Building a floating deck over an uneven concrete slab

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I built a redwood deck to cover up an ugly, uneven concrete slab. It's not anchored to anything, just pinned in place with gravity.
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[@thomashverring9484]

That wobbly transition to the stones is really what elevates the entire deck! Great work, Steve!

[@MrScottswierenga]

I agree. It gives an organic feeling/fit into its environment

[@thezfunk]

He scribed the deck to match the steps.

[@freedomofreligion3248]

Agree.

[@negotiableaffections]

Fitting the deck around the stones really works. It makes it all feel connected. Really cool, Steve, nice one.

[@darbypea2223]

I'm glad to see you used flashing to cover the cut sides of your posts. Another thing you can do to protect where you've cut is to paint on some copper green. It'll reseal those cuts for water proofing. (I'm a carpenter so I promise I'm not talking out of my butt)

[@MCsCreations]

Well, I believe you. I don't know why, but I do.

[@johnlee7085]

I’ve got a plastic jar with a 5”+ opening that I keep partially filled with copper green. After cutting posts or any pt boards 4” or less, I just stick the cut end in the yard to soak for a few minutes then let it drain on the lid. Gets the best saturation. Definitely paint the bigger boards.

[@emilystubbs5650]

@darbypea2223 Ohhh good idea! Let me ask you this...I need to replace/build 5 steps going from my backdoor down to concrete patio I had poured 6wks ago. All the videos I've seen say to hook the stringers directly to the house and to use flashing up against the house behind it.... But I was wondering if I could NOT attach the stairs to the house? When the original stairs were ripped out the amount of spiders under them still freaks me out. I'd like to be able to pull the stairs away from the house like twice a year to clean out behind them and spray for spiders, ticks, ants, ect. So is this a stupid idea?

[@brakeman211]

I don't know about that flashing. Water will get down in from the top and then have nowhere to go and be trapped in the flashing. I would think a bottom gasket might be a better option. That would separate the wood from the concrete but allows some airflow for drying. Conservation Technology has a nice one that I've used as a bottom plate seal in the past.

[@johnlee7085]

Hi Emily. At 5 stairs high, I would suggest being very careful not building them according to code. It is also high enough that it might require a building permit. How big is the area you want to clean? Would it be possible to just fill it with foam or other materials to eliminate the space?

[@jdm120874]

Looks great. Good job. I am a contractor in Southern California. One of the things I have learned over the last 18 years is because fresh lumber is still drying, you'll need to recoat the stain / sealer at the one year mark. Then it will last the stated 3 - 4 years. I've built many decks over the years. I had to learn that one the hard way early one when a customer called me back after a year saying the finish didn't last the length of time I had told them it would. After researching, I found out why. Keep up the good work.

[@wallyhall]

Absolutely superb transformation. We did something similar (although much simpler - just a rectangle!) over some similar concrete several years ago. You should be pleased with that!

[@BLenz-114]

Nice job, Steve!! I love the look where it's fit to the stone step. I always love that kind of thing!

[@MCsCreations]

Amazing work, Steve! The cut outs around the stones... Pure art! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@rangerbravo]

Love this transformation. When I got a notification that there was a new video from Steve, it's like Christmas day. Been watching WWMM for years and it still surprises me.

[@JonnyDIY]

Great job Steve! Love the cuts around the rocks, really makes the whole project. Very Zen 💕 PS- would have been a perfect time to showcase one of those lil plastic contour gauges to get your templates for those tricky cuts. Gotta get one of those! 👍

[@mabeale]

Looks phenomenal. Cool seeing you take on a larger project like this on the channel.

[@JasonRowePhoto]

Consistently an inspiration. Thanks for the accessible fun projects!

[@pteddie6965]

The deck looks great, Steve. I love the 'cut to fit' edge that you used a template for. Thanks for the video.

[@Damon_Barber]

WOW!! That came out AMAZING!! Way to show how attention to details and going the extra mile makes such a huge difference!

[@riuphane]

Beautiful, simple, just a little elbow grease and patience. I often forget how far patience can get you with a project. This turned out so good!

[@SteveRamsey]

Thanks! It was pretty easy except for that stone area!

[@HaleyLafaye]

Really love the deck, very beautiful variations on the colors of the boards but still matches the original retaining wall very well. Nice Job!

[@GaryJimenez]

The deck looks great. Also a good reason for your shop on wheels.

[@meltingpoint97]

Love the way the stone/rocks almost 'melts' into the deck - great job steve

[@Sebastopolmark]

GREAT project Steve. The way you profiled the deck around the rocks is better than "good enough"! !! !!! That first week looking at the new deck and wall sure are gratifying

[@johnpugh24]

This is great, I am just about to build a deck / shed base on a very uneven concrete slab. Thanks Steve!

[@tree_carcass_mangler]

Great project and video. Thanks for posting - thumbs up.

[@c.a.g.1977]

Hey, a garden project! Haven't seen you do these kind of things lately! Nice! Are you going to make a small table-and-chairs-set to sit there, enjoying your coffee?

