How to Build a Basic Backyard Deck without a Saw! Step-by-Step Instructions

[@Robin803246]

Thank you dude for your video! Great job! The world needs more ppl like you👍

[@DIYDudes]

Thank you!🙏

[@JD-lb8np]

That's the first time I've seen the cement used like that but makes sense. Definitely going to do that on my deck rebuild.

[@DIYDudes]

It works well to stabilize granular for the long term. Thanks for watching!

[@keytothegate68]

It is the latest craze as one video after another pops up with people not adding water to cement. Please see videos as to why this is generally not good. This is about 500 bucks deck so maybe it is sufficient to do it this if that's all you need. A considerable improvement would be real wood posts set bellow freeze line in cement. This type of deck would be good if the deck was smaller so that you can actually move it with a two wheeler (if it was maybe 8x6)

[@Street_Costello]

It’s all good until the concrete begins to crack

[@t_206]

It works just fine for this application. I do a similar technique for bricks set in the ground for grass/pond stone borders, on the pond stone side (though I do wet the concrete mix) and finish the tops with polymeric sand. It's lasted for 4 years in my backyard in the PNW USA with no heaving or shifting. I have since changed the path route and the concrete is absolutely married to the (grey, concrete) bricks that I pulled up and even a whack with a hammer doesn't separate them. I wouldn't go crazy with it, but this seems plenty reasonable for the application

[@MACKROV]

Nice video! The haters are hilarious. I do enjoy reading their comments. 😂

[@DIYDudes]

Lol thank you. 👍

[@shameedali2674]

Great video...

[@aquileggleston84]

Perfect Video, I definitely can do this with confidence!

[@ZachAshcraft]

Really should use joist hangers and joist tape, especially if you're going to be presenting this info to other folks.

[@RocketMan200]

I agree, plus additional lumber staggered between joists to help with bounce and bending.

[@robertbraastad2395]

and no poly nunder deck as it holds moisture and promotes rot

[@curtharrington]

@@RocketMan200 deff need blocking between the joists

[@t_206]

​@@RocketMan200that's called blocking

[@t_206]

​@@robertbraastad2395that wasn't poly, it's permiable fabric

[@andrewburrill848]

It’s all about the details… joist brackets, corner brackets, joist tape , crown on top of all joists

[@sipalingpaham]

Good content!

[@DIYDudes]

Thank you!

[@rbr30217]

I have a dumb question here, but I am very interested in building one of these in my backyard. Will there be enough gap between the boards to allow for rain to fall through? Or do I need to have the deck slant down to help it drain?

[@DIYDudes]

Great question! No the water will drain even if they are tight. The boards will shrink slightly over time once the moisture bleads out. If you install the deck boards tight they will eventually have a small gap. Do not install the deck at a slant

[@fmradio42]

I do deck restoration and I always see decks getting ruined because there's not enough gap.Natural debris, such as leaves, seeds, or pollen, can settle between deck boards and clog gaps. Water can then pool, essentially steeping the organic debris. This liquid can develop a color, or tannin, which could stain your decking.

[@fmradio42]

@@DIYDudes Natural debris, such as leaves, seeds, or pollen, can settle between deck boards and clog gaps. Water can then pool, essentially steeping the organic debris. This liquid can develop a color, or tannin, which could stain your decking.

[@husseinabbud4333]

Awesome work! , Did you use 2x6 or 2x8 joists for this project?

[@DIYDudes]

Thank you!! 2x8 for the joists.

[@nslkids6118]

Whats the distance? between joist

[@DIYDudes]

No more than 16”Center to Center

[@mylessloan1331]

Great build. What area are you from? Are you worried about frost heaving it up at all?

[@DIYDudes]

Thank you, south Ontario. It hasn’t been an issue so far after two winters. If it did heave it would do so uniformly so should be an issue. Thanks for watching!

[@mylessloan1331]

@@DIYDudes Perfect, I'm southern Ontario too and going to build one

[@DIYDudes]

Good luck!

[@OnlyOneFever]

@@DIYDudes HAHA Uniform frost heave. Tell that to my house foundation.

[@杨凯晴-t9t]

Hello there , I have a question. Why you add the concrete? After that do you need to add water? Thank you very much.

[@DIYDudes]

I added the concrete in order to stabilize the granular used for the deck block support, the concrete caps it so water cannot erode it. You don’t really need to add water maybe a mist if anything

[@bricobbe3100]

did you drill pilot holes?

[@DIYDudes]

No I did not. I think that would be overkill generally the pressure treated lumber is pretty good about not splitting

[@jackiestokes9459]

This only halfway helpful how many and what sizes is all the wood

[@rudygarcia127]

No blocking in between joists?

[@DIYDudes]

No not in this case, the deck boards are sufficient to eliminate twisting.

[@DIYDudes]

No not in this case, the deck boards are sufficient to eliminate twisting.

[@yjdaniel8237]

Did you say that you used clean stone or clear stone at the base of the deck block?

[@DIYDudes]

I just used a “clean” stone… granular with no dirt or clay mixed in. Good luck!

[@yjdaniel8237]

@@DIYDudes thank you!

[@TORITOCHANNEL]

Question, I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to construction. I live in Arizona and the winds can be very strong, is this type of deck capable of resisting without being lifted to the skies and ending up in my neighbor's yard? Later I want to install a gazebo and I am a little afraid that it will end badly.

[@DIYDudes]

I wouldn’t worry about that. It would take some hurricane force winds to lift the deck. Depending how big you make it it will weigh several thousand lbs

[@jardinrodrigo1590]

Will it be possible to move the outer concrete blocks into the 2nd crossboards that way its not showing?

