New Decking, at Least

[hbmcc]

Scooted along today, and ran out of area to cover, and prefinished cedar; the bottom and sides are finished. 

Tomorrow we take a break and dip into the bucket list--I get a chance to fall out of a hot air balloon basket--maybe. The last two attempts were cancelled, and this one might be. From rain, of all things in August. It never rains here in August; but has... 4 tenths-inch, this weekend. This must be a la niña year.

   

The progress in decking is slow, but there is a lot of preparation before it can happen. That preparation is pure drudgery, and most has been elaborated upon previously; plus, I need to shift activities to avoid self injury.

[hbmcc]

After a week of fun, fun, fun, and more fun .... back to the deck. Just a note to say the new decking is slowly flowing to the end. I won't say I just crossed the halfway marker. 

[hbmcc]

After a couple weeks of delays: hot air balloons, a doggy funeral, rain--it never rains in August!--a couple more things, and this, a new corner post, I am back [fingers crossed] on a roll. 

   

The decking layout angle will continue to the two new (rust colored) joists, where it will flip 90-degrees and continue to the end of this self-made purgatory. The weave (stepped boards) align with the center of the two-foot extension, which lines up with the kitchen window. Camera perspective distortion makes this seem large, however, the pop-out is only ten feet wide--deep in this view.

I love this sort of challenge, but am aghast at the cost incurred so far; close to a thousand. The decking wood itself was only about 500. In retrospect, what is saved over hiring someone to do what I am accomplishing? There's no cheaper labor. Feed it, feed the laundry, feed the shower. That's it. The reward is in the Christmas letter. 

You know, this is not the end of bills. Wife has her own projects.....

[hbmcc]

A rant!

I am really sore right now after slinging 2x8x10' boards around. My son helped. We needed a tool to cut the old joists away without messing up everything. Son said, "Sawzall". Mom said, "What's a Sawzall", and I said it's what makes Tim Allen on Home Improvement have a Big "O".

Boy, what a disappointment. Totally worthless... However, one of my cheapest expenses in the past week at $20 rental.

[hbmcc]

The Rant Extended...

The whole point of a reciprocating saw was to cut wood and nails. But the stupid thing had to have a clear shot of 20 feet radius to get at anything. Not something for a deck with framing every foot or so. The kick-back is brutal! I suppose one should locate the iron and switch to a metal blade, when near. I ended up using channel-locks to twisty-break the nails and a pry bar to remove the wood. Then, there's the weight to deal with.... 

While getting blades in the corded section I saw the average price of the three or four Sawzalls (RS tools). Tailed tools are cheap, compared to battery charged. At least half the cost, before getting the battery and charger. You probably notice the extension cords in my photos. The second drill I bought died finally. I've thrown away half a dozen battery drills in the first thirty years of having that one corded drill. The convenience of batteries is, they are never charged, or have died after a couple years. So they sit until pitched.

There is always a plug-outlet within 100 feet, and the power company rarely fails to have juice.

[daddo]

Diagonal boards makes the house look crooked.








Buildings and walkways erected thousands of years ago are still standing, and we think we are the advanced culture.?

[hbmcc]

Diagonal boards makes the house look crooked.








Buildings and walkways erected thousands of years ago are still standing, and we think we are the advanced culture.?

Hah! You should see what 30 feet of straight board looks like, with two butted sections..... Diagonal is not something I would choose to do again. It's really fussy ... and slow!

The hassle of buildings that old that are standing is their location. It takes a certain mentality to live in negative-precipitation climates. They were also stupid rich with 99-percent of the rest of the population being slaves in abject poverty. Much like the current national trends.

[hbmcc]

I feel like the quints in the TV reruns Kris has going. Creep, creep... 

Finally caught up with demo', pre staining new deck boards, washing frame, repairing, taping frame, and.... Now, relearning to lay new deck. Restarted screwing wood yesterday evening--couldn't wait. 

   

The 'flip' is a sort of milestone. Hit it dead centered! But my angles suck! Too late. Any fix requires pitching several boards which will end up too short. Live with <90-degrees. I will fudge the edge/corner chamfers. 

   

   
Note, the "Back" alignment line only matches the same on the opposite side of the deck pop-out. Boards are same length. Actual "ninety degree" line is about 4 inches to the left. My angle witch didn't work very well.

   

Laying deck is very slow. For me. 

At the centered steps it is measure distance from edge of opposite board to leading corner of the board's outside end; subtract 3/16ths inch; cut the 45 angle in the garage on the RAS, then return to the umbrella and cedar chair to hand cut the butt end. So far, spot on. A whole two boards. ... I keep finding clunky wood with only the ends screwed down. 

Also, the angled cuts should match the pitch to keep raw wood exposed. Oops!

[Admiral]

.... Diagonal is not something I would choose to do again. It's really fussy ... and slow!

I sometimes try and make things sexy, and most of the time my ideas are brain farts, and while when done they do look sexy, nobody else notices except me, and it takes me double the time to get them done.  With exterior work, now I just try and make it simple.

[hbmcc]

I sometimes try and make things sexy, and most of the time my ideas are brain farts, and while when done they do look sexy, nobody else notices except me, and it takes me double the time to get them done.  With exterior work, now I just try and make it simple.

I know your retrospective observation. Simplicity is an ideal in both architecture and furniture.

I am just stubborn, too. I should not be the one out doing this in the first place; I've sat on my butt too many years, and played designer. If this was pristine premium old growth cedar going down, yah, the fuss is worth the results. It would also be a new structure under that wood. 

In this instance I had too many solutions for far too many issues, and so much can go bad. For one, even little, I need to remove the last "oops", since it is sapwood exposed and mangled wood on that surface to-boot. A number of ailments impact my response to problems, even minor. The mistake will bother me until I do correct it. The board will return, shorter for the opposite bank and with correct exposure.