Idea Box

At the Job Site: Building a Deck

Recently I spent some time at a job site with pro contractor Steve Wartman and his crew as they built a new deck using composite materials. Adding a deck to your home is an awesome home improvement project, and if it’s done right you’ll be able to enjoy that deck for many years to come. Here’s an overview of the work they did. If you’d like to see more, check out the full How to Build a Deck article available at that link.

Ethan Hagan is the primary editor at One Project Closer. He spends most of his days shadowing real contractors on actual job sites and most of his nights writing about the experience. To see what I mean, check out their latest “Pro-Follows” or finished, expert guides like this How to Build A Shed article. If learning and interacting with pro contractors sounds like something you’d enjoy, sign up for OPC email updates.

This deck is a freestanding structure (ledger board is not load bearing) with a double row of posts set 8′ apart. In Maryland, footers need to be at least 30″ deep X 9 posts = a lot of digging. After inspection, they poured about 8″ of concrete before setting their posts and backfilling with dirt.

Here’s a quick mockup of the deck. They used PT 4×4 posts and the ledger and support beams were 2×10′s. The joists were 2×8′s set 12″ oc because they’re using composite deck boards that require less span. They also “picture framed” the perimeter to conceal all the ugly, cut ends of the deck boards.

The guys staggered Red Heads to attach the ledger board, putting one in each bay. You can see they’ve already marked the joist locations.

Steve setup a string to make it easier to set the joists, working to keep everything square and consistent. They also made sure to introduce a 3/8″ slope to direct water away from the house.

A palm nailer made short work of fastening the hanger ties.

Here’s a shot of the progress after they had all the joists in place. Next, they added the band board, and got started on the stair stringers.

The crew poured a small concrete pad for the base of the stairs. Otherwise, the ground would have slowly eroded underneath.

Next, the guys started laying deck boards at a 45° and used 8d nails to act as spacers to account for expansion / contraction. They used composite decking fasteners, and each one needed to be pre-drilled. Yeah- it was slow going.

The stair stringers, band board and stair risers were trimmed out in white PVC that provided a nice color contrast.

Steve’s crew installed a white, vinyl rail system that included 4×4 sleeves, post caps, base trim and plugs for screw holes. The rails went up fast and they feel (mostly) solid.

Here are some shots showing the finished product.

If you enjoy seeing contractors in action, check out the other Pro-Follows on One Project Closer.

How to From a Concrete Art Master

Gerald Taylor is the owner of Images in Concrete, Llc, where he specializes in concrete and granite engraving. That includes working in public art and site-specific residential. In this project he’s making a concrete fleur-de-lis table top that’s colored and polished. The 30″ dia. x 2″ depth table top has a fleur-de-lis design and a metallic rope edge.

	Step 1: I start by placing metal strips around the edge of the project. Using these strips I insert a rope edge form liner. The fleur-de-lis design is cut from 1/2″ styrofoam and placed in the casting. I glue the styrofoam design to the bottom of the mold and spray the mold using a release agent (one part castor oil/nine parts denatured alcohol.)
	Step 2: I then mix two 80 lb. bags of Quikrete with buff color and Walttools Tru-Pak mortar to increase strength. I mix to the consistency of pudding. After I place some of the concrete in the mold, I fill the other half and then vibrate. I used my Bosch hammer to vibrate the mold and it worked great.
	Step 3: A day later the casting is removed and the top is ground with 5″ grinder and a diamond cup wheel. I used my oscillating tool for delicate pinpoint sanding of the styrofoam pattern and to smooth curves in the design.
	Step 4: The rope edge is finished with a metallic copper paint and then sealed with a couple of coats of solvent acrylic. That’s how you create a custom table top people will notice for years, if not forever.

Five Weekend Projects to Spruce Up Your Home This Spring

Construction professional suggests ways to update your home inside and out. After a long, hard winter in most of the country, people are looking forward to the rites of spring. And one of those cherished activities is the great American remodeling project. Joe the Pro, building expert with Bosch Power Tools and Accessories, suggests five DIY projects to add to your to-do list that will help improve the beauty of your home.

