Winner: Lee Krystek - August 2009

Overview

For years I looked for a way to replace the old wooden steps our builder had constructed at the back of our house with something more elegant.  We considered a patio, but because the doors from our sunroom and breakfast room face each other at 90 degrees and were so close together, anything that didn’t include a large elevated landing just didn’t look right.  Such a landing made a stone patio project very difficult and expensive.

An elevated deck seemed the right solution and I wanted to do the work myself to keep the cost down. However, I dreaded digging for footings and mixing and pouring cement - something I have no experience with.  When I saw the Floating Foundation Deck System I knew it was the solution I had been looking for!

I decided my budget for the project would be $1000 and used the computer generated plans and cost estimates available at your website to figure out how much deck I could afford.  I decided on an 18’x12’ deck that was 16” off the ground with a step running down the two sides that did not face the house.  A railing would be needed on the third side at places the deck did not quite meet the wall of the house.

I was able to modify the plans from your website and submit them to the township building department without a problem.
Though I’d never built any kind of deck, or done any construction project near this size before, I was able to complete the deck in my spare time, by myself over the course a few weeks with no serious problems (Construction might have gone even quicker but we had a lot of bad weather this summer and I felt no compelling reason to work in the rain).  I needed no special tools other than my old circular saw, 3/8's drill, cordless power screwdriver/drill, level, square, retractable measure, shovel, hammer and pry bar.  A table saw would have been very helpful, but I got along without it.

My only advice to other builders is that if you decide to build a long step, like I did, keep in mind that it means digging out, placing and leveling a patio stone for support at least every two feet.  I had a step running almost 30 feet and this meant a lot of digging!  It isn’t really difficult to do, but tedious and, if it has been raining, dirty.   Work on the step probably comprised almost half the effort of the project.

I was very happy with my deck building experience as I was able to bring the project in very close to budget.  The codes department in our township is notoriously strict, but the plans from your website were very complete and building instructions on the site very helpful, so I passed both required inspections without the slightest problem.  I think the deck looks great and I’ve already gotten complements from the neighbors!

Lee Krystek