| Hot Tub Deck |
| A new deck and portable hot tub provide the ideal vantage of the lake. |
From "Grounds for Improvement"
episode DGFI-310 |
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Rebekah and Bruce Stock have a wonderful view of the water but are lacking a place to enjoy it. They have a small patio on the side of their home (figures A and B) but with three small boys, they would like more outdoor living space and a little more privacy. Landscape designer Dean Hill devises a plan to build a new deck beside the patio with a full view of the water and to add a portable hot tub to really open up the possibilities for fun and space.
Tools
landscape marking paint
shovel, spade
rake
wheelbarrow
sod cutter
hammer
sledgehammer
plate compactor
hedge trimmer
gloves
chainsaw
drillPreparing the New Deck This deck is built with Ipe, an exotic wood that is imported from S. America, harvested predominately in Brazil. It is strong and naturally resistant to rot, abrasion and weather. Ipe is almost twice as dense as most woods and up to five times harder. The Ipe is pre-assembled into building tiles for easier installation. Materials
rebar timber spikes
2'x2' Ipe tiles
deck supports
cedar lumber
2.5 tons gravel
The crew starts by removing dead brush around the area of the new deck. They measure out the 12- by 12-foot area and mark it with landscape marking paint. They build a small retaining wall using 6x6 timbers to hold in the gravel base. Using a spade, they dig a narrow trench for the timbers. They place the first course of timbers in the trench and make sure it's level. The timbers are secured in the ground by drilling holes and hammering rebar timber spikes through them (figure C). The trench is backfilled around the timbers, and three more courses of timbers are added on top (figure D) and secured with timber spikes.
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | Hot Tub Deck |
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