Building our deck

So after much anticipation and begging my husband we have started building a deck.
Thank goodness for tax returns, I say.

So our deck is turning out to be a lot more work than I initially thought it would be. I know I sound naive, but It thought it would be an easy, fast one Saturday project. We have now been working on it for 3 weeks and it is still not done.

First I got online, did research and did deck designs at Lowes.com. I was super excited.

I found a you tube video of a guy that did exactly what I wanted to do, which is extend my concrete patio further out and do it at ground level, so after exhaustive research, I presented my plan to my husband. He liked it and we headed out to get a few supplies and try a couple of things out.

The plan looked like it was going to work out beautifully, so we worked for the next two weeks to get the framing, joists, and pylons in place. It was a heck of a lot of measuring, digging, leveling. So much more work than I thought. Still, I am a fan of hard work so we cruised right along.


As we were cruising along, my hubby started to get into the researching and planning and was questioning me a lot. So we argued, huffed and puffed, I explained in great detail and he would be satisfied that I had everything under control and knew what I was talking about.

Then hubby decided that he wanted to not use plain old ceder decking, he had found some Brazilian hard wood, Tigerwood, that he said would be our best wood for our deck. So he took me out to specialty lumber yards and checked out wood. Now the Tigerwood is twice the cost but it is so pretty and smooth. The wood guy said you can walk on it barefoot for years to come without worry of splinters. I guess a lot of people use this wood for gorgeous indoor flooring. It is also really really hard wood. We would have to drill holes before the screws and he said to plan on breaking some bits.

Well I was not for the Tigerwood, why not go with the cedar wood, it is more cost effective and it is what most people use on their decks. I know you understand where I was coming from. Well Joe and I debated and huffed and puffed and well, eventually he won. Yep, I gave in.

So last Saturday Joe headed over in the early morning to get the wood, our best Friends the Conners headed over to help us the whole day and we all started laying the decking. By the time it was dark there was only ten rows laid. Holy cow, it is so much work. This wood is so hard and having to drill and cut it takes so much longer than normal.

But I do have to say it is so smooth and pretty and truth be told I am glad that Joe won the great wood debate.
So every night, I have dinner on the table as Joe walks in the door, we eat and head out to get about 3 rows of decking in each evening (each row takes 30- min each).

It has been fun though, all the kids are eager to help. This is how it goes down.

Joe and I cut and size the wood, then Joe drills two holes, moves on to the next joist, Jerika brushes off all the chips and dust from drilling, Jacqueline puts screws in the holes, I screw in the screws, then Trenton and Jennedy put in the deck spacers. We form a little assembly line, moving as fast as we can from one joist to the next.

It has been an adventure for sure, we hope to continue our nightly deck fun and hopefully be finished by Saturday. If we don't have it done by then, we have invited our home teacher and best friends over to help. My oh my, I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to build our own deck. Wish me luck.