Home Improvements

[Diomedes]

That's a pretty good attitude/price point.  Decent chance you'll be pleasantly surprised, but realistic that it could be a pile of money.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Sounds like a job for "Home Depot guy"...one of the many standing outside in the parking who can do everything.

Depends if they're still out there - I've noticed a diminishing crowd since a certain president was elected

[SD]

landscaped my front yard yesterday. Ripped out the weeds and shoveled all the mulch. Tired of mulch so I threw down some landscaping fabric and threw some Greyish/white marble rocks. Edging is gray rock so it matches well. Spent around $200 on some plants and a water fountain. Looks a million times better.

[Diomedes]

What, no paving?  Flatearther like you, surprised you didn't just dump a few bags of cold patch over the entire thing.  Maybe do that next after the plants are killed off by the heat sink you've just made.  The expensive gravel will stand in for a cr6 base nicely.

[Tomahawk]

Instead of roundup, I apply used motor oil and coolant to kill foilage #nohippo

[SD]

What, no paving?  Flatearther like you, surprised you didn't just dump a few bags of cold patch over the entire thing.  Maybe do that next after the plants are killed off by the heat sink you've just made.  The expensive gravel will stand in for a cr6 base nicely.

I've seen some of your work so I'm assuming you've built a deck over concrete slab. Two questions, what would your estimate be for a 20 x 10 space? I'm middle of the road as far as home projects go, I know enough to follow directions but I'm hardly a handyman. I've been reading up on instructions to DIY on the internet and I think I could pull it off with enough time and patience. Would this be a stupid assumption on my part?

[Diomedes]

Would this be a stupid assumption on my part?

Not at all.  If you have time to plan, layout, research each stage of building, etc...you'll end up with a great deck, save money, and learn some shtein.  You have tools?

Regarding price, I have no idea.  I don't price jobs, I just dig the holes.  Depends a lot on access to the site, materials being specified, design of the structure, etc.  On grade?  Elevated?  Stairs?  Etc.

[SD]

Not elevated and no stairs. Really I just want to cover up the ugly concrete out back. If i could just lay a wooden deck on top of it I would but I know it's not that easy. Access to the site is middle road. I can drag the materials through the kitchen and dining room. I live in a middle townhouse so dragging the stuff around the back would be a giant pain in the ass. I can borrow the tools from my buddy.

What do you think about this? Cheap alternative but I think I could live with it

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RollFloor-Mat-2-ft-x-3-ft-Roll-Out-Wood-Deck-Tile-in-Brown-Color-11111/206485480?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA%7c&gclid=CLffiv3BiNQCFceNswodp3EKHg&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Diomedes]

The critical thing you'll need is time.  If you've got that, you're golden.  Take careful measurements, and start planning.  You want to see the finished thing in your head before you begin.  Make some drawings.  Since you have time, spend a morning and transfer those drawing to the site with an actual layout.  Like, literally draw the footings, draw the frame (use a chalk line)..look at it, notice mistakes, correct plans and layout....etc.   Get that tight and clear in your head what's going on, then buy materials and start work.

Some things to consider:

make sure you know all of your elevations.  What part of the site is the high point?  Make sure that the slab falls away from the house, and make sure your deck system does the same.

If your frame will be sleepers laid directly on the pad, be sure to use ground contact rated pressure treated lumber.

When selecting fasteners, be sure to choose those rated for use in ACQ pressure treated lumber.  Regular fasteners will corrode much more rapidly than the ACQ rated products.

You can def. do this.

[Diomedes]

re: the link above...why? 

buy several of them and just roll them out over the concrete? 

that gonna look like shtein quick, and you'll just be throwing them away because they move around, hold moisture, host mold, and rot away with the quickness.

I could see one of those as a floor mat of a kind in front of a hot tub or something, but if you're not picking it up on the regular, cleaning it and the area where it usually sits, letting it dry out, etc., then I don't think it's worth considering

[SD]

Thanks for the help yo

Buddy who renovated my house is coming over Saturday, he's done a few decks with his uncle. We're gonna do a cost analysis. He said he'd give me a hand here and there. I set aside $4K this year to make improvements to my house. My roof leaked and that money went towards a new one. They've given us unlimited OT so I've been cranking out 75 hour weeks. Deck is third on my improvement list.

Number one is new blinds. The blinds in my house are from when the house was built in 1976. They're old and disgusting.
Number two is painting my aluminum siding. I hate the color of my house. My buddy is lending me a ladder, his sprayer, his power washer, and drop clothes. So all I have to pay for is paint. Trying to get that done by the end of June.

[Sgt PSN]

20x10 deck will probably run you somewhere in the area of $2500- 3000 (if you hire someone) so long as it's a basic deck that is being built on a level level surface.  I had a 12x24 deck built on my crib in NC when I lived there and it ran me about $2k I think...maybe a hair more. I'm adjusting my guesstimate for inflation and location, but I think I'm probably in the ball park.

Have you looked at deck tiles?  Might not be a bad option since you have a concrete slab as long as it's in good shape and level.

I just heard about them last year but don't know much about them.  Wouldn't hurt to look into though and see if they'll work for you.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DeckWise-WiseTile-2-ft-x-2-ft-Solid-Hardwood-Deck-Tile-in-Exotic-Ipe-DECK-TILE-IPE-SMO-24x24/206466347

[Tomahawk]

If I were building a deck like that, I'd have to get a permit or there would be a fairly decent chance it would be coming down. You could just tile over the slab too.

I'm stoked I just bought this:



A stainless steel wet/dry vac...farg you plastic fools

[PhillyPhreak54]

I need that shop vac

[Susquehanna Birder]

It's Sy Borg! Hey, hi, little guy...