Rebuild the rear deck (Click on picture for high res)

ABOVE: This is an overview picture of the deck project. This shows the piers (six instead of the original two), beams (four instead of two), joists, and decking.

I also used a free-standing deck instead of a ledger attached to the house, because of the design of the house. The rear entry overhangs the ground where the deck would be attached, making it a weaker contact point.

I also dropped the deck floor 7 inches to make it more weather proof at the house (snow/rain and dirt can't enter the house this way.


ABOVE: This shows the construction of the deck. The piers, beams and rafters are built with pressure-treated lumber. The piers have been sunk into the ground 3 feet. They rest on concrete footings 6 inches deep at the bottom of each hole, and are encased in concrete to the "above grade" level according to Sandy's building code. The beams are attached with a brace and 3/8th-inch carriage bolts. You can also see the rafters attached to the beams with metal hurricane bracing and rafter hangers.

ABOVE: Although it is hard to see, I've left a half-inch gap between the house and the deck. You also can see the use of deck screws instead of nails. Note the visible nail holes (ABOVE and BELOW) in the aluminum siding, showing that the original ledger was attached to the house with nails instead of lag bolts as required by Sandy's building code.

I will clean up the siding and fill the holes with weatherproof calk to protect the structure underneath. I will also install a piece of aluminum flashing under the door sill to close up the gap.



ABOVE: Debris from the old deck. Sandy city will haul this away for free during its bulk trash pickup in October.

Still left to do:
1. Finish installing the decking (1o boards 2x6)
2. Install the stairs (2 2x10 boards, 1 2x6 board)
3. Install the railing (10 2x6 boards, 6 2x4 boards)
4. Use miscellaneous hardware for the stairs and railings
5. Stain and seal the whole thing.