Building a Deck from my SketchUp plan! #1: SketchUp drawing of a front (Deck)!

That is really cool how you are able to see what it will look like ahead of time. I like what it is going to look like too.

Diane

-- http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb276/DMarcella/

WOW, someone has some great sketch up skills. It looks beautiful in my opinion. What wood will be used? Good luck and have fun.

-- Tyler, Illinois

really cool, i didn’t know that you could put a sketchup over another picture. I’ll have to remember that one. Thanks for the post.

Thanks a lot to all of you. It’s a ”cool tool for an old fool”.

We’ll be using pressure treated pine.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Dick,

It seems that you can learn some new tricks. :) Nice job on the Sketchup design. You are well beyond the beginner stage with this. Nice design on the deck as well. Hopefully your son will have the concrete taken care of by the time you are ready to start building.

Well done both with the design and mastering of Sketchup.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

When I read “His old concrete steps have been gradually leaning” the first thing I thought was, “I bet he doesn’t have rain gutters and downspouts. On my 13” laptop I may be wrong, but I don’t see any gutter on the house. All of the water coming off of the roof is draining all along the house. That is the real issue.

Rain gutter has to be planned on for the design of anything new to work here. With water draining on wooden steps it will wear much faster than the concrete. All money will be wasted without controlling the water running off of that part of the house.

I would wrap the skinny metal pole to beef it up visually. That would be more aesthetically pleasing and would give you something to attach the downspout to as well.

With water draining on the steps at the right temperature, it has to be creating an ice hazard as well. This would be alleviated somewhat without the direct runoff on the steps.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

JEEEEZZZ…...Dick!!!! You must be in carving withdrawal now. Pretty cool the way you stuck the design in the house picture. If this is the same son that plays the guitar, as the tools come out and you start to build, don’t fall for the old…. “hey Dad check out this new riff I just learned”.......before you know it, he’ll be playing Lila Rose and you’ll be singing and building the porch.

Neil

Dick, you could even go wider on the stairs too. Nice rendering, ain’t software fun?

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

A good point of the design is that the area under the deck will be able to breathe and dry out. It looks like you will get good air flow through the skirt.

I would set the skirt back behind the horizontal framing band. This would create a visual break from the railing design. It currently feels as if it needs the separation. The bigger corner post needs to be the visual anchor of the design.

The great thing about the Sketchup is that this is all able to be seen since it is in proper proportion. I think those things would enhance the visual balance of the design. I think the overall look is good.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Hey Dick, who said you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Man where they wrong. I’ve been on that site a dozen times and just get so darned confused I just say what’s the use. You must have a pretty good IQ to do what you’ve done. That is amazing. Bet your son is happy as well. Thanks for sharing this. mike, I’m jealous.

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

Nice SU work! I have to agree with Todd on both counts….if you dont adress the water removal in that area all your hard work will be ruined. I like his idea for the small design changes as well..subtle differences in the planes and masses of design elements makes things stand out and flow together better. Thats another great thing about designing in SU..it’s easy to make changes like that!

Also, just a suggestion… If you rendered it before you stuck it in the picture it would look even more realistic.

www.suplugins.com

“edit”..I think that someone might trip over that dimension near the stairs..LOL!

-- Women love me.....trees fear me

Great looking drawing and photo! I really need to get up to speed with Sketchp.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Thanks for all of the great comments guys.

Todd: Water isn’t the reason for the tilting.

Whoever made the steps didn’t go down to the foundation footing.

The foundation of the extended front portion of the house, goes across to

the right side of the porch. the step portion is cantilevered with no foundation,

that’s why its sinking. The rain gutters are kind of useless in this country,

in the winter they fill with ice, & cause more trouble than they’re worth.

I may install a trough over the steps though.

Thanks for some of your other design suggestions, I’ll take them into consideration.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

FANTASTIC ! That’s the only way I can explaine it Dick.
GREAT JOB !
Dave

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

Gutters ? it does not look like you would get much run off on that small patch of roof but covering up that pole would be a good idea and why remove the concrete steps? I say build over them and cover it as is (as long as they are not falling apart). I have covers old concrete steps many times in the past and my decks are still standing 25 years later.