[@TimSheets]

Tedious....exactly what I was thinking! haha! Looks great, Steve!

[@thetapper61]

One thing I learned from my Deck was, I wish I installed 3" wide strips of Shingle material on top of Joists before Decking. Less than 10 years, so much cracking on Joists allowed water in and got a lot of premature rot in pressure treated Joists. A lot easier to replace a rotted Deck board than a Joist. Next time. BTW Beautiful Deck.

[@Duci1989]

I have no nice place for a deck, but that was really therapeutic to watch. Some more garden projects would be nice!

[@glencarolo2597]

Red Wood is so beautiful, the best outdoor wood to work with. I now live on East Coast and do miss it. Way to expensive out here....

[@user-oq7sr7fl5q]

well. you DID really DO a great job. applause👏🏾

[@user-oq7sr7fl5q]

it really lookes like the stones would grow out of the deck...😂

[@toddspurgeon9493]

been following your projects for a while and I have to say I am definitely doing this project myself like you did when I build my own house. Thank you kind sir for doing these, it brightens my day when I see your videos Steve.

[@screamsofthedead]

Nice call on trimming to the rocks. It looks really good!

[@sbuzz5889]

nice looks much better i thought it wasnt that important but once done its great

[@jonathonhazelhurst]

Great video Steve! Did I hear you right? You're live in Northern California? Same here :) I'd love to attend an in-person woodworking class with you as the instructor someday. I'm sure there are enough of your fans here that feel the same. Again, thank you for amazing content Steve!!!

[@SamOsborne92]

Wow, looks amazing Steve. I wish more beautiful wood was readily available in the UK

[@golfaddict5276]

Great job. I did a similar deck at my dad's house about forty-five years ago and it still looks great. He pressure washes and reseals it every two to three years, and it is holding up great. (Northwestern Arizona area) Thanks for sharing.

[@jhchg]

One of my favorite projects you’ve done! Looks great.

[@ProdecksbrisbaneAu]

This project is not only fun and easy, but also functional and attractive. Thanks for sharing.

[@SeanNecker]

Looks great!

[@SteveRamsey]

Thanks Sean!

[@leannelynch7869]

Great job Steve, thanks for sharing!

[@JoshWrightWoodworking]

Nice work man! coping around all those stones looks like a pain but it really elevated the look of the deck!

[@producersean]

This turned out incredible, Steve! I absolutely love it.

[@freedomofreligion3248]

Sean, 3D printer, helpful guy, what a rockstar!

[@toddheinen7106]

Beautiful results. The joist tape is made for the tops of boards, the way you used it, I think will create a cup to hold moisture in the bottom of the posts. A piece of sheet metal would’ve prevented wicking and alowed it to dry after rain. I fear the redwood decking will outlast the posts by years.

[@johnlee7085]

Besides field treating the cut ends of the post, as recommended by the manufacturer, I’ve added a belt to the suspenders by picking up some composite decking samples ($0), ripping them to size as needed, and placing them under the posts as separation.

[@idontthinkso666]

@@johnlee7085 I did the same thing. Added composite deck board between the "real" wood and the ground (concrete) to break that barrier. Essentially creating a stand-off. Works like a charm!

[@garymiller5937]

Looks great Steve! I like it a lot. 😊😊

[@denniskessler7983]

Very nice job Steve. I love the way the deck fits around everything. It looks like it was meant to be there.

[@fiercegirldesign1]

This turned out beautifully! I love how you scribed the boards to the bottom of the rock steps. Very cool.

[@theresecrouch2924]

Excellent video, just found your channel..looking forward to more

[@billdodson5703]

Thank you for this great video. I appreciate the continuous problem-solving on a project that most folks take for granted.

[@detroitdiy]

Great transformation Steve!

[@yosemitebandit]

looks fantastic!

[@moltomayer]

This is really nicely done! Love the color and how the deck fits the stone edges!

[@petetumbarello9611]

That looks awesome, great job!

[@landonashby2029]

Looks Phenomenal! Reminds me of classic Steve projects but taken to that next level by your evolved filming and wood working skills. ❤

[@threesteaks]

Great video! I really enjoyed seeing an outdoor project like this to mix it up. Thanks!

[@Konzertheld]

Wow that turned out really nice! Love what you did with the templates and the stones. I'll remember that technique.

[@BronkBuilt]

That looks great. Redwood is not super easy to get cost effectively in Georgia, but oh boy does it look great!

[@mountainapple5638]

Great looking project. Wanted do something like that for our back porch and I now see it can be done with some good planning and a bit of patience. Thanks for sharing.

[@matthewward5849]

Beautiful work Steve.

[@davidg105]

Steve, you did a beautiful job on that deck. The last scene you shot was pure money and I must have stared at it for five minutes on pause.

