Are you thinking of building a terrace? If so, you've come to the right place. Building a deck from scratch is a great way to expand your outdoor living space and increase the value of your home. But before you start, it's important to do your research and understand the basic components of a terrace, the limitations of your backyard, and the cost of materials. That way, you won't end up with a deck that doesn't fit your needs or, worse, that's dangerous.
The beams and posts are two of the most important components of a deck. The posts (vertical) determine the height of the platform and support the beams, giving stability to the platform. The horizontal beams rest on top of the posts and support the joists. The higher a platform is, the more important these components become.
But regardless of how high or low your deck is, you must be careful, thoughtful, and methodical at every step of the deck building process. In that sense, your platform should be assembled primarily with galvanized roofing screws instead of nails. According to landscape designer Darin Brockelbank, founder of Metro GreenScape in Charlotte, North Carolina: “Many times you will see bubbles in the wood and that nail will start to come out, while a screw has a wider head and keeps everything in place and minimizes the risk.” A ledger is another crucial component of a deck. It's a table that connects the deck to the house.
Not all decks are attached to houses, but if yours is, it's essential to install it correctly. If not, the entire platform could collapse. Siding should be cut away from the house; a ledger should never be installed over any type of siding. Accounting tables should be installed with bolts, not screws or nails, and should be larger or at least the same size as the joists.
Improper installation of the ledger is one of the main causes of platform failures, so make sure that yours is properly attached to the house. Alternatively, you can opt for a standalone deck. About 80% of households have ledgers according to Mel Karlson, senior marketing manager and director of contractor development at Trex. There are several good reasons for this: brick houses may have decks attached to them, but freestanding decks are often a better option.
If the base of the brick wall is solid and reinforced with reinforcing bars, you can connect an accounting book directly to the brick with bolts to attach the platform seamlessly. This will effectively support the structure. When it comes to materials for deck construction, composite material is often more expensive than wood but can be an eco-friendly solution if made from reclaimed and recycled materials such as wood fiber waste and reclaimed plastics. It also doesn't shrink chip or discolor and can often have a longer lifespan than wood.
Railings also come in different materials and prices cover the entire spectrum starting with pressure-treated wood on lower end and fabricated glass on upper end intermediate options include composite wood exotic wood stainless steel and aluminum cables balusters are another component to consider wood is traditional choice but cable and glass balusters are gaining in popularity because they offer unobstructed views extras to consider include lighting and moldings camouflage beams screws other unsightly accessories what complicates things is geography which can be your deck's best friend or most bitter enemy what is solid weatherproof material in Alaska may not be suitable for weathering in scorching Arizona sun do your homework when buying wood or material your contractor can also make recommendations it's just as important to make sure that you builder are up date with building codes permits this ubiquitous green-stained wood is no in most regions country redwood cedar cost three five times more than pressure-treated wood depending on grade however both species considerably less expensive on West Coast particularly California upper Northwest building inspectors often cite inadequate fasteners such as roofing screws ungalvanized nails one major violations building code starting from scratch your terrace will need support structure form concrete feet support posts beams beams accounting tables terrace floor worth mentioning most manufacturers composite roofs plastic covers also offer line matching railings balusters fascias composite roofing close cousins PVC roofing represent fastest-growing roofing materials being sold today rooftop construction materials also less likely fade stain than roofless roofs making them best roofing option based their durability size frame general ledger.
