Building a free-standing deck on a slope

In this video we build a free-standing deck on a substantial slope using bigfoot footings and sonotubes as the foundation. This is to replace an existing dangerous deck.
The music in this video was all made by 7and5. Here is a link to his website 7and5music.com...

[@towmanjbo]

Nice job! My dad, a retired contractor, showed me he cuts a slight angle to the ends of the decking when cut for length. That way the rain drips off rather then seeps into the end cuts.

[@user-sy6uo9vz6o]

Thank for point it out. Mine is like that.

[@Dirtmonkey]

Nice build and what an awesome view! Thanks for the vid !

[@jmuller86]

Hey Stanley, I have been subscribed to you for years, but I just checked and I was unsubscribed for some reason, damn youtube, I subbed again. It's good to hear your feedback on this project, as I said in the video; I really do not do landscaping. As I was building up those rocks, without fabric or drainage stone, I was literally thinking in my head "dirt monkey would probably not approve of this". I would like to learn more about it when I get some time, possibly revisit this site and make some kind of improvement, maybe some geocell? even if the customer does not want to pay for it. I am very thankful that you reached out to me, especially how big you have got over the last few years. I have some big projects coming up, and I am sure you follow Andrew too, I am working with him on his castle. thanks for taking the time to reach out!

[@shantaymadison5581]

I bought Wood Prix once and now I have lifetime access to thousands of woodworking projects.

[@dalepremo3695]

That's a fortress, Jesse! I really like it when you talk about things that may not be 100% required, but it's better to "do it right." That's what I call good work ethic and pride in your work. And it was very considerate to take the extra time with the rock wall reconstruction. Well done.

[@GlobalistJuice]

Boy that house has a beautiful spot on the river - a solid deck is a real nice addition to the property, nice job!

[@canvids1]

Jesse you sure know your stuff. What a great job the two of you did on that project. I am sure the owner will be very pleased.

[@gregorybondi5220]

Absolutely LOVE the little notes and explanations! Well done. Love to see the "rights" and "wrongs", as well as your care for the aesthetic of the end appearance of the little rock wall.

[@wiliamhebel2305]

Like the channel, it's even better now that you are explaining and commenting more. Like the variety of jobs, and the various pieces of equipment use and repair.

[@johnnymelendez4836]

Awesome job JESSE . Quality, honesty, integrity are hard to find, but you have them all 👌. GOD BLESS😇. cheers from NYC🗽

[@batbawls]

Nice attention to detail. I think these people picked a winner.

[@frederickmoller]

A great job Jesse and your employee, I really love your dedication to your profession, and thanks for the video.

[@jamesfarnham1976]

It's the small things that you do by hand that with stand out and people will pick up on. Word of mouth jobs are a hearty and honest way to make a living. Keep up the good work! Jim.

[@neildonohoe106]

Beautifully crafted Jesse, both in construction of the deck and in the narrative.

[@jdhorton1432]

Awesome work! Love detail in work you do, real integrity. Thanks for bringing us along!

[@jackjacke4654]

I'm glad to see Jessie you had enough sense to bring your digger. If you did this by hand you would end up with extreme back pain. I live my life on disability cause i went to far with my back... I hope you never have too....

[@tomsawyer1274]

Jack, true words of wisdom, unfortunately for men like yourself and I, that wisdom came with a very high price that we will continue to pay for the rest of our lives. Can’t spread the word enough. To every man and woman who reads this never lift in haste. Always think of your back first, there is no shame in asking for help. Your back and your health must always come first. Take care Jack, god bless and here’s to the good day’s 🍻.

[@jackjacke4654]

@@tomsawyer1274 What i hate most is the employer that pushes you to do things fast without caring is no longer there, or did they ever care when they were pushing you. They just wanted the job done. And to hell with you... Ticks me off! I pay the rest of my life and they don't give a crap. Remember Jessie, You back (spine) is the only thing that holds your upper body up! the more you lift, the more pressure you put on your disks. You should really be wearing a back brace at all times when you work. You are bending and lifting constantly...

[@jmac88022]

No easy tasks there. I'd say it came out better than expected. Some guys can make PT materials look like finish materials some guys can't. You guys definitely made it happen. Snuck in an and out with minimal disruption of the property.

[@blastshieldaddiction]

I once put gas in one of own cars without my butlers assistance. I even paid in cash. So you and I are exactly alike when it comes to getting the job done. Great content as always. God Bless.

[@jdub229r]

Rogue Antilles fired my butler last week, got in the McClaren, it had less than 1/2 a tank. Jeeves is done!

