Design your own deck for a truly custom design.
Creating your own deck design is the only way to insure a truly custom layout that suits your needs and fits your budget. A deck is an outdoor extension of your living space. When laying out the design you will want to take all of your outdoor activities into consideration. For decks used for outdoor dining, attaching the deck to the house with an entrance near the kitchen opening onto it is convenient. Make sure to provide adequate room for seating and tables.
Instructions
1. Drive stakes in the ground at each corner of the area to be occupied by your deck. Tie mason's twine between the stakes to outline the edge of the deck. Walk over the space to get a feel for it and make any needed adjustments.
2. Sketch the outline on a blank piece of paper. Write the dimension of each line next to it. Also note the positions of stairs and built-in seating.
3. Measure any adjoining walls or other major construction or landscape features near the deck. Add them to the sketch with the dimensions.
4. Draw the outline of your proposed deck onto a large sheet of graph paper using a ruler. Use a scale of one inch to every foot, drawing all lines to length according to the dimensions you wrote on your original sketch.
5. Add adjoining walls and other features using the dimensions you wrote down on the original sketch. Draw in stairs and the location of any handrails and built-in seating. Keep everything in proportion by using the same scale, one inch to every foot, for all elements.
6. Draw the outline of any movable items, such as barbecue grills, tables or chairs that your intend to place on the deck, on a separate piece of paper. If possible measure the actual items and draw them to scale. If not, use dimensions from similar items to get a good representation.
7. Cut out the chairs, tables and other items with a utility knife to use as templates. Place them on your scale drawing and alter the layout until you are satisfied.
8. Draw the movable elements onto your scale drawing in the positions you like best. Check traffic paths to ensure that your layout will serve its purpose.
