Topic: Decks (spacing of deck boards)

[PHX cadie]

but get a router and cut a geometric design in the deck? 

 

That coooool !

[Maverick®]

That would look cool Bob.  I wonder about toe stubbin' though.  (I'm clumsy like that) 

[M-dub]

We used a super simple jig if you even want to call it that.  Just two small deckboards at either end with screws put right through them so they stick through.  Lay one board, slap your jig on top and pull the next board in tight and screw 'er down.  The width of the screw seemed to work for us, anyway.  And I strongly suggest using screws instead of nails to put the deck down with.  Comes in handy if you ever need to pull some boards up for whatever reason.  Others may disagree, but whatever...

As for the pattern, of the boards, why not cut them all into miscellaneous shapes and sizes and make a mosaic out of it! 
Actually, my buddy's neighbour had a real sweet setup with a sunken hot tub and something really bad happened to the hot tub and he ended up covering it up with a REALLY cool design.  It took him a long time to do it, but everyone who sees it is wowed by it for sure!  He used a couple different types of wood and it's in an octagonal design, I believe.
I dunno, here's something super simple... just a thought and not very far outside the box, I know....
another couple... nothing is dimensioned right, but you get the idea...

[Bob Garner]

I LIKE M-d!!

How are you treating the interior lines paralleling the edges?  Is that like an inlay?

Nice!


Bob

[mjfarrell]

This layout stars with an offset octogon and then repeats...with the asymetric portion leading the eye towards the shake roofed gazebow of your deams

[Kerry]

This layout stars with an offset octogon and then repeats...

seems like nervous breakdown material to me.

ditto with the routed pattern .. like putting icing on a steak.



 

[LE]

some quick ideas...

[uncoolperson]

...spacing between boards on my back porch is about big enough to lose something important in between (1/2 inch).

*runs off chasing lost cigarette before it lights something up*

[M-dub]

I LIKE M-d!!

How are you treating the interior lines paralleling the edges?  Is that like an inlay?

Nice!


Bob

Thanks

Yeah, I was thinking like... if he were to use cedar for the deck, he could stain those inlay / border pieces just a shade darker or something like that... I don't know... something to play with, anyway.    It's almost a sin to stain cedar though, isn't it? 




OT:  Cedar is one of my absolute favourite smells.  I love it all... Starting with a walk in the woods, early in the morning while the fog / dew is still in the air and you can smell all that clean, fresh cedar.... *sssssnnnnnifffff*  Hhhhaaaaa (next time you see a cedar take some of the 'leaf / needle' off and crush it up in your hand and take a nice big whiff of it.  Fresh cut boughs smell awesome too.  Then there's the lumber and mulch for your gardens.  I remember one time when I had my first car, I went and bought about 8 big bags of cedar mulch and stuffed it in the car.  I ended up leaving one bag in there for about a month because it smelled so good.

*Snif ~ Haaa yes.... Cedar.  My other favourite smell is bacon being cooked in the morning... especially if I'm on my way back in from the Cedar bush and the two smells mix... MAN!  I can almost smell it now!  I sure hope our camping trip that's quazi planned for September 7th doesn't fall through! 

Sorry Matt... Back to the deck!  I did NOT mean to go that far off track!

[M-dub]

This layout stars with an offset octogon and then repeats...

seems like nervous breakdown material to me.

Phew!  I almost had a seizure looking at that screenshot!    I think the finished product would look really cool, but man, that would be a lot of work!

[M-dub]

A quick Google search -> http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projects/decks/deck_10.htm

[LE]

(from one of my custom house designs) might help...

[Guest]

A quick Google search -> http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projects/decks/deck_10.htm

I found this web site yesterday: http://www.deckorators.com/Deck_Modules/FDI.htm

Looks pretty cool from what I've seen.

[Guest]

Man that deck would look kewl if you sunk the gazebo floor area, like a conversation pit.....

Matt you going to help your old man build this 

I'd like to... Depends on how the kids are.  I built a concrete paver patio with a wall and walkway mostly by myself a few years ago.  These pictures were taken using a digital camcorder so the quality isn't that great but they give you a feel for the space and size of it.

The patio came out pretty good.  There are a few things that I would do different looking back, but I'm happy with the overall design and look of it.  And it only cost me about $4,000 to do it.  If I had someone come in a do it "professionally", it probably would've cost me around $20,000 (rough estimate).

[Maverick®]

  Nice work Matt.  I'm looking at a couple retainment/paver projects next spring.  I've done them before but not on my own house.