[@blastshieldaddiction]

@@jdub229r Butlers don't understand hard work.

[@gearheadsc5016]

@@jdub229r What a McClaren never heard of it. I've heard of Mclaren

[@DAS-Videos]

That deck is good for 100 years or so. Construction is one of the few jobs that leaves a legacy, your grand kid will see a construction and say "See that? My grandpa made that way back in the year 2020".

[@tomh3652]

They wait till the middle of winter for a deck and you are worried about their dead grass. Screw that. But it looks really good and what a view.

[@christinaduckworth4481]

Constructing anything outdoors while living on a river means late Fall and Winter timeframe to avoid getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Trust me.

[@SamCyanide]

Thanks for the upload! That railing came out very nice.

[@hpw59]

nice job on the deck....and what a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by

[@speedysteve9121]

The house seems a bit non-descript. Like suburbia. Like a local police chief plans to retire there.

[@Z-Bart]

COOL shot @14:51. Nice job minimizing the yard tear-up. I'm sure the homeowner appreciated that. I know I would.

[@jcgoogle1808]

Nice job. I like how you cantilevered the girders and the joists. It provides a stronger deck compared to the same material on simple spans. And it sets the posts back out of the way and somewhat out of view. And the cross bracing on the river side provided necessary lateral stability. All good.

[@jmuller86]

thanks, yea flush beam decks are a pita to make look good and you loose some span because of it as well

[@twister563]

@@jmuller86 where is this at and what river is this ?

[@briandoerner2620]

I hope you were paid more for the time it took to do the extra work involved in saving the lawn and repairing the blue stone wall etc. Very respectful of you. I hope the owners appreciated it. That type of care has been lost by so many contractors ..smart choice for the piers and set up..job well done by you and your helper. I hope this video gets you much deserved extra work.

[@spideybrent]

Hello from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. Great show’s thanks for sharing with us.

[@jamesstroud8018]

That was very good work. Beautiful deck. From South Carolina 👍

[@genegoodman5233]

Super view and super looking house Thanks Jesse

[@stephenhoran7597]

What a job Jesse have to say your friends/ co workers are so loyal look after them you deserve the credit but they are there for you😉

[@carolsuesamuelson7935]

You built a beautiful deck. Thank you for sharing your build.

[@brian40115]

You and AC get a thumbs up before I even watch your videos! Great job again.

[@randomstranger9674]

It's a real pleasure to see a good job done well.

[@WhitehouseFarmVet]

I like that you got a good buddy to help you out, it's hard to find competent people that are willing to work nowadays!!!

[@Costazx88]

The Problem 100% without a doubt is not finding people willing to work,the real problem is not paying them said people a fair amount!

[@brentking-gmailking2570]

Great job..... Thanks for sharing Jesse.

[@stevegifford9989]

Nice work Jesse, thanks for the video.

[@markreetz1001]

Great work on the deck. That 38 minutes went by really fast! I enjoy your work and your explanations of what you are doing. Keep 'em coming.

[@RumMonkeyable]

I love living in south central Texas in the Texas Hill Country! But, boy, oh boy, do I appreciate the other beautiful parts of the USA. This is a stunningly gorgeous part of the world! A grand house with cedar shingles and lots of windows to enjoy the river....NICE! The drone views of the area surrounding the build site makes the video extra special. I sure enjoy your videos, because you take time to show us the start-to-finish of a project....all at one time. Thank you! P.S. Also, appreciate the extra care you and your workers take to do the job right!👍👊❤️️

[@trxtech3010]

Being an Arizonan... 40 Degrees F in mid dayabsolutly perfect! 👌 Too many people think that the cold sucks... Trust me... The heat is something you don't wanna experience.

[@danconlan8735]

Nice job Jess, great tip on the snug fit with wet wood too. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. Thanks, DC

[@vincemck2002]

Very nice job under difficult conditions Jess

[@lonniethompson2020]

I love to build decks, GREAT work

[@CranialAccess]

I can watch your videos over and over! Beautiful area and home! Your work is awesome!

[@walterh.porembski6161]

Nice job Jesse very good explanation sat the end very knowledgeable about the reasoning

[@zvonibab]

Absolutely marvellous job Mr Muller, well made! Cheers

[@harryellingsworth8302]

Nice job Jesse, looking forward to your next project

[@Hackdaddy81]

Looks like the dude working with you was a hard worker as well.. good job both of ya

[@jmuller86]

thanks, hes a good friend

[@alanrobison3298]

You are a master craftsman sir! Beautiful job!

