Thread: Waldo's Deck

G'day,

Got some more work done over Friday arvo and today. Skew gave me a hand to lift the stairs into place and fasten to the bearers, no way i could've done it myself. The stairs as a complete unit weigh a tonne, given that each merbau tread is 911mm x 295mm x 40mm.

Pic 1 The stairs in place and concreted in Pic 2 shows the stringers mortised into the posts. A bit of a whack and the stringers went home nice and tight into the posts. We ran a level over the treads and they're perfect on all accounts - slope, the works and jerks. A concrete pad will be put under each stringer to provide extra support.

Pic 3 Now here's the beauty. A sneak peak at the detail I'm putting into the deck.

Over the coming week I'll finish putting the perimeter boards around the deck and then give the whole deck a pass over with the Metabo Duo Turbotec (slight gloat )

* smacks his chops while looking at photo #3 ... *

those treads have a decidedly non-G-rating affect on me

Did you try fitting any of the outside trim (flashing the bearers) to see if all's going to plan?

Or were you just checking that the KDHW strip was correctly sized?

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Did you try fitting any of the outside trim (flashing the bearers) to see if all's going to plan?

it's

Good

Top stuff Waldo.

Thanks Yonnee,

even thought the build has been going for a couple of months now it's still early days yet and i'm enjoying the whole build, the next stage I'm looking forward to is getting the hand rails up.

(a week digging stinking holes doesn't count as enjoyable, you've always got to fill the rotters back in)

If it'll make you feel better, my first footing holes were dug the same time as my shed footings, 2-1/2 years ago. The main framework of the deck and pergola were then started almost 12 months ago, and I've just taken delivery of the tiles to lay on the deck last week! But before then, there's waterproofing the Greentongue structafloor, laying cement sheet, then I can lay tiles.

And I'm trying to build a trailer or three...

G'day,

spent Friday getting the last of the decking down. Tell you what, Bessey K60's are worth their weight on gold, I need some more and some K1000's - without them I wouldn't have been able to make all the bananas straight.

Today I spent the good part of the day on my hands and knees sanding the deck and posts down to 400 grit. Seeing s how the deck is undercover I wanted to get the top coating off and now over the next three months will periodically hose down and scrub the tannins off with a hard bristled broom.

After the sanding i put the top and bottom rails in. Next step now is the slats, they'll be 70mm x 19mm merbau with 40mm spacings.

Pictures tell the story.

Looking good Waldo

Thanks mate.

She's coming along nicely ... Can i ask a question.. why are the stringers trated pine?

Cheers utemad

Stringers are treated pine purely for the reason that I had off-cuts left over from the bearers. Could have ordered in some merbau for it, but I'd already spent a fortune on merbau and the pine didn't worry me, as there's pine visible in the pergola. There's also t/oak highlights around the perimeter of the decking which the stringers also tie into as a contrast.