Home Tour Madness
In two weeks (April 26) our house is going to be featured on the neighborhood home tour. Over 1000 people will be walking through…. gulp.
I have a to-do list longer than my arm.
I’ll give you more details on that later.
Item 50: Build Deck
Previously we had a crummy set of dilapidated stairs leading to our back door.
After some poorly planned landscaping we ended up with a dirt circle. Seen behind me in this picture. On the upside it was a good place to finish furniture.
We hired a contractor to build the foundation of the deck, but I wanted to have a hand in it, so I decided to lay all of the decking and install built-in benches.
Hidden Deck Fastener System Thingies
We decided to use Eb-Ty deck fasteners and avoid holes in the top of the deck. They are fairly easy to install.
1. Cut biscuit slot at joist intersection.
2. Drill screw into biscuit.
The real evil thing is fixing bowed decking. For that I used a Cepco BoWrench: Very cool tool that hooks onto a joist and lets you straighten out boards. 
So the deck laying is easy, but time consuming; about two sixteen-footers per hour.
Benches
I drew up a plan for built-in deck benches based on a drawing from the Sunset Deck Book.
I tested a few locations.
I notched out the 4×4’s to sit around the beam….
...and bolted the heck out of them with 1/2” carriage bolts.
I did something new this project. I printed my Sketchup Drawing’s full-size, glued them onto plywood and made templates. Very cool use of Sketchup.
Template for Rails
What’s a project without a new tool? My new Ridgid OSS smooths the curves.
I spent many nights working on this project. Here I am last Sunday under the flood lights. The short rails were attached with deck screws covered by plugs. The long rails were attached with pocket screws.
I built a little jig to hold the top pieces at 6” cantilever. 
Plywood spacers set the distance between boards.
More night Work.
!
!
in the rain.
Almost done now… Just need to finish the plugs.
Deck ends have been cut square after this picture was taken
Next up
Refrigerator Panels.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
13 comments so far
Tim Pursell
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388 posts in 674 days
posted 224 days ago
Nothing like a bunch of people coming thru the house to get everthing moving. I don’t envy you. Except for the house. I love it!! Good luck with your list! The deck & benches look great!
-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453794
Scott Bryan
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20533 posts in 713 days
posted 224 days ago
This is a nice job, Giz. And I was worried that you had nothing else left to do after the cabinet doors were finished!! :) I am sure your list is a lot like mine in that my wife thinks it is her mission in life to find things to keep me busy.
Good luck on the tour. I am sure you have a myriad of details to take care of. Is the tour going to include the shop as well? After all what would is going to be of more interest: the house or the shop? :)
Anyway keep busy and don’t sweat the small stuff.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
Todd A. Clippinger
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5632 posts in 991 days
posted 224 days ago
Giz, you have a great knack for the design of your place. You understand and pay attention to many of the details that determine the dialect of your home’s design vernacular. Your execution is definitely exceptional.
In short – Your work is fabulous.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
gizmodyne
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1668 posts in 981 days
posted 224 days ago
Thanks Tim.
Scott: Thanks. The shop is not on the tour. Prying eyes and all.
Todd: Thanks. That is a high compliment.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
TopamaxSurvivor
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2984 posts in 567 days
posted 223 days ago
I love the benches. Why the biscut in the deck? Don’t you leave a nails width between the boards?
-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.
gizmodyne
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1668 posts in 981 days
posted 223 days ago
Hi Topamax,
The biscuit is the fastener. It has a built in spacer and a hole for the screw.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
TopamaxSurvivor
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2984 posts in 567 days
posted 223 days ago
OH! So you put no screws in except for in the biscuits?
-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.
gizmodyne
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1668 posts in 981 days
posted 223 days ago
The first and last boards are screwed through the face and plugged. I had to do a few other screws in the ends for some of the more bowed boards as well. The fasteners are designed to be hidden and really snug the boards down.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
TopamaxSurvivor
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2984 posts in 567 days
posted 223 days ago
i learn a new trick here every day:-)
-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.
Todd A. Clippinger
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5632 posts in 991 days
posted 223 days ago
I was just admiring how new your tools are.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
gizmodyne
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1668 posts in 981 days
posted 223 days ago
Todd: I polish each tool and store in a case after use. They are family heirlooms.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne
Jojo
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580 posts in 864 days
posted 221 days ago
I was going to post a comment about how great your work, how well integrated with the rest of the house is the design of the benches, and how I love the Craftsman bungalows like yours but I can’t top off the first of Todd comments so I refer you to the above. ;o)
Giz, great deck, great dedication after-hours and it seems that you’ve got yourself a great Sawstop too, isn’t it?
-- Jojo, shopless in Kyoto ยท http://twitter.com/kagushokunin
gizmodyne
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1668 posts in 981 days
posted 220 days ago
Thanks Jojo. Very nice of you.
I have had the saw since Dec. 07. I love it.
-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne