deck building material

Aug 15 2024

How to Build a Deck or Shed on a Budget Cost-Saving Tips and Tricks

Cost-Saving Tips and Tricks

Building a deck or shed can be a rewarding project, but it can also put a strain on your wallet if you’re not careful. However, with some strategic planning and smart choices, it’s entirely possible to build your dream outdoor structure without breaking the bank. Here are some essential tips and tricks for keeping costs down without sacrificing quality.

1. Plan and Budget Carefully

The first step to any successful project is proper planning. Before you start building, take the time to sketch out your design and create a detailed budget. This will help you determine exactly how much material you’ll need, what tools are required, and where you can cut costs without compromising the integrity of the build.

Use online calculators and free design tools to visualize your deck or shed and determine the size and scope of the project. Keeping your design simple and straightforward will save on materials and labor. A well-thought-out plan also minimizes the risk of costly mistakes and rework down the line.

2. Choose Affordable Materials Without Sacrificing Durability

When building on a budget, it’s essential to find a balance between cost and durability. Pressure-treated lumber is a great option for deck framing and shed construction, as it’s relatively inexpensive and resistant to rot and insects. Composite materials, while more expensive initially, offer long-term savings due to their durability and low maintenance.

For sheds, consider using plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) for walls and roofing. These materials are less expensive than traditional lumber but still provide strong, reliable protection from the elements. You can also save by opting for simple gravel or concrete pavers as a foundation for your shed instead of pouring a full concrete slab.

3. Save on Footings with RediFooting

One of the most labor-intensive and costly aspects of building a deck or shed is setting the footings. Traditional concrete footings require a significant investment of both time and money. Each footing hole can require up to five bags of cement, totaling around 350 pounds of concrete per hole. Not only does this add up quickly in material costs (around $50-$60 per hole), but it also means heavy lifting and hours of labor mixing and pouring concrete.

Then, after pouring the concrete, your project is on hold for two to three days while you wait for it to cure, assuming the weather cooperates. And if you’re a professional builder, you already know your valuable time would be better spent elsewhere.

4. Reuse and Recycle Materials

Another great way to save money is by reusing materials you may already have on hand or sourcing recycled materials from other projects. Check local salvage yards, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace for leftover decking boards, framing lumber, or even windows and doors for your shed. Reclaimed wood can also add a rustic, charming aesthetic to your deck or shed at a fraction of the cost of new materials.

Reusing materials not only cuts costs but also reduces waste, making your project more eco-friendly. Just be sure to inspect any used materials carefully to ensure they are still in good condition and suitable for use in your build.

5. Do It Yourself, but Know When to Call in a Pro

One of the most significant cost-saving strategies when building a deck or shed is doing the work yourself. Labor costs can account for a large portion of the total project budget, so taking on the job as a DIY project can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

However, it’s essential to know your limitations. If the project requires complex tasks like electrical work, advanced carpentry, or plumbing, it may be worth hiring a professional to handle those aspects of the build. Mistakes in these areas can lead to expensive repairs and safety hazards down the line, so it’s better to invest in a pro when needed.

6. Buy Materials in Bulk

If your deck or shed project requires a large amount of lumber, screws, or other building materials, consider buying in bulk to save money. Many suppliers offer discounts for bulk purchases, and buying everything at once can reduce trips to the store, saving both time and gas money.

You can also check for sales at your local home improvement store or even online suppliers. Seasonal sales, end-of-line products, and bulk packages can all offer significant savings if you plan your project accordingly.

7. Opt for Simple Designs

The more elaborate the design, the more it will cost in both materials and labor. While it’s tempting to include features like multiple levels, built-in seating, or fancy railings, keeping your design simple will keep costs down. A straightforward rectangular deck or shed can still be beautiful and functional, especially with the right choice of materials and finishes.

If you’re set on incorporating custom features, consider adding them later when your budget allows. Building in stages can spread out costs and make the project more affordable in the long run.