I would think about putting a planter box on the ground in front of the deck and maybe on both sides of the steps not just to hide the concrete but to add a bit more BANG! For balance (if you use planters of wood) run them on both sides of the steps across the front of the house and deck… just a few thoughts :)

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Dick, this is great work with SketchUp! I agree with Scott that this is beyond beginner stage and looks like you did it ‘right’. There’s a lot of ways to do things in SU but some can ultimately make your model cumbersome if you want to explode it or examine joints, etc.

Couple of questions. Did you use a lot of components? How many layers did you work with?

I like your design and I’m sure you guys will have have a great time building it together. Looks like you’ll get to work out the ole Rikon!

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Thanks Jeff,

It’s been fun learning this, but I still need to learn more. It takes this old dog a long time.<;D

It’s a good thing I’m not for hire, because I’ve got many hour of time invested in this drawing.

I’m gradually learning by making mistakes, & doing things over, & over again.

I have to do a lot more studying to completely understand what layering is, also about how to explode a model.

I made about 4 components, but do you think I should make a component of all the pieces that are the same size?

About that pipe in the front corner, I think it would be obtrusive by covering it up. I’d just as soon see less than more.

I think by painting it the same color as the trim should take care of it.

The model isn’t perfectly position on the image, which may also make the pipe a little obtrusive.

I’ll try , & see if I can do a better job of application.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Way to go with the SketchUp, Dick. I have actually made progress learning it, too, but you are way ahead of me. Nice design, too.

-- Maplewood, MN

Thanks rikkor!

I seem to go 5 steps forward, & 4 steps back, but I eventually get there.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

What a great tool, I wish I had the time to learn it

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Dick I need some lessons.
You are way ahead of me with the skill set.

Good on you!

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Thanks Tony, & Bob#2.

I don’t know if I’m 5 steps ahead of you, or 4 steps behind, because I have a lot to learn yet.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Way to go Dick. I want to be just like you when I grow up…...:)

Comment on the components. Make components of everything. Every individually cut piece of wood should be a component. All identical pieces should be copies of the same component. Components are THE biggest key to efficient use of Sketchup.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Thanks Bob,
I guess I should have asked about components earlier on.

I tend to skip over the instructions. Hitting, missing, & striking out is my way of learning things.

I’d save myself a lot of grief if I read the instructions better, but sometimes I don’t understand what they mean until

using the program for awhile.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Hi Dick,

Are you SURE it’s not the house that’s tipping. The steps look fine. LOL

I too am better at directions, once I’ve played around with the product and understand what they’re talking about.

Much like signs on the highway, they seem to be written for people who already know. Kind of like a reminder.

You did a great job with sketchup, far better than I could have.

I need Bob to give me private lessons. (after we both grow up, if that’s actually necessary).

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Hi Lee,

I’ve been looking at some of Bob’s tutorials, & they’re finally making some sense.

Just think of when you grow up 26 years from now.

When I was 50, who’d of thought I’d ever have a computer in my home.

The local Tech school had a computer, but it was set up in a room bigger than my house.

I bought software for keeping records for vehicle maintenance were I worked in about 1988,

but I had to have a kid that was just out of high school install it.

A lot of things have changed since I retired in 1990.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Sketchup is a great tool. I’ve gotten to the point I use it for all my projects, including cutting diagrams.

So Dick;

From what you’re saying, I guess I’m not to old to learn new tricks.

I’m just afraid every new piece of knowledge coming into my brain is forcing out another!

Just like Homer Simpson. When he learned how to make wine, he forgot how to drive.

Or maybe he was just drunk.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Hey Lee!

I’m so old I don’t watch the Simpson’s. <;o)

It’s too deep for me????

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Great sketch Dick & a the steps look the part. Nice job

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Thanks Grumpy,

I’m behind times though. the city zoning guy says it’s a deck, so I better change the title.

I’ve been remodeling the plan already. We hope to start building it next week.

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Crazy isn’t it, sounds like you have similar problems to us with the building inspectors. Looks more like a porch to me Dick (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more).

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python