[@DIYDudes]

Yes definitely, I put them there because I wanted to ensure there was no bouncing. Just put them at the first joint in

[@cherokeejack4288]

Did you use pressure-treated lumber or just regular unfinished boards?

[@DIYDudes]

All pressure treated wood,that’s a must for an out door deck. Even if you tried to paint it with a preservative you would for sure miss some spots.

[@kalieskrims814]

Hi is this deck 8ft x 16 ft

[@DIYDudes]

It’s actually 10x 16. Thanks for watching!

[@dylanhogan1628]

How many deck blocks do you think I would need for a 12 by 12? And how many beams

[@DIYDudes]

The blocks should be no more than 4’ spacing so about 12 and the joists no more than 16” spacing so about 13 with the edges … good luck!

[@dylanhogan1628]

Would you recommend joist hangers? Or are the screws strong enough? Awesome content! I’ve watched lots of videos and this is the best so far

[@DIYDudes]

Sorry didn’t see this comment, I only used deck screws, the deck is two years old now and no issues but if you want to spend the extra money I am sure they are stronger and more durable

[@hahafeng3043]

Dear, I really like your video! I'm Anne, the product promotion assistant. I would like to invite you to have a review about tripod.

[@MattGarvey-lc6gh]

What was the total list of supplies/lumbar you used?

[@DIYDudes]

Sorry it’s been a couple years, I dont remember exactly… thanks for watching!

[@williamdalexander4858]

Did you use Joyce hangers or just deck screws?

[@DIYDudes]

I didn’t because I was trying to keep the cost down. I would recommend you use them if budget is not an issue for you Thanks for watching!

[@TheJordzz]

Joist* hangers 😊

[@DIYDudes]

The deck is about 2 years old now and no issues not using the hangers. Goos luck!

[@yjdaniel8237]

lol sorry to bother you again but how many feet did you space out the support joints? My deck is going to be 12x16 as well

[@DIYDudes]

No problem. I did 16” spacing for the joist and it is solid… I would not go more than that though

[@yjdaniel8237]

I’m sorry I meant between the deck block. We used 4 ft but seemed a little off….update nm we figured it out 😊 thanks for the tips

[@DIYDudes]

Good luck hope it worked out!

[@yjdaniel8237]

@@DIYDudes it’s awesome thanks for the tips

[@jardinrodrigo1590]

⁠​⁠@@yjdaniel8237 im trying to build the same deck and Im in the same situation with the spacing. How did you figure it out?

[@jaimebaez8282]

What size of Lumber did you use?

[@DIYDudes]

I believe I used 14’ for the front, and 10’ for the joists … they trick was to make sure the spacing worked out with my deck boards so I didn’t end up with any cuts

[@husseinabbud4333]

@@DIYDudes How did you then end up with 12' by 16' deck if you say you have used 14' and 10' lumber?

[@DIYDudes]

Sorry. I built the deck two years ago… I went back and watched the video. It’s 16 long and 12 wide. All the lumber is with 16 or 12 foot lengths. Good luck!

[@venkatsg26]

@@DIYDudes What's the thickness of the 16 by 12 lumber you have used?

[@robertbraastad2395]

no vapor barrier under deck as it holds moisture on raining and rots deck faster good old mother earth is best

[@DIYDudes]

Hey thanks for the watch, i put down a filter cloth to keep the weeds down, it allows water to pass through. I agree though you definitely need drainage and things to dry out. You definitely would not want to put down a plastic

[@DIYDudes]

The area i built the deck on was a weed jungle prior. So I was concrete about them coming back through

[@eduardochavacano]

It cant be called a floating without those blocks?

[@DIYDudes]

Hey thanks for watching. Any deck without concrete caisson foundations is considered floating as it can move with frost heave etc

[@dinri5544]

Dude, You should have stained that fence first.

[@DIYDudes]

We ended up staining the fence and deck afterwards to match. It looks great Thanks for watching!

[@Elmandcc43]

Was he building the deck on the moon? What is the deal with that yard?

[@DIYDudes]

lol it might as well Have been, The backyard was a weed rainforest before we started

[@bikinggal1]

no offence but you shouild have had your base smaller than the boards to hide the concrete footings!

[@welldoitlive675]

The only thing holding up your joists are deck screws? Oof. This will not last. Deck screws are for the top-most deck boards only. They are absolutely not rated for shear loads. Add some joist hangers when you redo this deck and use the correct structural screws.

[@DeezNuttz_BoffaDem]

Or save a bunch of money and use nails. Do you have hangers under the floor in your house? Unless you built it yourself, hell no

[@danielcerone5744]

The deck isn't floating. The support blocks along the front are under the outside facing board and, well, not attractive to look at. Don't understand why you didn't put the blocks under one of your inside crossboards, especially since those blocks are visible as you walk up to deck.

[@DIYDudes]

It is floating on the blocks, not sure what you mean. I could have moved them in hindsight but I was really only concerned about the front edge and wanted to make sure the deck was very stable on the two outer edges.

[@georgeblackwell2306]

No joist hangers or Joist tape ? I guess if you skip a lot of steps you can get it done in a day…

[@jayels3036]

What did people do before joist tape

[@MrSohn2000]

Spend an extra hour and make a proper deck.. Awfully build.

[@Moe.allama2023]

Say more?

[@tubegoood]

This looks good.

[@nikkisixxkiller2232]

Everyone is a critic

[@phillipsloan7148]

Shut your face you have a big mean streak through you

[@thomaslycan8893]

Lost me quick

[@DIYDudes]

Sorry about that thanks for watching!