8. Finish It Yourself

Once the main construction is complete, there’s no need to hire a professional to finish your deck or shed. Staining, painting, and sealing are tasks that are easy to do on your own with a little patience. By handling the finishing touches yourself, you can save on labor costs and put your personal stamp on the project.

Be sure to choose high-quality finishes that will protect your deck or shed from the elements and prolong the life of the structure. While premium finishes might cost more upfront, they will save you money over time by reducing the need for frequent maintenance and repairs.

Conclusion

Building a deck or shed on a budget is entirely possible with the right strategies in place. By planning carefully, choosing affordable materials, saving time and money with innovative products like RediFooting, and doing as much of the work yourself as possible, you can create a durable, attractive outdoor space without breaking the bank. Focus on quality where it matters most, and you’ll enjoy the results of your labor for years to come.

Apr 04 2020

Should You Use Composite Decking When You Build Your Deck?

Decking made from alternative materials such as composite lumber and PVC has been a large part of the deck building market for many decades, with composites being constantly improved to a point where composite are well worth considering for any deck building project.

In addition to the various styles and colors available, composite decking offers warranties in some cases going beyond even twenty-to-thirty years, or even for the life of your home. Although the cost of composite decking materials typically cost more upfront than your standard PT lumber, a warranty that gives you carefree ownership for as long as you live in your home will often make a lot of sense in the long run, even when the initial investment may be a little higher.

Composite decking often utilizes post-consumer waste in the manufacturing process, utilizing a blend of recycled materials and wood-pulp fibers. The plastic material used is what makes composites both rot and insect resistant without harsh chemicals and treatments often required to make wood products equally rot and insect resistant.

When composites were first introduced to the professional and DIY building market, the options were limited and, frankly, not very appealing. And without a proven track record outside of the manufacturer’s promises, there was no way to know, first-hand, of how long composites could actually last without taking the company’s word for it.

But after many decades in the marketplace, many composite decking materials have proven to be long-lasting and, in many cases, better alternatives to wood decking.

Some of the pros of using composite decking include the ease of which they can be installed. Cutting and drilling is often easier, and many now come with their own installation and fastening kits to simplify installation even further. Plus, there is rarely (if ever) any finishing, sanding, or staining required.

Composite decking is undoubtedly a low-maintenance option.

Popular composite decking manufacturers

TREX® https://www.trex.com/

As one of the leaders and original manufacturers in composite deck and building materials, Trex® was actually formed as a company through the buyout of a division within the Mobil Corporation back in 1996.

According to their website, they were the first company to use recycled plastics, such as bags, combined with scrap wood. TREX® created the first generation of composite decking. Today, TREX® decking is made with ninety-five percent recycled materials. (And they claim on their website that since they started the company, they have not cut down a single tree.)

In 2010 TREX® released their TRANSCEND® line of composite building materials with a twenty-five year guarantee against both fading and staining. And since 2010, TREX® has released numerous lines of building options, including materials for railings, pergola construction, outdoor lighting, and even recently introduced steel framing that will never rot, sag, or warp like wood.

TimberTech® (An AZEK® company) https://www.timbertech.com/

Timbertech® is AZEK’s® composite decking line of composite building materials and, like TREX, one of the original manufacturers of composite decking.

TimberTech® deck boards are manufactured to mimic the natural color, grain, and shape of real wood using environmentally-friendly engineering.

By capping the composite decking with polymer material, these protective caps wrap around the composite material to not only allow an exceptional wood-look, but provides thorough protection from mold, mildew, and moisture to avoid damage that occurs with real wood.

According to the TimberTech® website, their decking products utilize a range of 54-80% recycled materials (depending on the specific product line). They claim to have diverted roughly 290 million pounds of waste and scrap from ending up in landfills in 2019.

CALI Bamboo BamDeck® https://www.calibamboo.com/composite-decking.html

Cali Bamboo™ is a direct-to-consumer flooring and decking company that manufactures two different decking products.