Update Flooring:

If you just bought a home or you’re looking to update your current floor, you may face the task of removing old linoleum. To tackle the job, consider an oscillating multi-tool that includes a scraping blade accessory. The blade is made to drive through linoleum to quickly and cleanly remove old material from the subfloor. To remove hard material or stubborn adhesive, try a rigid scraper; use a flexible accessory blade for more pliable material. Use the oscillating tool to scrape under the linoleum, then use one hand to peel back the floor covering as it’s stripped from the subfloor while the other hand pushes the tool. Try to collect large strips.

Add Remodeling Electrical Boxes:

The home theater room is a great place to gather the family. For a professional look with telecom or media wiring, cut holes for remodeling boxes, electrical boxes made for existing drywall that don’t require attachment to a stud. These boxes can be placed in cabinets or walls and finished with an appropriate trim plate. To avoid studs, use a hammer to tap lightly on a wall to locate hollow areas between wall supports or use a high-quality stud finder. Trace the size of your rectangle for an outlet and cut to the line.

Remove Trim, Baseboards or Molding:

Removal of trim is a tough job if you want to save it for future use. The difficult part is removing the trim without it splitting or cracking. The oscillating tool does a nice job removing caulk and old adhesive with a scraping accessory, then allows the user to slide a plunge cut blade between the trim and the wall to cut nails and remove trim intact. Choose a bi-metal blade with fine teeth and a label that states “wood with nails” for best results.

Replace Broken Tile:

Broken tiles happen – in foyers, kitchens and bathrooms. Spring is a great time to finally remove these long-broken pieces to have a complete, perfect alignment again. Use a grout saw to remove grout from around the chipped tile. From there, you can use a pry bar or chisel to remove the old tile. If you can’t remove it as a whole piece, put a towel over the chipped tile and use a hammer to break it up. Ensure all old adhesive is removed to assure the new tile can be placed level with adjoining tiles. Use a quality adhesive to place the new tile and apply grout, being careful to match the original grout’s color and texture.

Repaint Exterior Trim:

Now that the snow and cold temperatures have receded, it’s time to clean up your window and door trim. Scrape and refurbish paint and stained surfaces, checking for any loose or missing nails, screws or splintered boards. In addition, use a power washer to remove dirt and debris from porches or concrete surfaces. Finally, Joe always advises professionals and DIYers alike to use eye protection and leather or other construction-grade gloves. And reminds experienced and novice builders to use quality tools and accessories for better results. You only want to do the job once, so make sure your first effort is your best effort. For more ideas and tips from Joe the Pro, visit his blog at bethepro.com or his Facebook page at facebook.com/bethepro.

Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty

Caulk Removal: Caulk removal is a painstaking job with a scraper or razor blade, but the oscillating tool caulk knife makes this tough job easier. Removing adhesive or caulk from sinks or faucets is more exacting and cleaner.	Cut Nails: An issue every remodeler must confront is old nails. They’re in corners and places where a hammer just won’t reach. The titanium cutting saw blade quickly addresses even the most stubborn nails.	Grind Excess Mortar or Mastic: Removing excess mortar or grinding down foundation imperfections is the key to buildinga high-quality basement living space. A quality grinding accessory employs diamond grit to expertly cut hard material.	Mortar Repairs: Mortar is literally the glue that holds stone, brick and decorative tile elements in place. When it needs repair, an oscillating tool grinding accessory removes mortar and grout cleanly and easily.
Door Jam Cutting: One of the many niceties of the oscillating tool is the ability to change from one blade to another quickly. Which means you can be scraping old linoleum one moment and cutting a door jam to accommodate new wood flooring the next.	Wall Cutting for Outlets: No one wants to alternate tools from cutting to grinding to scraping all day. That’s especially true when the requirement is a simple switch or outlet cutout in drywall. The cutting saw makes fast, straight cuts to keep the job moving.	Flush Cut: The oscillating tool makes precision cuts along drywall to make tile fitting easy and exact.	Sanding: Crown molding, chair rails and baseboards add flavor to a room. Getting the most out of these wood accents requires sanding contours or along intersections with floors or ceilings. Sanding triangles get into hard-to-reach areas with an oscillating motion that’s controlled and compact.
Install Floor Vents: Cutting vents in floors made from a variety of materials requires a tool that’s tough and precise. The oscillating tool cutting accessory can work through everything from the toughest laminate to hardwood.