[@brentking-gmailking2570]

Great looking deck. Thank you for sharing.

[@spencerbass7142]

Great looking deck. Your videos have improved 1,000%, great job.

[@tc3070]

You are a very talented dude and above all you do the right things to do a great job. I also love the music to pick.

[@discmotoslots]

I would be tempted to make a gigantic deck & just live outdoors (except for the cold)! what a view!

[@jeffreylocke8808]

A very solid and well built to code free-standing deck. Well done!!!

[@drummerboy3377]

Y'all do impeccable work. Fantastic!

[@Jeppe.P.Bjerget]

What a beautiful place. Just love the view to the river. Great job.

[@sea8319]

beautiful .. the deck ..the view .. the house .. great job

[@normhowes2975]

45 degrees yesterday and raining today. Over 2 feet short on snow from the average at this time. North of Syracuse N.Y. I do like the looks of that deck. Nice job.

[@jmuller86]

crazy weather. thanks

[@yaoypl]

Love the music and the way you shooting the video. It is enjoyable to watch.

[@PrincipalDBA]

Great tip on the trick for alignment. Beats measuring from corner to corner over uneven terrain and using batter boards which I do not know what would look like for your surface area.

[@jackjacke4654]

You know, it almost looks like you knew what you were doing! lol Funnin ya. Great job! Looks awesome!

[@dgomes265]

Nicely done! Incredible that you can get permits for a deck on a slope. Conservation authority approval can be a real challenge.

[@ddebruyn51]

Excellent video

[@johnpyle8027]

As a former brick, block, stone mason plasterer, carpenter I have to say you did a fine job on stacking the stone! I was also happy to see you notch your posts and not count on carriage bolts to hold the load. I have seen people do that and explain that the bolt will literally act as a splitting wedge with enough of a load. I have laid a bolt across two blocks and drove a 4x4 through the bolt to show my premise. I also liked that you butted that treated wood tight! People space it and when it shrinks you have an inch gap. They make a tool that lays in your joists and you pull a bar towards the flooring and you can get it really tight. Basically. Awesome job! lol

[@jmuller86]

thanks, its good to hear these things. Women with high heels will have issues when you have a 1/2" gap between the boards!

[@CaptKirk1701]

Nicely built deck, great job Jesse!

[@davidj4662]

Nice job on the deck and top notch video production.

[@diydad6723]

Nicely done, a pro job, what a gorgeous area 👍

[@ThomsSimpleLife]

You do nice work Jesse, very articulate...good job man.

[@josephg2553]

That’s a solid deck nice job

[@joespikes1296]

Solid but no wow factor......

[@bfd1565]

Looks good Jesse. Solid construction.

[@davidbowen4848]

Nice job mate 🇬🇧

[@juanmauricioneira7864]

very nice woodwork!! look great , solid and well done !! congrats!!

[@williammalenfant4864]

Great job guys.

[@nevilleharris957]

Jesse, you are a smart cookie, luv ya work

[@Alexanderbuilds2001]

That location is gorgeous.

[@mv4ago]

Nice job Jesse and a beautiful video, your best yet I'd say.

[@involvedbystander66]

nice job and job sight.. i always bolt my stringers to the post and put my verticals on the inside with my kick board running across the posts and no toe nailing or screwing... taking no chances on 300 lb drunks falling through. 2x12 top rails work nicely to bring it all in. thumbs up jesse

[@andrewrose5491]

You and Andrew make me want an excavator, bobcat, dumper and trailer but too many guys around here using thier equipment for Pennies. Great deck on a hill like that, like that ratchet strap meme....that ain't going anywhere....

[@TrevorDennis100]

Ahhh... I have just remembered that Jesse is a buddy of Andrew's. No wonder it is looking so cold there. If anything, Jesse appears to be more technical than Andrew, but both great channels.

[@andrewrose5491]

Both these guys will be the ones to go to over time. They're the next ones to take over when the top dogs step down. With time and more money they'll be killing it. "Dont be afraid to get paid"

[@stoveboltlvr3798]

Looks great and what a view!

[@bobfromtheband1]

Excellent Jesse, looks good.

[@robertsimmons3556]

Looks good Jesse. Was wondering where the steel was then the narrative popped up. Your rock work looks good too. Great view also. Jobs without easy access are always a challenge to keeping a schedule and always add time to the cost. Never an easy one to figure in the bid.

