How to Build a Deck From Start to Finish

This video will show you every step you need to take to build a deck in a day or two. I show you the difference between a flush beam and a dropped beam, how to do joist layouts and place hangers and how to ensure everything is square before you lay deck boards.

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I'm Kody Horvey, owner of Up To Kode; a full service carpentry, contracting and consulting company that proudly serves Red Deer and all of Central Alberta.
We are committed to being Central Alberta’s most sustainable and energy efficient builder with a strong focus on quality and innovation.
Our vision is to continually implement and increase the use of high efficient building practices and products to create sustainable, multi generation structures.
Here on YouTube, we hope to share our work, get you inspired, and give you the knowledge to plan and execute your own projects.

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[StationaryNomad]

This is amazing content!!! Thank you good sir. See you in heaven 👋🏾

[timrxn]

FINALLY someone that explains in full the water diversion in attaching a deck ledger. Took me a long time to find this video but I knew right away it was the one to watch. You earned a subscr sir, thank you for the clear explaination

[ron]

You are definitely my hero my wife and I just bought our first home and a deck is one of the first things we are going to do ourselves thank you so very much

[tanner]

I'm only half way through this video, but I have to say, you are good. You are so thorough, taking the time to check board crowns, do relief kerfs, and properly manage water shedding. It's frustrating working on projects and being ridiculed for taking the time to check and calculate little details like this. Irresponsible, rushed building practices are so common that I often have a hard time quoting labor for people because I know they're expecting faster and cheaper work. My goal is to continue to build confidence to be able to look people in the eye and tell them that what I'm doing is correct and it's worth the time and money. Thanks for making this video and making it feel okay and legitimate to take the time and build correctly!

[copper_himselfgaming]

Im here because i wanna build a deck around my future house lol. If you like this comment i hope you have a great day or night stay safe and god bless.

[robmarkham]

Never attach a deck to a dwelling and then use deck blocks to support the beam(s). This practice is not allowed in any jurisdiction's Building Code, especially in colder climates. Frost will cause the deck blocks to rise in the winter as the ground frost swells and the ground drops in the summer as it dries out. This "up and down" action puts an awful amount of stress on the ledger-to-house connection. it's one or the other; either use below-grade footings(Depth determined by the frost penetration in your location) and an attached ledger, or, build the deck entirely on deck blocks. Never a combination of both.

[chriscase]

Wow....thanks for the info. I wish everyone was as explicit as you! We're not doing a huge deck but the pier supports, which I'm not crazy about, may be a good option for us since the height isn't that much. All the tips you do will really help me when we're ready. You're a go-to guy for me and this video is a keeper. Keep up the great work!

[philipzanoni]

Awe..love the memory of is he doin that?"

[DavidGR]

Fantastic Video Kody! I started this project on my home and definitely learnt a few good tricks from you. I appreciate you taking the time to do the math and illustrations, as well as providing practical examples. Great work!

[Botpoint]

I watched 20 different deck building videos but I learned the most and things seemed to be explained the best in this one. Thank you for so much detail this is exactly what I needed and almost the exact deck I am planning on building. This is exactly what I needed to wrap my head around it. I know I can do it but it's intimidating if you've never tried it yourself and seeing all the steps like this makes me confident enough to try to pull it off. Subbed up and going to be enjoying more of your videos. Seriously thank you!

[panjrobarobaipanj]

Great video very informative, Thanks for taking the time out to record it, I appreciate it your hard work and dedication ✅👍✅

[Hood-nhpv]

Great work on the video and deck! Hard to understand most people but can definitely understand you! Great teaching! Looking forward to more videos

[danp]

Thx for this, this is the only good and useful flush beam video . I've learn some good tips, ie, how to decide on your joists length to avoid crazy thin deck boards, averaging out the width of deck boards, and why blocking should be done with screws. I would have likes more information on a few things... ie: screws used for blocking, ie: structural screws? how much blocking over the length of a deck, how to attach guard railing when using flush beams. Thanks.

[dksinger]

Provides a nice overview of general deck building methods. Nice description of how the drop- versus flush-beam works. Also, the all-important squaring up the framing measurement methods. In this particular deck I would avoid using floating pier blocks when using a house ledger. Either the deck needs to be entirely free-standing (i.e., floating piers everywhere and NO ledger), or use a ledger board and then you have to install concrete footings below frost line. The way this is built, the deck will fall out of level over time, particularly since the pier blocks are not sitting on packed gravel. When I use floating pier blocks, I use the type with an embedded metal 4X bracket at minimum - providing at least a minimal uplift deterrent.

The ONLY time I EVER install a flush beam for clients is when it is a true ground level deck and there is no vertical clearance to allow for a drop beam. The advantages of a drop beam are numerous: (1) beam installation does not have to be perfectly square to the house (only needs to be in perfectly straight line!), (2) allows for letting joists 'run wild' at the end - I only snap a line and trim the ends off after having installed most of the deck boards. This allows simple accurate measure and calculations based on fascia thickness and outer deck board bullnose depth. (Note: it is very important to temporarily tack up the rim joist both for safety and to ensure joists remain square/plumb during deck board install!). (3) Flush beams present moisture challenges for deck boards as they do not allow proper drainage and drying. Below is a link to my 4-part video series for installing a ground level deck and how to overcome this last challenge.

Kody has taken on a big challenge in trying to cover both drop & flush beams, ledger options, and structural supports. It is clear the project he documents has some budget constraints. One commenter accurately (if a bit snidely!) suggested using pier blocks for entire deck to avoid time/expense of ledger installation. Just be absolutely certain to use copious triangular bracing in all three dimensions to ensure the structure is rock-solid against any movement.

[ricardotorres]

Great video, very informative., thank you so much..

[djlazzie]

I appreciate you taking the time for this video. Very informative. Thank you!

[auto-biographypodcast]

Watching this and taking notes, then happily realizing you're in RD County, too.

[rexrexford]

Excellent presentation. Learned a ton and after a few more views I will have the confidence to start my project. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills.

[philipzanoni]

Lots of great tips!! Along the way..like the turn buckles..

[marcosmota]

I like the kerf cuts, but I'd use a router with round bit to make a semi-circle, then treat it with sealer.