look, cut the bottoms at a 45-degree angle. A miter saw speeds things up for this task. 
6.You may choose to install pickets before securing the top and bottom railings. This seems easier in most cases. 

Stair Elements 
Here are three different formulas for calculating rise and run. 

1.Rise x Run = 72-75 inches. 
2.Run + (2 x Rise) = 24-25 inches. 
3.Rise + Run = 17-18 inches. 

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