We have Construction 2

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Folks,

Just wanted to post a little about what I've been doing this weekend/Fri-thru Sun pm.
Just a few photos (we all know how we love photos)....a SWMBO project !

Here's our old deck off the back door, the end railing has already been removed along with the bench. You can see it was getting rather crowded!




Here's most of the lumber, but they screwed up and delivered 2 x 6 x 12's instead of 16's! They fixed it the next day!


Just a "Little" concrete mix for the 21 post holes we had to fill/secure!


This is the ONLY way to dig that many holes....POWER...argghhh....argghhh.....argghhh!!! We had a little trouble with a few of them back near the trees..a few small roots, as well as old shirts/cans/glass/pieces of concrete left behind from the original house build 14 years ago!


Here are the deck posts, along with...yeah..that's right...an 8 Foot Diameter OCTAGONAL GAZEBO in the corner!! The 4 posts in the center are for the floor supports...I was NOT going to make that fancy PITA 8 sliced pie cut floor....just continued the large decking pattern out into the gazebo.



Found this little THIEF on the edge of the property scoping out the action!!




Here all the posts have been level cut, the joists secured, and we are starting on the deck boards. That's Steve, coworker in the foreground with the wifebeater shirt....and that's Brother-in-law in the background admiring "NATURE" and watering the foliage!


And here's a bird's eye view of the deck boards completed! ALL screwed in....see above coon photo of me...that's one of the HUNDREDS of deck screws we placed...2 per board every 18" across 12 joists spanning 16 feet x 16 feet, plus the gazebo. BTW, that grey stuff around the gazebo is screening material....it's going to be screened in for protection against bugs/'squitos, etc.!! just put it on beneath the deck boards!


There's more to do of course.....the hand railing, benches, as well as finishing the Gazebo...that fancy Octagonal Roof with fancy cut/angled wood shingles/slats, as well as the lower pickets, railing, and to then screen it all in!
Give you 3 guesses what I'll be doing NEXT WEEKEND!
T.C.

[madmax-im]

Hey Folks,

Just wanted to post a little about what I've been doing this weekend/Fri-thru Sun pm.
Just a few photos (we all know how we love photos)....a SWMBO project !

Found this little THIEF on the edge of the property scoping out the action!!




Give you 3 guesses what I'll be doing NEXT WEEKEND!
T.C.

Nice work TC......Cute Coon too

[DGXSER]

Nice work TC! I feel your pain on the Gazebo. When we bought our current home, it had a 18' X 20' deck that was in need of rebuilding due to structural issues. So I tore it off and rebuilt the structure. Then SWMBO decreed the boards will run at 45 deg. So many cuts, so many joints, so much of a PITA.

Then, I put a porcelin tile floor our entry and kitchen/dining room. Guess what the tile are laid at.....yep...45 deg!! (Amazing how time will allow you to repeat the errors of the past).

Looks like you got alot of work completed, good luck next weekend!!

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Be careful swingin' that framing hammer too long TC.

I went through that a while back, although the deck was more of a porch, I ended up nearly getting carpal tunnel.

Painful, and pretty much makes your arm and hand usless.

Looks great though!

[3Phase]

Hey Folks,

Just wanted to post a little about what I've been doing this weekend/Fri-thru Sun pm.

Whoah! At least you have a good tractor to haul all that the concrete. Did you have to cut and haul off a tree to extend the deck, too?

That's a nice job matching the deck to the floor of the gazebo and putting screen under the floor. That should keep the bugs out of the beer and the birthday cake!

[fredintoon]

A great rebuild

Hi TC,
The heading refers to a bleak period in US Navy history when they were denied any funding for building new ships. However, there was money for maintenance. So the navy towed derelict hulks in to drydock and refurbished them. Started by replacing the bowsprit and worked aft until they hung the new rudder. Great job on the "great rebuild" of your deck, congratulations. My son, my wife's co-worker (they will work for food & beer) and I finally finished our own "great rebuild"
Started out with the deck stairway being narrow, wobbly and in the wrong place. The more we tore off, the more rot we found. Took a half-ton of rotting lumber to the dump and started over from the ground up. It must be deck season, eh?

[mro]

Hi TC

At first glance I was wondering why you were mounting wooden hand rails
on you MC trailer ...
Then I noticed the red and yellow hard tail ...

mro
Is pretty cool when a project comes together, looking good.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Wow, TC! You guys got quite a long way this weekend! Looks great! That's gonna be really nice for the SWMBO when you get it all done!

But then ya know your job's probably still not over... then there's the waterproofing, every few years, the powerwashing, staining, rewaterproofing...
Then you get to do the cooking on the grill, right? LOL

A man's work is never done...

Great progress! You should get that project pretty much whipped out by next weekend!

Gazebo floor worked out real nice the way you did it! I like that.

Ohh... fyi... got the PC completely done... works perfect now! Very happy.
Check your mail in the next day or two...
Thanks again...
Bob

[TopCatGr58]

2nd attempt to post my update!

Hey folks,

Well, while many of you were out either at XS East, or other rallies, or just enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend riding to nowhere, I was doing the second phase on my deck! So here are a few more photos to show the progress. All that's left to do is the LATTICE work around the base to keep the pets in the yard and the wild critters out!

This is the old bench that was saved, and put along the side of the old deck rails. The old deck and such will be getting a nice pressure sprayer wash down/cleaning before it's all covered in sealant.


Here's one of the 2 gates I had to build.



Here are the other 2 NEW benches, 16' and ~ 14' long, that's the grand nephew on his big wheel, and B-I-L in the left corner.


Here's the other side that joins with the old deck, the 2nd gate, and the new grill to replace the 14 y/o POS we had! Had to build a drop arm type latch to prevent damage to the NEW SIDING!


And here's the steps, hand rails on the other side of the 1st gate.


We also used 3/8" carriage bolts to secure the rail posts instead of the nails or screws like the OLD cheaply done deck had! I've gone thru 5 ten lb boxes of screws so far, and still haven't done the GAZEBO yet!!!!

PS...132 PICKETS, 14 rail posts, etc.!!

Thanks for looking, feel free to critique, but I'm not changing a THING!!
T.C.

PS, Happy Belated B'day Bob/XJOK2play !

[XJOK2PLAY]

Thank You, TC! Had a really good one.

The deck looks great! Really nice! BIG!

Like that grill, too....

What's for dinner??? I'll be right over...

What have I been doing? Got my 850 FD installed, added another small LED brake light on the rear fender, (wired so that it also flashes...) and finally got the rubber bumper for the centerstand installed. Clocked my fuel mileage, 41! Very happy. So, I've been a kinda busy, too!

But, I'll admit... your progress looks a whole lot more 'substantial' than mine!
Looks like you've built something there that should bring many years of enjoyment. Nice work.
Bob

[Wildkat]

Wow TC! That is looking great!

Hmmmmmmmm... we're getting ready to start the addition on our house... Interested?
lol


Really nice work! I hope y'all get years of pleasure from your efforts...

[MrOzz]

Looks great T.C.

So when are we all coming for the BBQ? You gonna need help breaking in the new grill.

[Bigge_al]

Nice work TC......Cute Coon too

I remember when I visited last year seeing a few of them on the back porch.

[madmax-im]

Wow TC thats one heckuva job!The next XSEast is at TC's!!!

[xsilerating]

Hey T.C.;

Great job on the deck. I should be starting on mine a week or so after you're finished up there.

Will be anxiously awaiting your arrival!