Deck Design - Why Firm Foundations Are Essential
Preparing a deck design for your backyard is all the
rage as a home improvement project for this summer,
however there is great temptation to build a pallet like
structure that just sits on the ground outside your back
door. Yes there are many ways to prepare the ground so that an
unconnected deck design structure will sit level to the
ground, for example by using concrete slabs in four
corners... but it's still just a big pallet sitting on
the ground and the slightest soil erosion below will
result in a rocky deck!. The only way to make a deck design that you can be proud
of, that will stand the test of storms and wind AND that
you can build onto as years go by, is to prepare firm
LEVEL foundations before you start to build up. A ground level deck design shouldn't just sit flat on
the ground, its important to raise the deck frame off
the ground to allow for drainage AND to protect the
wood, however, keep in mind that the top level of your
deck should not be higher than the entrance to your home
- so that the rain doesn't run off your deck design and
through your back door. The importance of anchoring your deck design at the very
start of your project cannot be over emphasized and are
an essential requirement for:
- Complying with planning permits for your area.
- Hopefully improving the value of your home.
- Quality workmanship will improve the usefulness of
spaces in and around your home.
- Adding value to the time you spent doing the work -
it's much more worthwhile when the job is done
properly.
- Allowing you to extend your decking later - for
example if you want to add an extension for a BBQ area
or a step up to encompass your new hot tub with deck
surround...
Your First Step in preparing the ground for your deck
design foundations will be to find out where any
underground pipes extend out into your backyard, you
don't want to dig into any electrical or water pipes of
any sort. Your second step, (with the details from step one in
your posession) should be to apply for a building
permit and benefit from their sound advice regarding
deck design in your area. There is no guarantee, but if
your deck is going to add any value to your home you
must have your paperwork regarding the proper building
permits in order. Once your permit comes through you will have permission
to create an anchor ledger at the side of your home to
which you can connect your deck design using masonry
anchors and you will know where you can dig to place
your concrete footings where your post anchors go. Get all these initial components nice and level and
firmly placed and it's plain sailing for the rest of
your deck design construction. Arpad Nyikos has written numerous articles dedicated to
home improvement trends to add value to your home or
simply add quality to your home life, plus improvement
projects and different ways that you can finance them.
You can read more about deck design here at home-improvement-and-financing.com A great way to keep ahead with your home improvement
project is a FREE subscription to Home Improve E-zine
Related News
Home improvement retailers see gains during 3Q - CNNMoney.com
Home improvement retailers see gains during 3QCNNMoney.com -Sep 30, 2008NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Shares of home improvement retailers saw notable gains during the third quarter, despite months of economic uncertainty that ... |
Save to Win Contest offers homeowners a new way to save - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
Ahead of the Bell: Goldman trims home improvement - CNNMoney.com
FirstAgain Reports Rapid Rise of Online Unsecured Personal Loans ... - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
Retail vacancies rise to 6.9% as spending wanes - Bizjournals.com
Retail vacancies rise to 6.9% as spending wanesBizjournals.com, NC -9 hours agoMetro Phoenix’s top new lease for the quarter was the Lowe’s Home Improvement store at Happy Valley and Lake Pleasant Parkway — almost 140000 square feet. ... |
Odenton home improvement contractor ordered to stop working in Howard - Baltimore Sun
Business Briefs - Nashoba Publishing
Business BriefsNashoba Publishing, MA -12 hours agoMarie's stories highlight how taking on home improvement projects allows women to challenge themselves and work through issues like fear of failure, ...Regional briefsNashoba Publishingall 4 news articles |
FAB CONFIDENT OF HOME IMPROVEMENT - Sportinglife.com
Home-improvement fraud overdue for a crackdown - Cherry Hill Courier Post
Home-improvement fraud overdue for a crackdownCherry Hill Courier Post, NJ -19 hours agoFor years, unscrupulous home-improvement contractors have walked away from jobs after receiving downpayments for work they never intended to finish. ... |
Arizona pool sales plunging - Arizona Republic
Arizona pool sales plungingArizona Republic, AZ -20 hours agoHe also is a dealer for Capital One, which offers lines of credit for home improvement. Still, he said, the criteria are strict, with high credit scores ... |
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Interior Design For Bargain Hunters
Interior design for bargain hunters is the new fashionable item in the arena of interior design. Everyone is interested these days in making their money stretch as far as it possibly can. There are many, many possible ways to achieve this. The most important determining factor in your success is the amount of patience and time you are willing to invest in order to find and purchase true items of value and not frivolous purchases which are of significantly less value that you will regret later.
Kitchen Design Online ? Understanding the Work Triangle and Kitchen Layouts
Good kitchen design online means having a layout for your kitchen that provides an efficient and pleasant area in which to prepare meals and do related tasks. Understanding the kitchen work triangle concept and basic kitchen layout types is a valuable starting point to design a kitchen online that you like.
The Versatile Reciprocating Saw: The Power Tool of Your Dreams
A reciprocating saw is simply one of the handiest tools you can own. These tools are great for applications in the home or the jobsite. Milwaukee actually invented the first reciprocating saw and is still considered one of the best saws on the market. The Milwaukee Sawzall is the "Zerox" of reciprocating saws. Just go to your local hardware store and ask for a Sawzall, the salesman will know exactly what you need. These versatile tools are fabulous for cutting holes in drywall, plaster, metal pipes and through nails.
