Friday, June 17, 2011

Digging for the Deck

Yesterday, I took a break from Nanepashemet Telecom to dig the three post holes for the deck foundation in the back of the Sundance House.
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The Marblehead Building Inspector will be by this morning to measure and approve the depth.   Code calls for going 36" below the surface so that the concrete columns don't pitch due to frost.  I went an average of 42"  down, and the surprizing thing is that I didn't hit the ledge that protrudes throughout the property.  Pretty much sandy gravel all the way down.
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It's a fairly good workout to hand dig these holes and I'm feeling it today.  After the inspection, I have to meet Alex in Andover for a Nanepashemet job, but on the way home, I'll stop over at the Home Depot and get eight 80 lb.bags of  concrete mix along with some 5/8" J-bolts to secure Simpson 6x6 Post tie units.  Don't need 6x6 posts, but again I'd rather overengineer this, since I'm saving money on the labor by building the deck myself. 

Like the Beverly Ave deck, you'll be able to land a heliocopter on this baby.  Going with 2x10 pressure treated  boards for the floor joists,  But I won't be getting the pressure treated framing lumber from Home Depot.  For that I'll probably order from Moynihan Lumber in Beverly, and have them deliver. 
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The actual decking material will be Trex and I'll be buying that from Peabody Building Supply which has the best prices by far.   I'll also buy the dining room sliding glass door there.
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For this deck, I won't be getting fancy with curves and stuff.  Got that out of my system on the last deck that I built.  This deck will be a plain rectangle... but some future phases into the surrounding ledge might get kinky.... especially if it includes a Japanese water garden coming off of the rocks.
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Not going to put the pressure on myself and tell you when this project is slated to be complete.  Definitely not by the 4th of July.... maybe by Labor Day.  But I will guarantee that we will be on the deck for the Thanksgiving Day Bash!

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