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Adding a deck to your home is a rewarding job. Not only can a deck increase the value of your home but it can increase your enjoyment of it. Think of summers spent sipping lemonade and catching the sun, and early winter mornings, wrapped up in blankets and drinking your favourite coffee, watching the sun rise.

One can save hundreds of dollars on the installation and staining by building the deck yourself. We have compiled a list of the best tips to help you build your own deck.

Remember before you build your deck to be sure that you’re not blocking access to any important fuses, electrical wiring or plumbing. If your deck needs to go where these elements are present you’ll need to build the deck so that it grants access to these areas with ease. Also be sure not to block in an air conditioning unit or any utility meters.

When you are building the deck, it should be pre-decided how to utilize the space. There should be enough room for everything that is in mind and there should not be any surplus too. In theory, often our ideas may seem quite large but in fact turn out to be too small to accommodate the deck chairs, tables and grills we wanted to be able to set out on them.

Quick Tips for Deck Building

Always keep in mind to nail a thinner board in place of thicker board.

When nailing boards together, do so at an angle. This will bind the boards together with greater strength.

To make them more durable, use nails which have treated beforehand. Otherwise, the nails which have not been treated will rust and break very soon.

For maximum strength use spiraled nails.

To avoid the nails getting entangled, they should be staggered when the two lengths of the board are being butted.

Wear gloves to keep your hands protected.

Some boards might not have square ends. All of them should be checked before laying.

In order to avoid splintering the dry wood when nailing them together, blunt the tips of nails with a hammer. Sharp nails tend to splinter wood, whereas blunt nails will drill into wood.

Keep in mind, that after you are through it, everyone will be looking at it. Hence, it is all the more important to do measured work and being careful. Boards should lay flush against each other and the end result is level.

The manufacturer’s instructions should be followed when staining your boards for best results. When stained, the wood should not be wet and should be clean as well.

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