Protecting Yourself from Miter Saw Hazards
A miter saw, also known as a "chop saw," is a circular saw that is mounted on a frame. It is designed to be portable and to make very accurate angled cuts between 45 and 90 degrees. The compound miter saw can cut at an additional angle in order to cut bevels. Miter saws are predominately used in cutting wood but can also be used to cut plastics and light metals. Like any power tool, it is important to follow some safety rules to protect yourself. The following are some guidelines to keep yourself safe while operating you miter saw:
Use Ladders Safely
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that each
year more than 511,000 people are treated for cuts, bruises
and fractured bones from improper use of ladders. More
than 300 people a year die from ladder related injuries.
When choosing a ladder be certain the ladder is able to
carry the amount of weight that will be applied.
Router Bits Basics
A router bit is a tool for woodworking giving a quality finish to woodwork. It cuts wood providing a way to give a clean and even a decorative edge to woodwork. The following is some basic information about router bits to get you started in your woodworking efforts.
Modern Rugs
The modern look is a highly admired form of interior design. The word Modern is a broad term that encompasses many different techniques and styles of design. Abstract Expressionism is one popular designation, which has a profound impact on interior design, particularly in the use of color and materials. The term Abstract Expressionism was first used by Robert Coates in the March issue of the New Yorker in 1936.
Your Candles Are Killing You and Your Furniture - Substitute It!
Even though most of the houses are well lighted with electric powered lights, we can't escape using candles at home. Whether it is for a romantic candlelit dinner, for festive season such as Deepavali or Christmas or as back up when electricity cuts off, we know that candles are useful for every household. What we don't know is that candles are a common unrecognized cause of poor indoor air quality.
Non Slip Maintenance Of Honed Interior Marble
A honed finish is a satin surface with relatively little light reflection. It is specified for floors, thresholds and other locations where the presence of water might make a polished finish slippery, or where heavy traffic would wear off the polished finish.
Planning Permission and Building Regulations for Conservatories in the UK
Do I need planning permission for a conservatory?
A Checklist for Bathroom Remodeling Plans
Careful planning is the key to a successful bathroom-remodeling project. Before you begin any work in the bathroom, create a budget, a floor plan, a list of supplies, a timetable, and important legal considerations. Let's break it down by subject.
Hot Tubs Create a Backyard Oasis
What would you like in the backyard that is great for entertaining, would be a focal point and can be enjoyed by the whole family? Hot tubs could be what you are looking for. Immersing in hot or warm water goes back centuries to Greek, Japanese and Roman texts. Hydrotherapy has said to aid in pain and stress relief. They also offer fun at the same time. Water is buoyant and resists gravity. It is known to aid in sleeping and easy exercises done in the warm water assist with muscle and joint pain. The jets massage the body and just feel good. If you haven't experience that good feeling when you are relaxing in the warm water of a hot tub and the jets are bubbling or swimming in the pool with the cool water lapping around you then you are really missing something in life. You can actually assist your heart to beat more efficiently while you sit back in the water.
Bathroom Vanity Cabinets - Considerations Before Buying Bathroom Vanities Online
Bathroom vanity cabinets are an essential component of any bathroom and can add drama to your design and decor. Bathroom sink cabinets provide countertop space, a place for the sink and faucets and great storage below. It's amazing how often bathroom cabinets and storage are left out of the planning process. It's important to have a place for everything in your bathroom that is easily accessible to everyone. Bathroom vanity cabinets and storage provide home organization and reduce clutter. You never can have too much bathroom storage!
Spring Home Projects in Northern New England
As I sit on a plane in route from Chicago to Boston this evening, I realize I have been staring out into the dark abyss contemplating the arrival of spring. Spring is a time of anticipation and renewed life. A time when the snow finally abates and the Robins return to rebuild their nests. And a time when Tulips and Daffodils emerge from the ground and bloom, if ever so briefly. It is also a time for the voracious Black Fly that we northern dwellers know only too well. For me, however, it is a time to shift into a higher gear; there are outdoor projects that have accumulated over the winter months and there is traditional spring tasks that every homeowner is compelled to do.
Art and Design
Maybe you've faced it before ? a new house with an empty room or two. This room is just crying out for some furniture. So off you go to purchase a sofa you admire - then a chair. Or perhaps you purchase a full living room set complete with tables and rugs. With delivery a few weeks off you can just picture your living room (and not surprisingly, it looks just like the showroom). The delivery day arrives and you can't wait to cut the tags off of your new furnishings. You may have to position the sofa a few times to get it just so, but all in all, you're pretty satisfied ? until you notice there's no art on the wall. And so you decide to buy some art that matches the sofa. I cringe a little while I write this, but in reality that is how many of us choose art. In fact, little confession, I still have art in my house that I bought because the frames matched!
Basement Dehumidifiers
Basements are the most common location for dehumidifiers. Because of their low elevation and lack of air circulation, the air can moisten and stay moist for a long period of time. This causes mold and mildew to build up, which is not only an unpleasant smell, but also an unhealthy problem ? especially for people who have certain allergies.
Designing Great-looking Window Coverings on a Budget
Window coverings are one of the most important focal points in a well-decorated room, but choosing the right ones, at the right price, is a prime consideration for most home decorators. Here are a few tips for creating great-looking window dressings, without breaking your budget in the process:
Removing Your Old Sliding Glass Door
Last week I explained how to measure your existing sliding glass door so you can order the vinyl replacement door. This week I am going to go over the steps required to remove the old sliding door before installing the new door.
Installing Retrofit and Replacement Vinyl Windows
In previous articles i explained to you how to determine whether your windows are candidates for vinyl replacement style frames or retrofit style frames. This week I'm going to explain the installation techniques for both frame styles. Let's start with the retrofit frame.
What To Look For In Persian Rugs
Selecting a Persian rug can be a daunting task for most people. There is a lot of misinformation out there as to what to look for. Let's face it, a good Persian rug can cost a lot of money, and most people will be hesitant to make a significant investment on something they know little about.
|
