Easy Way's to Design Your Dream Deck

I have designed many decks and other jobs for people over the years. I have found out that the easiest way to do so is with Graph Paper. I always like to make a drawing or sketch and then design the job with the requirements that they have. If you can visualize what you want then the job is easier. Also if you buy some books to get ideas of what you want then my job gets easier. All jobs are different then what you might see in a book or magazine. So the customer should do a little research before they decide what they want.

First I measure what the dimension of the house is where they want to place the Deck or Addition.

Then I make a sketch on a plain piece of paper with the dimensions are before drawing. Then using the materials or descriptions that they gave me. I then start to design the Deck or Addition that they want me to build.

Sometime the customer wants something done that I believe would not work well so I try to point out the problem and then give them options for maybe a better design. After this I then start moving the ideas onto a piece of Graph Paper. Using for scale one square for a foot, I put in the existing structure then start to draw in the new structure that is going to go there. I also do a front View of the structure using one square per foot for scale.This makes a drawing that is to scale and shows what you want to build.

I then take the Drawing to Home Depot or Lowes. Then have them draw out the design onto a computer program and with this it makes a detail drawing and a Material list. It will tell you how much Material is needed and the cost. Most big Home Improvement places have this program available.

The next thing that you need to do is find out what your Local government requirements are for Building Codes and Permits. A lot of local home Improvement places know what these requirements are. Don’t start your project before you find this out. If you do they can make you stop working on your project or rip out whatever you are building you don’t want this.