Deck envy, we've all had it at one point or another in our lives. The guy down the street just put in a new multi level deck and you start drooling. You want a deck too.

You need to find out how much room you realistically have for a deck. Are there buried cables, water or sewage lines in the area where you want to build?
Always call 8-1-1 the national "Call Before your Dig" phone number. They will be able to tell you if there is anything buried in or through your back yard that you should avoid.

Measure out where you want your deck, mark it with stakes and make a rough drawing of how you want your deck to look. A well built and planned out deck will add value to your house. Never build a deck that is bigger than or that over shadows your home. Unless you are building a deck that needs to step up to an above ground pool, your deck should always step down and fan out from your house. It should compliment the lines of you house and look like it belongs there.

Take the rough drawing to your local lumberyard and have them help you draw up plans. You can draw up your plans yourself, but having the lumberyard help you will provide you a blueprint and detailed materials list. They will also be able to tell you what the span rating is for each dimension and type of wood you may be considering. The last thing you want is a deck that is going to start sagging in a couple of years or one that bounces because it isn't structurally sound.

Buy a little extra of everything on your materials lists. The remaining items can be returned to the store after your deck is built. This will save you making several trips back to the hardware store. You don't need to double your purchase you just need to buy a little extra.

Make a scrap wood pile. If you get in the habit of taking the scrap pieces of wood and making a neat pile near your cutting area you will be able to quickly find the right size scrap wood to use instead of cutting a new board each time. If you have a child who wants to help, organizing the scrap pile is an excellent job. A friend of ours built an entire deck and all his scrap wood fit into a 5-gallon bucket. I was impressed and inspired. You can save yourself $50.00 to $100.00 easily just by using your scrap wood.

Now that you have invested the time and money to build your dream deck, make sure you treat the deck with the right kind of sealer. This can be either a colored sealer or a clean finish depending on the look you are after. Remember that sealing and treating you deck on a regular basis can double your deck's life span.

Learn more about this author, Kendall Smith.
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