BamDeck® is their original decking product made of 60% recycled bamboo fibers and 40% recycled High-density polyethylene plastic.

And because bamboo is an extremely durable building material, it’s the bamboo fibers used in the composite that provides the strength and density to make BamDeck decking stronger.

According to the Cali Bamboo™ website, third-party tests in accordance with ASTM (formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials) regulations have found BamDeck® to be at least 3.6 times as strong as other composites made from plastic deck material.

BamDeck 4G® (their latest line as of 2020) is manufactured to have a more modern, matte finish and comes in both wide & standard widths.

TruOrganics® Composite Decking

TruOrganics® Composite Decking is manufactured with rich colors and authentic hardwood texturing. What the company describes as a “next generation composition and 3G core” that is strong and resilient. The composite is wrapped on all four sides (many composites leave the bottom exposed) with distinct rays and knots while guarding against stains, scratches, snow, and sun damage.

The composite decking is geared toward the DIY homeowner, with a simple-to-install, secure fastener system hidden underneath the decking during installation.

TruOrganics® is made of one-hundred-percent recycled materials (60% recycled wood fibers, and 40% high density plastics).

There are dozens of other composite and non-wood decking manufacturers out there, and it’s worth exploring your options when deciding what materials to use to build your deck. You should consider the costs, durability, style, and colors available in addition to the installation, sustainability, and available warranty when considering all of your options.

Mar 23 2020

Three Tips for Building a Better Deck

Building a deck can be a lot of fun and, when compared to other home improvement projects, is relatively easy to accomplish with a little research to improve your overall building skills.

But as someone who has been involved in deck building for over twenty-five years, there are certain things homeowners and contractors do that improve the entire process overall. These steps not only make building easier, but will give you peace of mind knowing your deck will last a long time.

Tip Number One: Give Yourself Enough time to Thoroughly Research Materials

When it comes to the materials you can use to build your deck, the options are, for the most part, limitless. On one end, you have real wood such as pressure treated lumber and cedar. On the other you have man-made materials such as composites and PVC and more man-mades coming on the market all the time.

The difference in all the available materials is not only the wide range of costs and how the deck will look once it’s complete, but also in how it’s built. For example, the number of joists needed for exotic hardwoods vs a flexible composite piece of decking can vary. That means, in some cases, certain composites may require additional lumber built into the frame.

Different woods may also require different protective treatments, and some may need to be treated more often than others. Composites and PVC decking often require less maintenance, but the cost of the actual materials plus the hardware required for installation can significantly increase the cost of your deck, overall.

That’s why it’s important to narrow down your options as much as possible during the planning stage and have a good understanding of the pros and cons of each material option you’re considering.

Tip Number Two: Take the Steps Up Front to Prevent Water Damage Later

One of the keys to preventing water damage to your deck or house is to use proper spacing to ensure water will not become trapped between two or more pieces of wood. Using proper spacing between your deck boards, your ledger and the material (on your house) you’re attaching it to, and your deck posts is critical to preventing future water damage. Water will always find a way to escape, whether it evaporates or finds its way into the wood against a home.

If you are indeed attaching your deck to the ledger board on your house, without both flashing and proper spacing between your deck and the ledger board you’ll attach to your house, the water will become trapped. And once it becomes trapped, the only way water will find its way out will be through the house, eventually rotting the wood and weakening the construction of your deck and your home.

There are different types of flashing for different applications. Spacing devices can be purchased, or you can make them yourself from a material that will not rot or decay (PVC, for example).

No matter what you decide, spacing and flashing are critical to preventing water damage.

The same case can be made for your deck posts and allowing them to come in contact with a concrete footing. There must be enough space to prevent water from being trapped between the wood and your footing, especially if you use concrete, which can often hold water that can eventually weaken both the post and the footing. Of course, we recommend you skip the concrete entirely and use RediFooting deck footings, high-strength plastic footings that are actually stronger than concrete.

