Welcome back to another build in this video we're going to be showing you how a diy-er
built this amazing outdoor space using TuffBlock deck blocks completely transforming his backyard.
Hi my name is Greg and we're in Maryland and we're going to start building a deck today the
first of five phases using the TuffBlock. So this is really my first full-blown deck build
that I've ever done. I hope that in the end to have a nice pool deck around the pool, a place
for barbecues to sit out. It's about 1100 square feet and we're going to do it in five sections.
Here's a drawing of my total project that shows that I'm standing right here on Section A which
will be the first 12 by 18 section that we're going to build and we're going to start that
today. And then I'm going to follow it by building a 12 by 18 section that's going to actually we're
going to sister joist the rim joist and connect the two. An 8 by 18 section off the kitchen
up the steps to another 12 by 18 section with a four foot dog leg so that we can get in and
out of the steps on a deck instead of grass and then down at the deep end of the pool
we're going to have another 8 by 18 section but then add the four foot dog leg, brings
it to a total of 22 feet by eight feet wide. With TuffBlock being plastic I'm going to build
this deck without any of the lumber actually touching the surface of the soil. This is the
space before any construction began. Greg's got all the materials prepared and you can get a full
list of everything he used from the BuildTuff website. So up to today we've prepared the first
12 by 18 section. I've got the ground level that I use the sod cutter to cut away the sod and to also
take off about two inches of soil and once I took the sod out I could start levelling everything up.
The most critical aspect I think using TuffBlock is to make sure that you're building on a solid
level foundation. So what I did to do that was I drove stakes into the ground and then used mason
line to get a good level line using a line level. I just made all the lines level to each other then
when I run the stakes I could use a hand measure, find out how much space the TuffBlock needs,
go down another four inches for that to put the paver base in and then I dig individual trenches
for each line of TuffBlocks. Now each joist needs a TuffBlock every four feet or five feet really
and then for me using Azek I use 12 inch on center spacing for the boards because the Azek needs a
bit of support, much more than pressure treated pine or other hardwood decking. So you just lay
the TuffBlock, you adjust the foundation under it which in in this case is crushed stone and paver
base and then I would tamp it down and level it until it was perfect. Now I've got four rows of
crushed stone which as I said four inches deep, dug the trenches roughly four feet apart and then
as I lay the joist building one off the other I'd use another level to make sure that from
the top of the joist to the next joist is also level and this little level can actually span
three joists and if everything's level I know the deck's gonna lay perfectly across the top.
This pre-made section helps the cantilever the deck by using TuffBlocks under the blocking.
This technique also helps conceal TuffBlocks for any exposed sections so they remain hidden
under the fascia which you'll see a bit later. Now one note for builders at home is that you
have the option to use TuffBlocks straight onto compacted ground. Greg has done an awesome job
by going the extra mile with the trenches and the compacted crushed rock will help with drainage.
Alright so we got all the joists in, they're level, they're where we want them to be. So
the next step we're working on the the rim joist that's closest to the house. We're going ahead
and we're measuring up and pre-attaching the joist hangers and then after that
we can go in, put the rim joists here and then put blocking in for
strength and then after the blocking we're ready to put the decking on.
We've got the framing for the first three sections. Two 12 by 18s and one 8 by 18 pretty
much done and we're ready to lay the deck board starting today. I'm pretty excited about that
and then we've already started ground prep for section number four which is up by the shallow
end of the pool. Building the first deck was the hardest because we were learning how to do
it and since we've been started it's been getting easier and easier. I could tell that everything
was just going much smoother. We focused more on getting everything levelled out with the ground
prep obviously the framing you know once we've got those joist level the framing super easy
all we have to do is attach the joist hangers cut some blocking and everything firms up super nice
and super solid. These Azek composite boards are great for the longevity of your deck and
require minimal maintenance. As Greg mentioned he's gone with 12 inch centers which composite
boards require to stay firm underfoot. Here Greg's dug three more rows for the
deck coming off the kitchen. A tamp is going to be your best friend when working with paver base and
it's a must-have when working with TuffBlock. Dan Chris and myself, we all work full time
so we're really just building the deck in our spare time and that's going to
save us over 75 percent the cost of what it would be if a builder did it for us.
The prep work is almost done for the pool deck at the top of the stairs. Greg's used
a weed barrier under the deck and like the previous decks he's got a 12 inch overhang
on the cross joists and a bridged overhang on the end joists to conceal the TuffBlocks.
Handy tip. Composite boards work nicely as a straight edge when
trimming your boards. The mitred corners are a nice touch and Greg
is using the Camo Marksman Hidden Fastener tool for a clean finish.
We're on the home stretch now with one deck remaining. This one is on a very
slight slope and so Greg's used string line and dug trenches at varying depths to account
for the slope. Once you have experience with the system it becomes a breeze and Greg is
definitely smashing through this fifth and final deck. As before we've got 12-inch centers with
bridging and the height is matched to the pool coping minus the height of the one inch boards.
For a first time diy-er we are seriously impressed by the end result and we hope
this gives you the confidence to go out and tackle your own project.
Are we pleased with the outcome of the build? I'd have to say we are. My wife did not have
much faith in my ability to do it but YouTube and a little Ingenuity and a lot of hard work and it's
finally done. We put in the pool and built the decks around the pool. We really didn't utilize
the backyard at all in fact for about the last 15 years almost I literally stepped out of my
two back doors down about eight or ten inches onto dirt and I can't tell you how happy I am
that now I can just walk outside on a nice deck. I can be barefooted. I can be wearing socks and
it's just wonderful when people come over they ask about the deck. They ask did you do this yourself?
How did you do it I like to tell them that I did it with TuffBlock and one of the things I
do is I keep a TuffBlock close by so I can rip it out and show them because you can't see the
TuffBlocks as they are fully concealed so I'm like this is it. It's environmentally friendly,
made out of recycled material it actually holds you know 1700 pounds of weight for
each block so TuffBlock did a great job because I've got essentially a floating deck. It didn't
even require a permit to build so I didn't have to dig any major holes pour concrete have footers. I
didn't have to sink any four by fours or anything like that. The system is quite simple therefore
using TuffBlock just gave me the confidence to build the deck. It came to about twenty thousand
dollars for the entire deck which ended up being about 1100 square feet. Now one of the builders
who actually gave me a solid figure said well it's going to cost you somewhere in between 45 and 60
thousand dollars. That's how big your project is and my jaw just dropped when I heard that.
I'm really excited about TuffBlock, I think it's a great product so they're awesome to work with
and super easy you know we've got the grill, we've got the pool we've got some sitting areas and then
we've got a little playground area over under the tree with a hammock and a swing and we hope
to have a lot of camp outs back here. Some parties and just some fun. We hope this has inspired you
to create your own backyard oasis. Thanks for joining us and we'll see you on the next one.