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t1608.txt
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1994-09-13
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1608 BUILDING A DECK TOOLS
Measuring and layout tools
Digging tools
Cutting tools
Fastening tools
Dress for success
Measuring and layout tools
Good decks begin with accurate measurements and special pains taken to assure that all
components are plumb, level and square. For measuring, invest in a 25- or 50-foot cloth or
flexible metal tape. Shorter tapes just don't have the reach you'll need for a deck building project.
Lay out your deck with builder's line or heavyweight cord. Plumb posts and level beams with a
carpenter's level, the longer the better. A 48- or 72-inch version works best. Add an inexpensive
line level, which has hooks so you can hang it on the line.
Mark your deck's corners with 1x3 stakes. Drive them into the ground with a 3-pound sledge.
Digging tools
Posts at the outside corner of your deck - and sometimes at points in between - must rest on
concrete footings sunk below the frost line. You can use an ordinary shovel to dig holes for the
footings, but a post hole digger makes the job easier. This type is called a clam-shell digger
because the jaws open and close like a shell to pick up the dirt.
Digging by hand can wear you out pretty fast, especially if you have a lot of holes to dig or the
soil is hard or rocky. Another option is to use a power auger. A power auger is like a giant
corkscrew attached to a gasoline engine. It takes four hands to operate. Both the post hole digger
and power auger can be rented at a local rental center or hardware store. You might also want to
rent a wheel barrow for hauling away dirt and mixing concrete for the footings.
Cutting tools
When it comes to trimming lumber to length, a circular saw is a must. Equip one with a carbide-
tipped combination blade and it will make short work of cutting posts, joists and deck boards.
You will also need a crosscut hand saw and an electric drill to drill holes for bolting framing
members together.
Fastening tools
You can drive nails with an ordinary 16-ounce claw hammer, but a heavier framing hammer
speeds up the process - an important consideration when you must pound hundreds of nails. The
framing hammer's straight ripping claw comes in handy for prying boards apart, as well as for
pulling nails. To really hurry nailing along, rent a power nailer. Hooked up to an air compressor,
a power nailer spits nails about as fast as you can pull the trigger.
If you choose to fasten deck boards with screws, rent a screw gun. It countersinks screw heads
just below the wood's surface. Use a pry bar to force bowed deck boards into position. Tighten the
nuts and bolts holding framing together with a set of socket wrenches.
Dress for success
To keep tools at hand while you're on the move, buckle up with a tool belt. If you're using
pressure-treated lumber, also wear a face mask and work gloves. Chemical wood preservative in
the saw dust and from the wood itself can be harmful to your lungs and skin.