Replacing A Load-Bearing Beam
Home improvement information about replacing a load-bearing porch beam to fix a sagging roof problem. Our old house had a problem with the roof structure on one of the porches. A previous owner had replaced the load bearing beam with a smaller ... [... more]
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Extending An Existing Deck
The perimeter (rim joists) of the new structure is set up level and square, then holes are dug for supporting posts, and load-carrying beams are fabricated. Deck joists are installed and secured to prevent twisting. This 3-year old house had a ... [... more]
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Building Deck Stairs With
Article about building deck or porch stairs with enclosed risers. Lots of detailed layout and geometry to get the level of the steps just right, plus some digging of holes for posts. The builder of this new house asked me to construct a set of ... [... more]
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Building Tall Stairs
New supporting posts are installed for the extension and the stair stringers. The owners of this house in Northern Michigan wanted to be able to reach their deck without going through the house. Note pavement below the deck. This complicated the ... [... more]
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Building Simple Deck Handrails
This mid-1970's house has a walk-out basement with a deck above. But the deck needed handrails. It's an eight-foot drop to the concrete below the deck, which sounds a bit dangerous. I thought it looked kind of bare... like a face without a ... [... more]
Hammer Zone |
Extending A Privacy Fence
Home improvement information about building an extension to a fence, using treated wood lattice. Existing 4x4 fence posts are extended. 4'x8' sheets of lattice are cut smaller. 2x2 cedar frame material is custom-milled. After spray painting, the ... [... more]
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Installing Composite
Composite (wood and plastic) decking is installed on conventional deck framing. Special attention is given to fastening this synthetic, no-maintenance material. A lot of treated-wood decks have been built in the last couple of decades, and many ... [... more]
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Building Deck Skirting
Article about installing deck skirting to conceal space below deck. While extending an existing deck for some friends, they asked me to use a new Besides, the original deck was not very attractive with all that open space around the sides. The ... [... more]
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Installing Synthetic Deck Handrails
Synthetic (PVC) post sleeves are slipped over 4x4 wooden posts. 6' sections of railing are assembled and installed between posts. Post caps are glued on. I described how the posts were attached to the deck framing. After the posts were done, I ... [... more]
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Installing Posts
While building an extension for an existing deck, I was asked to install a new synthetic handrail product around the perimeter of the new and improved deck. The original deck had treated wood deck boards, which had already been replaced prior to ... [... more]
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Installing Synthetic Handrails
The stair nose angle is determined and the wood posts are cut to length. The sections of handrail are assembled. Top mounting brackets are modified but the bottom brackets have to re-invented. Much agony ensues as sections of railing are ... [... more]
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Building Traditional Handrail
Building handrails from turned balusters (also called spindles) is one of the more challenging jobs I have done. Flat horizontal handrail sections are a moderate challenge, but the sloped handrails for the stairs are the tricky part. The only way ... [... more]
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