Tip Number Three: Use (or Make) a Jig for Proper Spacing When You’re Building Your Deck

Spacing on your deck is critical. From the joists to the decking to the railings, keeping your spacing consistent every time will make a big difference not only on the quality of your construction, but to the way your deck looks once it’s complete.

Most of the measurements used on a deck will seem repetitive. That’s why a good tip is to either purchase or make your own spacers or jigs for everything from baluster spacing to decks and even for aligning the joists you’ll install (typically) sixteen inches on-center.

Some of the spacing is more important than others. Once example of this is the space you leave between your decking boards. Because when installing decking, you need to ensure there’s enough space for water to drain from the top of the deck. If the board are too tight, water will sit on the deck and try to find it’s way into your deck or home. But you also don’t want to leave too much space between the decking boards. Because if your spacing is too wide, chair legs and even the thin point of a high heel could get stuck and cause a fall, especially over time as boards shrink and spacing tends to open up. That’s where a deck spacing jig like this one for around $7 on Amazon comes in handy.

A decking spacer is recommended, which can be purchased or you can make one yourself by simply cutting a wedge out of scrap lumber. In fact most of the spacers and jigs you’ll want to use to build your deck can be made out of scrap wood.

These three tips are just a few of the simple basics that can make a big difference as you’re building your deck and for the generations ahead you’ll expect to enjoy your construction project.

Mar 16 2020

Deck Materials You’ll Need to Build Your Deck…from the Bottom Up

When you first start planning to build your deck, you’ll quickly realize there are many options when it comes to figuring out what materials to use. From the footings to the lumber to the fasteners and screws, getting a grip on your materials is a first-step to building a safe deck you’ll enjoy.

Footings

When it comes to footings for your deck, we of course know that in most cases there will be no better or easier option for you than to use RediFootings for your footings. There is no concrete to buy, no mixing, and no waiting for the concrete to dry. You can read more about why RediFooting is your best option for your deck footings here.

Below is a graph that shows the difference between using RediFooting vs using concrete for your footings:

In combination with the ledger attached to the house, the footings support the entire load of your deck. Footings are one of the most critical components of deck construction (as is the soil below the deck footing). But if your footing can’t support the load, it doesn’t matter what materials you use to build the rest of your deck.

The Framing and Structure of Your Deck

For the most part, the main framed structure of your deck–which generally includes the beams, posts, joists, and ledger if attached to a house—will be built from pressure treated lumber. It’s not only the most economical choice but is rot and insect resistant. It’s also easy to find throughout the United States.

An alternative to pressure treated lumber is to use either redwood or cedar, both rot and wood-insect resistant. However, the costs can be double, on average, for redwood or cedar as compared to building your deck with pressure treated lumber.

Initially, pressure treated lumber was preserved with chromate copper arsenate (CCA) added to the wood to make it wood and insect resistant. But because of its high arsenic toxicity levels causing both health and environmental concerns, the manufacturing of pressure treated lumber using CCA was discontinued in 2003.

The newer pressure treated woods (ACQ) are generally more environmentally-friendly with copper-based compounds, also making them a healthier alternative to the older, discontinued pressure treated woods.

However, the newer pressure treated lumber is not without its issues. There are still warnings, including the recommendation to wear gloves during handling and to wear an EPA approved dust-mask.

Additionally, the new pressure treated woods treated with copper are more expensive and also cause issues with the corrosion of certain metals (due to the high copper content). More information is included below with regards to the different types of hardware required for use with pressure treated woods to avoid the dangers of metal corrosion.

Wood Decking

Even if you decide to frame your deck’s structure using pressure treated wood, your options are still wide open when it comes to the actual decking material you can choose to use for the parts of your deck that are visible to you and your guests.

The most popular wood decking options are pressure treated wood, redwood, or cedar. The difference (aside from cost) is that redwood or cedar is naturally rot and insect resistant.

