Deck: Rebuilding, addition, and pergola installation
After finally ripping up the existing deck in order to reinforce it and do it better, we've been able to complete the framing and install the pergola, the whole reason for this project. Last week we placed an order for the Trex decking and fascia from Lowes (pro tip: orders above $2000 qualify for a discount if you have a business, any kind of business it turns out). We're ready to install all of that and the pergola is exactly what Katie wanted.
In hindsight, the work involved digging out around and within the deck area, rebuilding the existing and building the new, and certainly the relatively simple construction of the pergola itself, was straightforward and not bad at all.
In fact, the only irk was during that digging out process I knicked a buried 3/4" irrigation pipe. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who's done this so there's a nifty part that extends after fitting it to one end of the cut pipe. Meaning, I cut the pipe in two sections, shorter than the extended replacement part. With the correct glue, it was a simple matter of glueing up each piece and letting it set before testing. All good.
With that repair solved, it was time to pour the footings for the pergola. While those set for a couple of weeks, I'd rebuild the existing deck frame and construct the addition. Pouring concrete is simple and yet, almost strangely for some reason, precise. We needed each of the four fittings to be completely level with one another across very uneven ground.
I bought two 10" diameter forms and cut them each in half. Code states the footings need to be 24" below grade. So we dug. Again, roughly and then very precisely. Each footing needed to be exactly measured using length, width, and hypotenuse of the triangles created within the pergola's rectangular shape. Also, as mentioned, then each one leveled exactly with the others. This took some time. At least it started with some fun!
Once the forms were loosely and, yep, precisely positioned, we started mixing up high-strength concrete and filling them up. We'd finesse their positioning once they had some crete. As calculated on Sakrete's website, it took just under two 80-lb bags for each form. Filled with concrete, we then measured, measured again, and measured again, leveling the surface of each as we went. Since the forms were set slightly beneath the tops of the deck framing (the pergola posts would be attached underneath the Trex decking), I used scrap 4x4 blocks to set the pergola braces on and measure the level of the footings.
Feeling as confident as we could about the footings, we let them cure for two weeks while getting back to the deck framing. It was a straightforward process of measuring, cutting, and installing. Lots of Simpson 2x8-2x10 hanger brackets and #9 1-1/2" screws. We also dug out for more concrete piers to make sure our deck doesn't sink over time. To ensure everything was set level with each other, I used the trick of attaching a scrap to each end of a 2x10 joist when setting it in place. This held it in place while I attached a hanger on each end. Rinse and repeat. Many, many times. This deck isn't going anywhere. While I worked, I was constantly checking level.
Lastly, to make everything even more solid, we used deck levelers under each framing section.
With the existing deck rebuilt, reinforced, and as level as it can possibly be working with fifteen-year-old lumber, it was time to move onto building the addition. Yay! We picked up the 5º offset the architect designed for our primary bedroom addition, which meant I had to break out some trig (ok, an online calculator) to get some of the dimensions so I could determine our lumber needs. With that figured out, we got to work adding a new ledger, digging out for three additional concrete piers, and setting the new frame bracing into place. For attaching the new ledger, I went with GRK fasteners. Impressive!
The braces for the addition then were then hung from that new ledger and set on the piers. The long side is the one that picks up the 5º angle offset from our bedroom above. Of course, there was coffee.
Heck, K took the opportunity to drink hers on her new deck!
Then it was a matter of filling the extension in with joists, which involved more cutting. For this project, I finally (not sure what took me so long… ) splurged on a table saw stand. After a bit of comparing, I was actually most impressed with the Ryobi miter saw stand. Their stand is a beast. It's solid and at the price point, impossible to beat. I was set to buy the Ridgid mobile stand, but ultimately thought storing it would be challenging in our garage. Yeah, having a stand is a game changer. No more cobbling together plastic saw horses!
Finally, with the addition built and the footings more-or-less cured, we could build and set the pergola in place. The build was easy if not a little awkward due to the pergola's size. It took calling our friends across the street to come over and help us each take a leg to set it on the footings.
Mirador's (the pergola's manufacturer) kit of parts is incredible, as are their instructions. It's like opening an Apple product. It's very well thought out and includes everything, including the 1/2" concrete bit needed to drill the holes for the sixteen expansion bolts we use to secure the posts to our footings. With a bit of learning and making sure the depth of the holes are longer than the bolts, the pergola was installed.
Each leg has a weep hole at the bottom that drains the water collected through the integrated gutters. In order to direct water away from our house, we set the two legs closest to the house on washers to raise it slightly. Yep, after spending hours leveling the footers, we intentionally set the pergola ever so slightly off level.
With it installed, now we wait for the Trex. It'll be meticulous but I'm not expecting it to be complicated because of everything we've done building the framing level and solid. In the meantime, I'm going to do the necessary electrical work: adding two switches to a duplex outlet I'll wire underneath the deck. The outlet (and switches inside) will control LED perimeter lighting I'll install around the fascia and a set of LED rope lights along the top of the pergola. I might be most excited about that part…
