Content

• Method 2 of 3: Preparing at Home
• Method 3 of 3: Build a terrace
• Warnings
• What do you need

1 You should be aware of your local building codes regarding deck construction. The size of your house affects how large the terrace can be, as well as its shape. In most cases, your terraces will have to withstand higher loads than the floors in your home.

• Your home owner's insurance policy may not cover accidents that happen on your terrace unless your terrace was built to meet building codes in your area.

2 Obtain all required permissions. Check if you have permission from your local government agency before building your terrace, as well as any inspections that will be needed during the construction process.

3 Know the freezing depth in your area. The freezing depth is the depth to which the soil freezes in winter, taken on average over a certain number of years. Some building codes require this when building a terrace, supporting pillars are installed at a depth below the freezing line of the ground. Even if it is not required, placing the support pillars at this depth, such an installation will keep the terrace from losing stability when the earth expands and swells after the water freezes in it.

4 Choose the size, style and placement of your deck. Your terrace can be free-standing or attached to your home. While some building codes may be more comfortable with a free-standing terrace, most people find it most convenient to have a terrace that is attached to the house.

• If you are building a deck attached to a home, you will need to know where the headbands and studs are located so that you can attach the support beam that you use to secure the deck to the home.
• The size of your deck will determine the number of supports and pillars you will need to support the joists and floorboards, as well as the size and distance between the joists and the size of the floorboards. Beams can be 12, 16, or 24 inches (30, 40, or 60 centimeters) apart, but 24 inches is the most common; common sizes for structural beams and deck boards are listed under "Items You Will Need."
• The height at which you build your deck determines whether you need to include railings, pillars, and steps. You won't need them to build your deck just above the ground, but you may still need them if it's taller.
• A preliminary sketch of what you are thinking will help you choose the material and help you with construction advice.

5 Choose a material for building a terrace. There are a number of hardwood and composite materials that you can use to build your deck. Decking board materials range from tropical and plastic, to more traditional mahogany, cedar and pine. Framing, columns and pillars must be pressed, otherwise it can lead to rotting of the wood.

Method 2 of 3: Preparing at Home

1. 1 Mark where the top of the deck will be. Typically this will be the height of the interior floor and just below the threshold of any existing or planned door that will open onto the terrace. Use a level to draw a line for placing the entire length of the deck.
2. 2 Mark the place where the bottom of the terrace will be placed. From the line you just marked, measure the thickness of the floorboard (usually 1 to 1 1/2 inches or 2.5 to 3.75 centimeters) plus the height of the overhanging board. (If the protruding board is 2 x 10, it will be 9.5 inches, or 23.75 centimeters.) Mark this line along the entire length where the protruding board will be placed.
3. 3 Remove the cladding where the deck board will be mounted. If the outer skin is hard, you can cut it out with a circular saw and jigsaw, provided you do not cut the skin to fit the outer skin. If the outer sheathing is vinyl, you will need a special tool to lift it up; after removing it, you will need to mark the lines of the top deck and bottom of the overhanging board on the batten.
   • Ignore the steps in this section if you plan on making a free-standing deck.

