DIY Floating Deck and Privacy Wall

Learn how to build a DIY floating deck as well as privacy wall! Great tutorial for this backyard makeover thought that volition transform your backyard!

When nosotros moved into this habitation nosotros were hence happy to receive got space. My hubby grew upward inward homes alongside acres of nation as well as was ever itching to larn dorsum to it. There are hence many beautiful things close living alongside infinite similar this, but nosotros truly didn’t receive got anywhere to taste the views or spotter our children play. For the commencement twelvemonth nosotros sat on some onetime lawn chairs as well as moved them alongside the Sun hence nosotros could all the same receive got some shade, lol. Russel had this thought to build a DIY floating deck as well as privacy wall off the side of the house. I directly loved that thought because it would give us a dedicated infinite to BBQ, swallow meals, as well as spotter the kids outside. The wall gives us some privacy from the neighbours as well as provides only the correct amount of shade throughout the day.

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It took us solely a twosome of days (a weekend) as well as a few trips to habitation depot to build this  deck. Because nosotros used composite decking for our floating deck, nosotros had to guild the decking as well as and then hold off for it to larn inward in the shop earlier nosotros could pose it up, but nosotros had the frame already built when it arrived.

We truly built the entire deck at the halt of lastly summertime as well as didn’t larn a adventure to portion the build plans until now. We shared a lot of the procedure on Instagram. If y'all desire to check out the videos showing how nosotros built the deck, they may aid give some context to the build as well as design.

Everything y'all demand for this DIY Floating Deck as well as Privacy Wall

Tools Needed:

• Shovels


• optional – sideslip steer, tractor, etc. to aid dig out stuff as well as identify gravel.


• Rake


• Level


• Post level


• Pry bars


• Table saw


• Dado blade


• Compound Mitre Saw 


• Drill as well as acquit on driver


• Ladder


• String level 


• Welder (to weld bracing structure, y'all could also the brace fabricated or role a dissimilar material)


• optional – Construction level to bird out the pad of the deck


• Paint Sprayer (depending on destination type)

Materials Needed: 

• Landscaping or geo-textile fabric


• Gravel


• Concrete pads


• 2×8 boards


• Decking (we used  Veranda 20′ Composite Capped Grooved Decking – Chestnut Brown)


• Decking facia (we used Veranda 12″ Composite Fascia Chestnut Brown – eleven 1/4″ x 1/2″)


• 6×6 treated or cedar posts (we used 6×6 x 10′ treated timber posts)


• 2×6 treated or cedar boards for exceed as well as bottom rails (we used 2×6 x 8′ treated timber boards cutting to length)


• 1×6 fighting panels (we used 1×6 x 10′ oil cutting boards cutting to length – nosotros got these from a local saw manufacturing flora but y'all tin sack larn 8′ long boards from mosts hardware render stores as well as tin sack customize your fighting to create these operate equally well)


• 1″ foursquare steel tubing (we used this to brace the exceed of our privacy fighting to aid secure as well as stabilize the tall posts)


• Exterior Construction Adhesive


• Screws


• Concrete screws (if attached to side of house)


• Paint or stain (depending on destination type as well as forest choice)

How to Build Your Floating Deck as well as Privacy Wall

Many of the factors inward edifice your floating deck volition live specific to your habitation as well as lot. We volition become through the details as well as some of our measurements, but at that spot may live changes that y'all demand to create depending on location of your ain deck.

The commencement stair is to determine where y'all desire to build your floating deck. After nosotros had lived at our habitation for close a twelvemonth nosotros knew precisely where nosotros wanted to receive got a eating space, bbq area, as well as out door longing infinite off the dorsum of the house. You are also going to desire to hold off into regional edifice codes/area requirements inward regards to setback requirements,  fighting acme restrictions,  as well as fifty-fifty aesthetic restrictions  to ensure y'all don’t larn inward problem in ane lawsuit your deck is completed. If y'all receive got to practise whatever excavation also ensure y'all receive got utilities located. The lastly matter y'all desire to practise is hitting a gas line of piece of occupation when y'all dig into the ground.

Prepping Your Lawn for Your Freestanding Deck

Next, y'all volition demand to take whatever bushes, trees, gardens, etc that may live inward the agency of your shortly to live novel deck. We had a lilac bush nosotros needed to dig out, lucky I was able to borrow my brother’s sideslip steer to take it out. But if heavy equipment isn’t available y'all tin sack role saws to cutting downwards the bush/tree as well as skillful onetime difficult operate to dig as well as clit the roots past times hand.

