ASK This Old House | All Hands On Deck (S19 E1) FULL EPISODE

Tom Silva helps two homeowners build a two-level deck from start to finish.

Ask This Old House’s Tom Silva takes you through how to add a deck to your home by helping two homeowners build the deck of their dreams.

After setting string lines and batter boards to mark the locations for the concrete footings, Tom digs 4-foot deep holes for the footings using a power auger.

Next, they set cardboard tubes into the holes and filled them with concrete.

They then frame the deck using pressure treated lumber and galvanized steel hardware. After setting the posts on the footings and attaching the ledger board to the house, Tom installs joist hangers to the ledger and beams to support the ends of the joists furthest from the house.

With all of the framing completed, Tom installed the deck boards and railings using a very dense wood called ipe.
Where to find it?

All of the ipe decking, 4x4 posts, and balusters for this project were provided by Anderson & McQuaid Millwork

Tom used a pneumatic hidden fastening system to secure the decking to the framing. It is manufactured by HidFast Deck Fastening System

The end-grain sealer is manufactured by Anchor Seal (U-C Coatings Corp.)

The plastic biscuit-type fasteners are manufactured by Eb-Ty

The software that Tom used to create the deck plans is Home & Landscape Design Punch! Software

Tom and the homeowners used a Toro Dingo compact skid-steer loader with an 18-inch diameter auger to dig the holes for the footings. It is manufactured by The Toro Company

The Toro Dingo is available for rent at many locations nationwide, including Richey & Clapper, Inc.

Products and Services from this Episode

Ipe decking, 4x4 posts, and balusters:
Anderson & McQuaid Millwork

Hidden fastening system:
HidFast Deck Fastening System

End-grain sealer:
Anchor Seal

Plastic fasteners:
Eb-Ty

Design software:
Punch! Software

Skid-steer loader:
The Toro Company

Tool rentals:
Richey & Clapper, Inc.

About Ask This Old House TV: From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

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ASK This Old House | All Hands On Deck (S19 E1) FULL EPISODE

[thevics]

Ive spent many Sunday afternoons as a child falling asleep to this TV show. Something about the vibes of the show is just so relaxing to me.

[johnnycasteel]

Tommy is by far the best Boston American to ever exist hands down.

[papabash]

Retired union carpenter here 42 years in the trade for instructional, commercial and residential work. Tom Silva is golden ! best of the best

[trashpanda]

Man Tom is one hell of a craftsman. I know it’s just a simple deck, but it was done beautifully and will last a lifetime. Love those banisters, and the Brazilian Ipe turned out great with the stain.

[lokirip]

Anyone taking on this project themselves should add flashing that goes behind the siding and over you ledger board. The way they showed you here has all of the water from the siding shedding directly on the ledger. You don't want that to be the first board that rots.

[svgardensu]

Tom is a pleasure to watch every time. He is that uncle I wish I had!!

[jaymomo]

I been watching Tom for awhile now. He makes the most complicated project seem easy. When he explained things very simple and straight forward!

[RobbieSongwriter]

Even after 40 years of doing this, Tommy ALWAYS teaches me something NEW. Gorgeous deck, both in design and execution. Thank you for this video.

[anantdeshkulkarni]

It is great pleasure to watch
ASK THIS OLD HOUSE and
TOM SILVA.

[stevejensen]

What a privilege and cherished memory of a lifetime to have the old guard TOH legend Tom Silva helping you with building your deck. I've always admired his seemingly boundless expertise that comes from 50-some years of practical know-how and applied fieldwork. He makes it all look easy but it surely isn't. You're the man Tommy!

[donaldmendes]

It took a Portuguese guy, Tom Silva to show how a true professional and experienced carptender can build a deck. Well done Tom.

[tonyantoine]

Tom Silva, nuff said! I used to watch him as a teen, 54 now and still admire his problem solving gift.

[westcoastsyndrome]

Guy just built an unbelievable deck, incredibly skilled

[haroldwonder]

With respect and my comment is based on my experience as a business person involved with building decks for residential homes. I found that if one mounts the final, what I call a fascia board to finish off the steps or face edge of a deck that that facia board should be overlapped on top by the last top deck board. not as you have applied. And most often you can buy that last board with a smooth edge or without a grove to complete this part of the project. Biggest or main reason is that after a year or so dirt, sand, tree seeds, organic material in general gets in between this final exposed edge. It is even worse for composite material which under the sun will flex outward most times leaving an edge again susceptible to gathering dirt or sand, etc. Then seeds start to grow in that grove leaving a yearly task of cleaning out that exposed grove. Once experienced I changed my application to measure the top board requirement and cutting the first board at the house edge to accommodate a 1/2 inch overlap at the fascia end. Just saying.

[justinballard]

7:19 don't do that Tommy knows better. Pressure treated lumber varies as much as 5/8 of an inch in height. Each hanger needs to be set to account for that. The best practice is to toe nail each joist then install the hangers after

[salvadorsepulveda]

A classic plumbers lament, lol, brings a smile every time I hear it 😄

[craigkeller]

The young lady is fearless! Good to see.

[JaxsonKelly-jx]

Always loved watching this old house, always does a class A job.. Beautiful job on the new deck..

[Straw]

No.2 Also Use G-Tape on the top of your joists and your framing it will help with no rotting. It's been out for 5 years or so. It works Great.

[The_Brew_Dog]

My dad was a can do guy, but he was burned badly when I was very young so he couldn’t really use his hands, he was in bad shape. I mention this to say like many out there I didn’t have a dad that would teach me things, but I was lucky enough to have a dad until I was in my early 20s which was a miracle being he was burned over 85%.
Now look, I’m not saying Tom Silva was like a father to me, I’m not nuts, but Tom often did fill in the gap my own dad could not via the marvels of modern tech. My dad and I spent many Sunday mornings watching This Old House Together, found memories.
Rip to my Pops and shout out Tom Silva.