Method 3 of 3: Build a terrace

1. 1 Measure and cut the overhanging board. Check if it is suitable relative to home before proceeding.
   • If you plan to cover the joist rims at home with baseboard, cut the overhang board shorter to accommodate the width of the baseboard (typically 3/4 "(1.9 cm) on each side.)
2. 2 Mark the places where the beam will be. First, mark the deck rims on the left edge of the crossbeam. (This is usually 2 beams stacked side by side for strength.) Then mark the centers where each intermediate beam will be, then measure half the beam thickness on each side. Then, mark the rims of the beam on the right edge of the crossbeam. Draw lines on the crossbeam to mark all the edges of the beam.
3. 3 Prepare a beam that runs opposite the crossbeam. Cut it to the same length as the crossbeam. If you plan to make slabs opposite this beam (located at the same level), then use the framed square to align the edges of both beams, and then completely copy the elevations. If you plan on attaching support beams to a joist on your home, you just need to make marks at the top for a reminder. br>
   • Most building codes require the opposite beam to be twice or three times thicker than the internal beams, as you will have to cut several beams and lay them side by side. (If the board is free-standing, the crossbeam will also need to be fastened to one or two other beams for strength.)
4. 4 Nail the hangers for the beam. Check the distance of the hangers with a piece of wood, then nail the hangers in place using short, thin nails designed to secure the joist. If your opposite beam is on the same level, you will also want to attach the beam hangers to the inside of that beam.
5. 5 Attach the crossbeam to the house. Attach the board in place for a while with nails. Drill 1 or 2 holes between every two beams. Apply silicone filler inside each hole, then place a wood screw in each hole to secure the crossbeam board permanently. Cover the crossbar of the crossbeam with a waterproof membrane or galvanized metal.
   • Skip this step if the terrace will be free-standing.
6. 6 Dig holes for the supports. You can lay out the support positions using string and pegs or rags to make a net. Mark the footprints on the webbing, then move them to the ground. Dig 6 inches (15 centimeters) under the freeze line for each support using a hand drill or power drill; make the bottom for each hole wider than the top.
   • You may need to check the depth of the hole before pouring the concrete.
7. 7 Assemble the base and shape of the pillars. Place one in each hole and support it with backfill, then trim all the posts so they are evenly level. Pour concrete into the holes and leave them for at least 24 hours.
8. 8 Cut and lift the posts over the posts. To secure the posts in place, place stainless steel rods or 6 inches (15 centimeters) rebar halfway up the posts to serve as a mandrel and drill hole in place where you will place the posts. You can also coat the top of the posts with adhesive before installing the posts if the tops are wooden, or use a mounting bracket if the tops are concrete. Set the posts upright and place temporary briquettes so they don't move until the edging is in place.
9. 9 Place the opposite beam on top of the posts. If your crossbeams are long, you may need to lift individual parts of the crossbeams one at a time instead of all. Install the beam elements so that the outer parts are flush with the edge of the post. Attach the inside of the beam with nails or as required by your building code.
10. 10 Install the rims of the beam. Attach the rims to the crossbeam and the interior to the fit of the opposite beam from the inside of the angle brackets. Adjust part of the beam to get a square, then attach the reinforcement of the outer beam to the inner part using nails, screws or bolts.
11. 11 Install the internal beams. Inspect each end of the beam underneath to check for any signs of bulge. Place them in the beam hangers on the plank of the crossbeam and the opposing beam (or on top of the opposing beam that is below) pointing upward. Attach them in place if necessary, and if they are too tight, cut off the ends so that they fit without applying force. If the opposite beam is dropped, replace it.
12. 12 Lay the floorboards. Measure the decking frames from the outside end from one beam rim to the outside end of the other, and add the width of any skirting board or the length of any ledge. Cut the first two decking planks to the same length, then cut any overhangs from the planks to be laid next to the house. (Subsequent planks should not be cut to this length, but may be laid out first and cut on the first two planks later.) Install the first plank against the clapboard of the house and the next plank the same if wet and 16penny nail width if dry. Attach the planks to the joists with two nails or bolts. Straighten the boards as you work with a flat piece.
    • If you are building wide decking, you can cut multiple decking planks to bridge the gap between the rims of the beams, where the two planks meet towards the middle of the beam. Place these beams between each row of the deck to make the deck look better.
    • Periodically measure the distance between the front of the deck and each end of the lying plank. They must be equal; if not, slightly reduce the gaps between the boards on the long side and increase them slightly on the shorter side until the distance is equal.
    • If the last floorboard is wider than the space it needs to be placed in, make it narrower or use a narrower board of the same type of flooring. If the board appears to be narrower than the space, take a board that is wider and narrow it down.
    • The photo shows the planks lying parallel to the beams, under no circumstances should they lie in this way. Instead, lay them perpendicular to the joists.
13. 13 Build a ladder if needed. If your deck is high enough for a staircase, determine the number of steps you need by dividing your deck height in feet by seven. If the quotient is an integer, use the quotient as the number of steps raised by 7 inches (17.5 centimeters). If the quotient contains a fraction, round it to an integer to get the number of steps and divide that number by the deck height to get the height in inches. Divide the height by 75 to get the approximate length of each step.
    • You will need a longitudinal beam at each end of the ladder to attach the treads to the other side of the crossbeam in the center if you will be making a wide or high ladder. Lay out the first framed area crossbeam to define ascent and descent, then move the marks to the rest of the beams. Cut out the support for the steps, then fasten the beams together and nail them to the rim of the beam on the board before screwing them permanently into place.
    • Cut the steps 3/4-inch (1.9-centimeter) long and protrude on each side of the crossbeam to create a passage separate from the beams. Attach them to the beams with screws or nails.
14. 14 Build and install deck railings as needed. If your terrace is more than the height of the step, you will need to build a railing to prevent it from falling. Begin by installing the corners and uprights of the stair railings, placing and reinforcing them with glue, then securing them with screws or bolts. The remaining parts - top railings, bottom railings and spindles - can be attached separately or assembled into sections and then installed as one piece.
    • Measure the distance between the posts and find out the length of the railings, then cut them to the same length.
    • Vertical spindles should generally be spaced more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) apart and should be placed closer together if this creates even spacing throughout the deck. They can be attached to the rails with nails or screws, while the railings themselves are attached to the posts with corner screws. (Use wooden blocks to support the railing sections by screwing them inward.)
    • Shorten the stair rail post to the correct height and slope using a framed square, then install the railings and handrails on the bottom rung of the stairs. Calculate the length of the stair railing by dividing the staircase in ascending order by multiplying by the length of the stair deck, then square the result by adding the area of ​​the length of the stair deck and square root of the result. Cut the spindles to the desired length, angled to the railing slope and install as described above for the deck spindles.
15. 15 Install a baseboard if desired. Cut the planks to cover the deck beams and beam rims and into place.

Warnings

• Before following the instructions above, check with your local building department for any special requirements not covered above that may replace them.

What do you need

• Wooden posts (4 x 4s or 6 x 6s)
• Beams (4 x 6s, 4 x 8s or 4 x 10s, or double - triple layer 2 x 6s, 2 x 8s or 2 x 10s)
• Beams (2 x 6s, 2 x 8s or 2 x 10s)
• Ladder stringers (2 x 12s)
• Decking boards (2 x 4s, 2 x 6s or 5/4 x 6s)
• Stair treads (same material as decking boards)
• Railing posts (4 x 4s)
• Railing (2 x 4s or 2 x 6s)
• Spindle (2 x 2s)
• Skirting boards (1 x 8s, 1 x 10s or 1 x 12s)
• Concrete (ready mix or in bags)
• Post concrete
• External sealing compound
• Construction adhesive
• Stainless steel studs (1/2-inch / 1.25 centimeters in diameter)
• Beam pendants
• Waterproof metal (galvanized)
• Plain and sheathed (galvanized or coated, 8-, 10- and 16-pennies in sizes)
• Screws (zinc-plated or coated, 2 1/2 "/ 6.25 centimeters and 3 1/2" / 8.75 centimeters)
• Screws and washers
• Carriage bolts, nuts and washers