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1) Deck Overview 2) Materials & Tools 3) Preparing Siding for Ledger Board 4) Preparing Ledger Board 5) Attaching Ledger Board 6) Digging Footings & Pouring Concrete 7) Cutting & Raising Posts 8) Installing Beams 9) Installing Joists 10) Installing Deck Boards 11) Building Stairs 12) Installing Railings

Digging Footings & Pouring Concrete

Frost Footings are usually required to support structures attached to homes.

That means digging down past the frost line in areas where the ground freezes in the winter.

In our area the frost line is 42 inches down, so we usually dig about 48 inches deep to be safe. And the holes should be at least 12 inches in diameter, but be sure to check with your local building department.

Use manual post-hole diggers or rent a power auger.

Dig out the bottoms a couple inches wider than the top so the footings hold the ground better.

That's most easily done by hand with a posthole digger, if the footings have to be more than 36" deep.

Pouring Concrete

Many building officials will want to check the depth and diameter of your footings, so be sure to call them before you pour the concrete.

Order ready-mix if you've got a lot of deep footings to fill. Mix your own concrete in a wheelbarrow if it's a smaller job.

Depending on how you will connect the post to the footing you might need to install a "J-bolt" into the wet concrete.

Leveling Pier Block

Screed the tops of the footings level with the ground.

Set pre-cast, concrete pier blocks over the wet concrete to keep the posts off the ground.

Level the tops of the pier blocks before the concrete sets so the posts will stand solid on the surface.

OPTION: Use forms to raise the top of the concrete above the ground and level the surfaces.