With everything out of the agency we  started past times stripping all the topsoil dorsum as well as excavation downwards to clay.  Depending on the surface area y'all are edifice the deck inward y'all volition desire to ensure that H2O is graded (or on a slope) away from your house, concrete pads, etc as well as won’t pond close your deck.

At this squall for y'all volition desire to determine the lastly acme of your deck equally well. You volition demand to receive got concern human relationship the thickness of your decking (in our instance 0.94″), your stringer or joist acme (we used a 2×8 hence this was seven 1/4″ for us), the thickness of the gravel beingness identify (our gravel was closed to 4″ thick),  as well as the spacer used betwixt the deck construction as well as the concrete pad (we used treated 6×6 post service cutting to diverse lengths to bird out our deck). We were edifice beside a existing concrete patio pad, hence nosotros ended upward only cutting out closed to 4-5″ of material.

With the topsoil removed y'all tin sack smoothen out the clay as well as identify your landscaping fabric/ geo-textile material. Essentially what the geo-textile stuff does is provide a base of operations to concord as well as stabilize the gravel as well as prevents weeds from growing through the fabric, nether your deck. You tin sack telephone commutation inward the edges alongside exceed soil about the perimeter of the stuff to concord it into place.

With the stuff inward identify y'all tin sack at nowadays pose gravel down. The gravel allows H2O to drain away from your deck (assuming the soil beneath is graded/sloped properly). We also used gravel because it is easier to bird out than soil when y'all larn to installing your concrete pads, as well as eventually the deck structure, as well as weeds don’t grow inward it.  We had a gravel truck deliver a charge of  3/4″ rhythm out gravel from a local gravel pit for our project.  With the gravel inward identify bird out the gravel alongside a rake as well as compact. To compact y'all tin sack role a plate tamper, a paw tamp, or a larger slice of equipment.

Placing Your Concrete Pads for the DIY Floating Deck

You tin sack at nowadays identify your concrete pads at all corners as well as centre of the deck. Our deck was 20′ long past times 10′ wide. We supported it at 6 points (ends as well as middle). I wouldn’t receive got the spaces betwixt supports larger than 8′. Level out your pads – y'all may demand to take as well as re-install the pad  a twosome times past times adding/removing stuff to ensure the pads are completely level. You tin sack also role a pry bar to aid elevator the pad as well as add/remove stuff equally required. I used a construction bird as well as bird to confirm the pads were all skillful earlier moving on. You volition desire the exceed of the concrete pads slightly higher than the surrounding gravel stuff equally good (you don’t desire H2O ponding on the concrete nether the floating deck equally this may eventually rot the 6×6 back upward posts).

Build Your Floating Deck Frame

With the pads bird y'all tin sack laid out edifice your deck. We started out past times laying out the perimeter boards as well as than the stringers/joists inward the middle. We used 2×8′ past times 10′ long treated timber boards.  Cut your boards to length, equally required, prior to laying them out. All the stringers/joists are on 16″ centers. There were a twosome exceptions where the privacy wall posts spacing was inward conflict alongside the stringers/joists were as well as the joist needed to movement to either side of the privacy wall posts. With the deck framed I added blocking to the centre of the deck equally shown inward the photo

You tin sack at nowadays laid your deck to its lastly height. I used 6×6 treated timber blocks on exceed of the concrete pads to enhance the deck off the gravel/concrete pads. I installed the deck bird because drainage or gradient on the deck isn’t truly a concern since the deck boards are laid inward identify alongside a 3/16″ gap betwixt all the boards. You tin sack cutting the blocks betwixt the concrete pad as well as the stringers/joist to custom heights equally required to bird the deck out. Once the deck was levelled I screwed the blocks into the joists. I also lagged the ane halt board into my theatre via concrete screws equally the ane side of the deck sat against my house.

Making Notched Posts for the Privacy Wall

With the floating deck sub-structure built I moved on to the privacy wall. We began alongside notching all my posts equally shown inward the pictures above. You tin sack encounter inward the larger photos that the notches are needed to allow the rails to sit down inward nicely, as well as allow the privacy wall to sit down on the deck.

The notch at the bottom of the post service was 6″ deep past times 1 1/2″ broad to allow the post service to sit down even out on the deck edges. Depending on the location of the post service the notch type/position may vary hence pay attending to posts location.