In addition to cedar and pressure-treated decking, there are beautiful hardwood options, also known as “ironwoods” because of their dense cell structure. Because these hardwoods are so dense, they require additional handling and extra work to use them in your construction project. For example, most of the hardwoods will need to be pre-drilled and require different hardware than your typical softwood materials. You’ll notice your saw blade will wear faster when cutting hardwoods.

Hardwoods include Ipe (the most popular hardwood), Cumaru, Garapa, Cambara and Machiche. Although they do not necessarily have to be treated the way the softer woods should, you will extend the life of your hardwood decking by using a surface treatment.

Non-Wood Decking

Both composite decking and PVC decking has taken off over the past few decades, and provides homeowners with a viable alternative to building a deck with real wood.

Composite decking is typically manufactured with a mix of recycled plastic materials and wood pulp. By adding the plastic to the composite, it becomes insect and rot-resistant. Because it is a manufactured product, you will not find the imperfections you will with natural wood products. There is no grain to worry about, and no knots that can often get in the way when cutting and drilling.

Most of the products manufactured today are non-toxic, and have come a long way since the early days when you could spot a deck built with composite or plastic decking a mile away.

Today’s composites and non-wood decking products come in a wide range of colors and styles, and can be an aesthetically pleasing addition to your deck.

There are few downsides to building with composite decking. One is the cost, which is higher than softwood lumber. The other is that some composite decking is more flexible than wood, and often requires closer support spacing, which can increase the overall cost of your deck.

Fasteners, Connectors, Screws and Nails

As deck building codes have changed over the past few decades, using metal fasteners has become more a part of building than your grandfather might ever imagine. Back thirty or forty years ago, a contractor might have used some joist hangers here and there, but otherwise entire decks built with screws, nails, and bolts.

Today, the building codes are written so it is very clear which specific metals and fastener types must be used to build a safer, code-compliant deck. Using the correct fasteners will prevent dangerous failures and provide you with a stronger deck.

Prior to purchasing your connectors and fasteners, you will need to make sure you are choosing the right metal for the material you are using to build your deck. The options used to be limited to either galvanized or stainless steel, but today different woods, such as pressure treated, require coatings and metals specifically designed for the makeup of the wood. The connectors and fasteners are labeled to help you identify which metals you will need.

You can find a wealth of information about fasteners and connectors available for deck construction by visiting the Simpson Strong-Ties website.

Deck Screws

When you walk down the aisle at the hardware store or big box store, you’ll realize there are hundreds of variations, sizes, and materials used to manufacture screws.

As is the case with the fasteners and connectors, screws are manufactured with various materials and coatings to ensure durability and compatibility with the various available deck building materials.

The screws you choose will depend on the type of lumber you’re going to be using to build your deck. Therefore, it’s important to know the differences and why any one screw would be suitable for your construction project.

Galvanized screws were at one-time the go-to, especially with pressure treated lumber. But because of the newer formulations in pressure treated woods, some screws that were at one time approved will no longer last long enough to be considered useful. Many will break-down over time due to the makeup of the pressure treated lumber.

That’s why there are so many different screw variations on the market today.

And the differences aren’t just in the material used in the manufacturing. Whether you use galvanized or stainless or ceramic coated is just the beginning of your decision-making.

Because in addition to the material used to manufacture the screws, you will also need to consider the type of screw head you will use. Each will vary from one type of screw to the next, including everything from your typical Philips head screw to square-bit screws to star-head screws to flat-heads, and many others.

Each screw is manufactured with the goal of improving drive, ease-of-installation, resisting corrosion, and having a durable screw that will last the life of your deck.

As you can see, there are a lot of options when it comes to finding the best building materials for your deck. This article is only a start, and it’s worth doing your own homework once you have your plan together so you can make the most informed decision so you will have a safe and attractive deck you will enjoy for a long time.