Building a Deck, Day 2 – Deck Plans
DAY 2 - Deck Plans
I should probably divulge my deck plan before going much further. Unfortunately, I sit only at about 50% as this was going to be a two-level deck, the upper level being rather small and the lower level sprawling. Arguments between whether the pergola we eventually want to also include will be part of the deck, or completely separate in our backyard has delayed the lower level from taking a true form. Once the top level is done, we'll revisit the lower.
Now, I've tried a variety of drafting options to design this deck. Online design programs, home design programs (left over from when we built), misc programs that friends and family have discovered, but none of them could really do what I wanted. I can say this, if you're looking to build just a simple deck, without any thrills, those programs, and even the ones you find in those kiosks in home improvement stores, will probably do you just fine (the one thing I did notice from all of them though is that they overbuild - not the worst option in the world). If you want complicated angles to your deck, multiple levels that wrap around a bumped-out area of your house, or fancy carpentry to really make the deck pop, these programs may leave you feeling empty. My advice, if you're semi-creative, just grab some graph paper, a pencil with a hefty eraser, and a ruler, and go to town.
Initial Concepts
Further Concepts (notice I've abandoned the computer for graph paper)
Top Level Only (what this whole series is about)
