Our deck just showed up.

[ade06]

Wow, you da man!

[NeuRon]

Scott, you are very talented! looks fabulous man

[shilala]

I took the tent down and started putting tools away today. I have a few odds and ends left, but those things won't require half the stuff I had out there. So I decided to roll up, and I'll redeploy with the right stuff for phase 2.

[forgop]

After completing my deck of nearly 700 sq ft myself with 99% of the boards being cut at an angle on both ends, I can assure you how much more time it takes to complete it.

Looks great.

[nofeardiver]

Very nice job, looks awesome...

Originally Posted by shilala

I took the tent down and started putting tools away today. I have a few odds and ends left, but those things won't require half the stuff I had out there. So I decided to roll up, and I'll redeploy with the right stuff for phase 2.

Phase 2.a
Then Phase 2.b
Then 2.b.1a
Then ....
Is how most of my biggest projects end up. Here's hoping yous isn't that way.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by BC-Axeman

Phase 2.a
Then Phase 2.b
Then 2.b.1a
Then ....
Is how most of my biggest projects end up. Here's hoping yous isn't that way.

I smell something like that on the horizon. I made sure we could bring the concrete sidewalk around back, but I don't see that happening. Phase 2 is just skirting it and building storage underneath. It's not a big deal, but it'll take some time.

[J0eybb]

Under Deck storage? Is this where the balls go?

[shilala]

Just screwed down the last board on this dirty whore. There's some little stuff to do, an evening here, an evening there, but it's nothing that needs bothered with for now.
If I didn't want to do all the extra stuff, it'd just be done. I have to go help the father-in-law with his deck now. That's good, cause I can get reacquainted with my motorcycle for a couple hours a day driving back and forth.

[doctorcue]

Looks great man! Awesome work!!!

[gvarsity]

Sweet deck Scott. About the size of my first house. Congratulations.

[taltos]

Spectacular Scott. My back yard is not big enough for a deck that size.

[shilala]

We had it all lit up last night, I wish I'd have gotten pics. I'll try to remember to do that tonight.

[shilala]

I'm coming around the last corner with the skirting. I'm super pleased with how it's turning out.
I had concepted this skirting design in my little brain and it looked super easy. Once I started figuring out how to deploy the idea it got really hard. It required me to work from the front side of the deck and the back side, and it was sheer hell. I put a section in and it didn't do the view-blocking I wanted at all and I was completely stifled as how to math it out so it worked. Plus my whole method of building it sucked.
Then I got sick for about a month. That gave me time to think on how to get this thing done. I figured out how to put up backing so I could do it all by myself from the front side and figured out the depth of the inside boards and height relation to the front boards. I went back out last week, tore out everything I had done, and started fresh.
It worked like a charm.
So I've been picking away at this for the last week, an hour or two here and there. Today I'm hoping I can last long enough to get it all finished up.
Then I have to go to Phase III and replace all the wood that's seeping sap, redo the stair treads by the sliding glass door, and finish around a dryer vent.
Then Phase IV will be to try and dodge raindrops and get the skirting stained, stain the replaced wood, areas I sanded out, and all the cracks between ten million boards.
Phase V will be running electric to all the lighting, putting in a switch outside (or inside), and adding lighting beneath the deck to light up the skirting.
Nothing to it.
Here's a couple shots of the skirting...

Side finished on the face...


Front of the deck finished under the cantilever. You can see how the two layers of 5/4 board work so the air comes right through but you can't see through it...

[shilala]

I'm also leaving three sections between the posts "open", meaning I can just pull screws to remove the skirting between posts. Once the wood dries and shrinks up, I can panelize these areas and turn the skirting into swinging doors or easily removable panels.
One area will definately have to swing so the kids can get their bikes out from under the deck without a bunch of grief. I may build a garage door of sorts in that area that will just roll up, or use receding barn-door glides. I can struggle with that later.

[docdoty]

Fantastic job building your new deck, It was great to look through and see the progress of your work.

[irratebass]

Awesome looking deck bro!

That looks too nice compared to your neighbors deck! LOL

Oh, and fingers go BEHIND the lens, not in front.

[Blak Smyth]

Scott, I am loving the way you finished off the underside walls, looks way better than and open space!

[shilala]

I got all the way around with the skirting and rolled my mess back again. It's supposed to start raining here tomorrow, I'll have to get back on this when it clears up.