[@petemoore5104]

Those people that live in that house are worthy of a mention here.. Instead of pouring massive amounts of obscene concrete to create a monstrosity, have decide that they would design something that will give them pleasure now and, for generations to come, equal pleasure to others. Might I suggest that, in the nooks and crannies (the vacant spaces in that wall), they plant some Alpine plants, to disguise the wall and add a feature face.T hey come in a variety of colours, bloom at different times, of ten having a scent. On the decking itself, some random potted shrubs, like lemon balm, that gives off a scent if you brush past it. A few rambling roses could be trained over years to hide the balustrade from below. A Japanese flowering cherry tree or two. To give colour in April/May... I'd make that garden disappear into that glorious landscape. ... When the camera panned to the right, from the house, a range of hills appeared, that so reminded me of Saddleback in the UK... You are so lucky to have such idyllic scenery.

[@10tenman10]

Very nice job

[@rodolfoplasencia4953]

That was nice. In the future, if you can, you may use a piece of 2x8 of wood as a retainer of your gravel, and even make its ends going in, towards the property to hold the soil by the entrance of the deck at least for 10 years. Just don't claim it'll last 10 years. And just as you did add a large group of stone step entrance, or a wood step but the stone is safer for your pockets. Because adding a wood step in front of it can complicate things. Thank you for this video! Keep building!

[@erictold]

That’s a quality job. One thing bothering me is the ground contact with the wood. I would pour concrete at the front step. The treated wood will rot sooner. I can’t sleep at night..... lol.

[@jmuller86]

I made it so that nothing is touching the deck, those flat stones are sitting on a bed of crusher run, and then about 2 inches of paver sand (interlocking pieces) the stones are about an inch from the wood

[@erictold]

Jesse Muller // Oh, I see. Then I can sleep now. Good night 🤣

[@trucker37841]

Great video and excellent work!!

[@ParsonPlace]

Great job ! Love your videos. Such a talented person that takes time with your work. Wish you weren’t so far away.

[@MultiSandman17]

Very interesting video, thank you!

[@BrianNavalinsky]

Great job. You can always tell the pros by the tools they use.

[@the2060ish]

Nice work. Difference between you and Andrew C he just tears up the owners grass lol you try to save it.. .

[@craigdreisbach5956]

Loved the video. I have watched all of yours and they are great. I can't stand the criticisms of those who don't watch completely or don't read the comments. My observations: Great tip with the bosch laser, I think it's within 1/4" accurate over 30 feet. I think you have a 10" makita saw which is great for cutting the beams. I also have that saw as well as the 16" beam saw (bought used on e-bay, and its great). I love how you cut the beams to create a decorative pergola effect. Love black plastic bags over sonotubes prevent premature concrete freezing. Using home depot mortar abs plastic mixing pans to mix and pour concrete. These are cheap and work great as drain pans for transmissions/sloppy oil/coolant changes. I like the (?)estwing or Hart framing hammer. I think the watershed from the deck surface eliminates a french drain uphill of the landscaping stones which you did very well. Finally, I loved " 7 and 5" music. If you like them check out Ludovico Einauldi (you tube and amazon), I think you would love his music even more. Kind regards, Craig

[@JonOffgrid]

Awesome job

[@pierreandrada5920]

Great job! Watching this video makes me want to get off my butt and start my deck project. Enjoyed the video and editing.

[@augustreil]

Looks great Jesse ! Thumbs up.

[@jmuller86]

Thanks

[@ytrwb]

Great Video Jesse. Love watching your and Andrew Camarata's projects. I'm retired and move much slower now but used to do same stuff. I'd butt wet decking like you did but most times where I live it'd arrive dry and curved. So I'd put a water sprinkler on it and in couple hours it'd all straighten out nice. I get more enjoyment out a watching you guys than most of the crap shows on TV now days.

[@jesuslara3175]

Good job I know Avery where it's different rules Maryland you need to set blocks to the hand real post and set 2 bracket This deck it's a very good job Thanks for sharing.

[@dieterhinders9237]

Hi Jesse, what a wonderful place live.

[@lhch]

very nice 👌👌👏👏👏

[@JOSHUAloves1]

As long as you stay the course. Continue to take your time--doing great projects and do your diligence to record send the Drone share your thoughts, within a year or so you're going to blow as a KZbinr!

[@LaoZi2023]

Hudson, New York- a beautiful little part of the N. East, U.S. That was a descent job. Well done!

[@bradbeasley7669]

jack of all trades master of all the same

[@scottphillips181]

Extremely nice, well done!

[@donaldgibson3121]

You do nice work. Well built deck.

[@dmmaddex]

Nice work, as usual, JM.