[@someonespadre]

I was at a Lowes in Rancho Cordova looking at lumber when I turned around and saw a huge trove of all heart redwood, the best looking stuff I’ve seen in years. When one of the piles got down to the last 10 boards nobody wants on a Sunday afternoon the guy their searched the store up and down for the fork lift operator to bring down a brand new pallet. Now my pavilion roof deck is covered with 2x6s from that pallet. A great experience after several bad encounters with surly employees at the local specialty redwood dealer.

[@shaerocco]

Incredible tutorial. So helpful and really informative. Gorgeous work ❤

[@70redcutlass]

Love how it looks around the stone. The whole deck is great.

[@machine5464]

Looks great, really love the transition from the rocks to the deck.

[@logsie3918]

Looks fantastic. What about water flow coming down those stairs is the old concrete contoured to flow away from the house as this may lead to problems . You have rocks along the grassed edge also which will stop the flow. Don't get me wrong it looks fantastic just don't want you to have to possibly pull it up to investigate and possibly relay the concrete

[@woodysranch2690]

I put 1/2 inch galvanized carriage bolts plus washer and nuts in holes drilled under and along the frame at 3 to 4 ft intervals then used the nuts to adjust height

[@AlaskaWild]

This is awesome! Would love to see more builds like this!

[@RenoFencingMan]

Beautiful work!

[@IAmKyleBrown]

I love it! I find I have the most fun on projects when you have to get creative. Working around the stones is tedious, but it looks amazing and is so much more impressive than a straight line.

[@SteveRamsey]

Thanks Kyle! It was pretty fun working on those curves!

[@luizesser]

Thank you for the Fathers' Day message. It was really inspiring.

[@SteveRamsey]

Thanks Luiz, I appreciate that.

[@patniemczyk8860]

Looks good Steve, nice job Sir!!!

[@BraydenGaming]

That turned out beautiful!!

[@parkerazz4385]

The end product was absolutely fantastic!!

[@propertystuff7221]

Wowzers! That looks amazing!

[@ez3701]

Oh the devil's in the details. Lots of devils bit the dust here, buddy. A joy to watch. Thanks.

[@ObsessiveAboutCats]

Wow! Lots of effort but the final product looks AMAZING!

[@jeffsolomon6097]

That is freaking incredible. Very impressive, Steve!

[@sapelesteve]

Now that was fantastic work on making that deck Steve! Well done! 👍👍👏👏

[@Kevin6334]

Steve, when are you going to come to Australia for one of the woodworking shows, so we can actually meet you?

[@acemanmccool]

Great video I'd like to see more 'Real World' projects like this. Cheers

[@KenpoMoogy]

Very Well Done as usual!

[@paultitmuss]

Woodworking ASMR! Love it! Despite being a long time follower, Steve, I don't comment very often, sorry, but I thought this was just lovely to watch. I have built a lot of your projects in the past including the children's chair, the sliding door wall cabinet and the toy chest. Some of those might show you how long I have been an avid follower of your channel. Anyway, I just thought I would say a massive, 'thank you' for taking the time to make and share your projects and other videos with us. Keep up the good work and I will look forward to the next videos that you produce 😃👍

[@epeiusgarage]

Looks great! Love the template use around the rocks.

[@adamonline45]

Inspiring, nicely done!

[@scottreeves1226]

We had enough difficulty replacing a flat deck with square corners. Well done!

[@DoubleDoubleWithOnions]

Love the scribing. Looks nice.

[@arthurgriffin1210]

How rewarding it must be..good work

[@johnvodopija1743]

The project turned out perfectly. The finish really made the timber pop. Cheers 👍😎🇦🇺

[@jpeyton8451]

Been needing to do this for a while. Really needed this video. Thanks.

[@pobodyisnerfect]

Always so satisfying to watch someone else do all of the work 😂 Thanks for another great video, Steve!

[@Aaron-P]

Dunno what's more eye-catching, the color or the scribed edge. 🤩

[@BriManeely]

Super inspiring, Steve! Great job!

[@spader725]

Timely video! I have a backyard with sloping concrete and was always wondering what my options were to get a flat surface without messing with the concrete. Thanks!

[@eric98292]

Very creative solution. Looks great!

[@johnspoentgen9489]

Looks Awesome Steve!

[@hacmia8708]

Simply "Wow!" Amazing work

[@annerimler]

Wowza. Really nice. Looks great.

[@EngineeringEssentials]

It is fun building things! The final result was great!

[@umchoyka]

Great minds think alike! I used a similar wood-to-stone transition for our lakeside deck to integrate it with the path up to the house. I didn't take the time to scribe the mating board though, I might have to go back and add that detail.

[@SeanBlader]

That's super impressive with that cut edge around the rocks, NICE work!

[@f.demascio1857]

Great work and attention to detail.

[@robertlewisvideo]

Awesome Deck Steve !!!!

[@paulwaldrop]

Looks great Steve.

[@sternentigerkatze]

That deck looks really really good! It pulls the area together with its colour matching the house and the wooden side wall and the way you followed the stones' curves! :-)