Most of the 2×8″ joists on this back door deck were rotted and it was showing through the deck boards. I figured the main culprit was the overhang that didn’t have a drip edge. All of the water from the roof was just pouring down in two spots. I didn’t fix the water flow, but I did build a new wooden deck with fencing, steps and a gate.
The job took about 5 days total and I spent a few days just on demolition. Lodged nails, additional rot and stripped screws made it a lot of fun.
The Unexpected of Deck and Fence Work.
If you work in any trade, you almost always expect some sort of hurdle on every project. No matter how much you plan ahead, something always pops up. While this back deck and fence wasn’t too bad, I did run into a few snags.
1. Water Damage Behind Deck Joists.
The first thing was the joists against the brick were a lot worse than I thought. I wasn’t really able to see back in there and water was getting trapped. I ended up re-anchoring the joist to the masonry.
2. Cutting Edges and Ripping to Fit.
The second issue was forgetting to measure around the brick moulding at the base of the door. But it didn’t take too long to jig out a section. I already knew about the other cuts.As I was laying this board, though, I did notice this end of the deck was 1 1/4″ shorter than the other.
So, I had to rip one of the boards to make the decking flush with the outside beam.
3. A Deep Corner Post Wrapped in Slurry.
The last problem I ran into was a stubborn post. It happened to be the corner where the deck meet the stairs and fence. So, it took a lot of leverage to get it out. There was so much concrete. This needed to get done on a really hot day. I wanted to frame the stairs before moving to the fence.
This Decking Took Some Patient Craftsmanship.
In my opinion, the best part of this wooden deck with fencing was the ramp and railing. This was something I ended up doing for free. The customer was aging and had a hard time walking up and down steps. Her 14 year old beagle also wasn’t a fan. I was able to build this on-site with a simple design and use some of the lumber she had stored.
The original gate was something else. I posted a video about it on my Youtube channel that got quite a bit of interaction. I couldn’t believe how many errors there were. But we got a strong gate replacement up and swinging. This was another fun project with good company; minus the heat.
Feel free to reach out if you’re looking to upgrade or build a wooden deck with fencing steps and a gate. I love doing custom work and bringing your space to life!