We than cutting the notches on the side(s) of the posts to allow the exceed as well as bottom runway to live installed (where the fighting slats/boards volition eventually live installed.

Here (above) is what the exceed of the post service looked similar afterward the notches for the rails as well as the substructure were completed.

Making The Rails as well as Fence Slats

With the posts notched as well as cutting to length nosotros moved onto the rails. I ran the 2×6 through my tabular array saw using a dado blade (set to the thickness of the fighting slats) to cutting a slot inward the middle of the board (shown inward the photograph above). I cutting the slot closed to 1/2 – 3/4″ deep.

With my rails as well as post service cutting nosotros coated them alongside primer as well as than painted the posts dark as well as rails as well as fighting slats white using our Homeright pigment sprayer.

Since at that spot were hence many boards, as well as hence many coats of pigment needed, nosotros knew that the Paint Sprayer would live the fastest as well as easiest agency to pigment them. If y'all conduct to stain them, the sprayer tin sack also spray stain on.

Installing the Privacy Wall

Once the pigment dries y'all tin sack laid out installing your posts. I started alongside the post service that sat against the theatre as well as I lagged this post service into the theatre to aid provide stability to the privacy wall.  I used construction adhesive as well as screws to secure the posts to the deck structure. I also used some temporary bracing to concord the posts inward identify until the entire wall was built. I used a post service bird to ensure the posts were installed bird as well as true.

At this squall for y'all may desire to consider if y'all demand electrical or natural gas inward or about your deck. We decided to receive got our BBQ on the deck hence nosotros had a natural gas line of piece of occupation run to the far corner. We also wanted to add together lighting to the facia on ane side as well as hanging string lights above. To practise this nosotros had the electrical as well as natural gas lines all hidden inward the deck sub-structure. Professionals should live hired/used to consummate these tasks.

Installing Your Deck Boards

You tin sack at nowadays movement on to installing the deck boards. We went alongside the hidden spacers that were recommended past times the industry to secure the deck boards to the joists. Depending on your deck surface choice follow the manufactures directions for installation. We decided to become alongside a composite board due to its long life span, durability, as well as ease of maintenance.

Installing Your Privacy Wall

Once your deck surface is installed y'all tin sack hold alongside your privacy wall. I began past times installing the exceed as well as bottom rails to the posts. I used construction adhesive as well as screws to attach them to the posts.

With the rails installed y'all tin sack laid out placing your fighting boards/slats. You tin sack install them on a angle or past times “bowing” the boards to gibe them into the slots/grooves on the bottom as well as exceed of the rails. I cutting all my fighting slats to length equally I went to ensure the tightest gibe possible. The lastly board(s) tin sack live a fleck tricky but I constitute past times “bowing” the boards outwards as well as using pry bars I was able to install them all. The fighting boards only sit down inward the grooves inward the rails, nosotros didn’t role mucilage or screws to secure them inward place.

We also added a steel brace at the exceed of the deck to aid stabilize the privacy wall (in the instance of high winds or heavy loads leaning against the wall). Our privacy wall was 10′ high hence if y'all become shorter than that it may non live required. We used 1″ foursquare tubing as well as welded the corner. We added 2 diagonal braces inward at the corner of the deck. This tubing could also live used to run electrical if required afterward it is installed. The photos don’t exhibit this brace but the build computer programme drawings do. We ended upward installing this afterward the deck was completed. We lagged the brace to the timber posts.

With all the construction completed y'all tin sack add together the fascia to the edges of the deck. Three out of the four sides on our deck were visible to nosotros used fascia from the same decking supplier/manufacture.

Our Finished DIY Floating Deck as well as Privacy Wall

This deck was everything nosotros wanted! After choosing some novel deck furniture, adding the BBQ, as well as hanging some string lighting, it was the perfect outdoor oasis for our family! The privacy fighting hides everything nosotros didn’t desire seen (*ahem*… the neighbours yard), and gives us the privacy nosotros wanted to live able to hang out comfortably on the deck.

How to Paint as well as Maintain Your Fence

There is hence much to unpack here! Instead of posting it all here, I’ve shared it inward some other post service close How to Paint Your Wood Fence! Be certain to cheque that out for to a greater extent than neat tips as well as tricks on ikon as well as staining alongside a Paint Sprayer!

If you’re looking to create some changes indoors, cheque out this neat DIY Moulding Wall Tutorial!