I started this deck project in 2017. I want to share my experience with you
especially if you are planning to build a deck yourself and you will find this
helpful. I am pretty sure you will have a lot of questions and you will face the
same problems as I did.
Okay, let's get started I am using this software called
sketch up personal edition. It is absolutely free, it was owned by Google
many years ago. This is not a deck design software, so it will not help you to
calculate the materials. Instead it is a 3D modeling software. In my opinion
that's exactly what I needed. Yes, there is a huge learning curve but
it does help a lot to visualize your project. After you created your design
you should have some technical questions. The first one is how far the footing
should be spaced. The generic answer is 8 feet. In my case I have 22 posts.
Something to keep in mind when you are doing the planning. You want to visit
your local hardware store to see if they actually carry the lumber you are
planning to use. Not all the stores carry 2x10 in 20 feet for example. Now let's
talk about design there are many resources on the internet but I want to
tell you one design trick. You always want to create a focal point otherwise
your deck will be very boring. In my case, I built a pergola and a bridge.
One important key is that the focal point needs to be seen from inside of the
house usually the kitchen
You also want to define the space that serves different purpose. In my case I
have a sitting area under the pergola in front of me. A fire pit and a couch
would be perfect. On the other side, I have a dining area. Because it is too
open, adding a privacy screen will give me the right balance. To make the
contrast even stronger I was planning to use composite or PVC from day one
because I can use two-tone color.
I learned all this from HGTV host Paul LaFrance, he is the master of deck creation
he inspired me on this project and I actually went to meet him personally and
got his autograph.
Enough talking, we are ready to do some work. I got several
bottles of marking paint and started to draw on the grass
This is my way to mark the post. First, put the stick into the soil and mark the
cross using a piece of cardboard or some throwaway packaging like what I did.
Then you cut a circle from another cardboard, punch a hole in the middle and
slide it down to the ground. Simple as that.
For 22 holes, of course I would choose
the helical screw piles system. The most famous company in Canada
of course is TechnoMetalPost. But they did not respond fast enough to get my
business TechnoMetalPost is more expensive
because they spent so much money on advertising. So, I went with another
company called GoliathTech. I am a technical person and I compared the
technical details between the two I found that GoliathTech is the better
choice. I will cover this later and explained why. There are couple of points
you need to consider. Make sure that the steel piles are up to code, better not made in
China and they are galvanized steels. If you live in the newer subdivision
like mine, you need to ask if their machine is able to get to your backyard.
There are different sizes of pile to choose from. 1 7/8" is being the
smallest and the next one up is 2 3/8". I used 2 3/8" for all my piles.
For DIY people, I recommend paying a bit more to get the adjustable saddle.
For GoliathTech, they have an anchoring system to prevent vertical uplift in
case of tornado, where TechnoMetalPost does not have such thing.
If you have good eyes, you will see the logo "YourDeckCompany" on the guy's
t-shirt and also on the boxer machine. The owner of this deck building company
bought the franchise from GoliathTech. In other words, this guy's and
professional deck builders.
There was one big problem I did not expect. I asked for
22 piles, but only 20 were installed because 2 of them hits the rock deep
down at around 4 feet. They did not have an excavator and it was not their job to
be fair. There was no plan B at that time and I could not change my design right
at that spot. So, I told them I would figure it out myself. Don't repeat my
mistake you need to have a plan B, in case this happens to you
Unlike using sonotube and concrete, you can control the position of the saddle
before they dried. It seems like it is very hard to get the post perfectly
aligned.They do have a solution for this adjustable saddle. It is called offset
bracket. Look the screw thread is not on the center. The guy told me you have to
be very creative when it comes to framing. Okay....
As you see, they have two screws to prevent uplift. Now, there is one screw
that is for making this head unit more stable. For the adjustable saddle the
whole length of the screw is 7 inches. I was told by the guy that you have to
put at least one inch into the head unit, so it gives you 6 inches of adjustable
height. That's more Techno Metal Post.
They put all the technical details on paper including the torque load
capacities and how far they drilled. As you can see, they drilled more than four
feet. Most of them at least 5 to 5.5 feet into the ground.
Tile piles are not going anywhere for sure there was no mess and installation was
fast. Took around a half a day, I think many of you may want to ask, what is the damage?
It's $5,500 Canadian tax included. That's for 20 piles,
not 22 I originally planned. Will I used it again? The answer is definitely YES.
Okay, the next challenge is to install two more post that they couldn't do it
How did I solve that issue? Yes, concrete! But there were so many
unexpected problems. Stay tuned, for the next video. Remember to subscribe!
If you find this helpful, please give it a thumbs up. If you have any questions,
leave them in the comment section and I will try to answer them. Thanks for
watching and see you next time!