The Baehr family loves to entertain, but they needed a bigger space for their popular theme parties. They also wanted an imaginative place for the theatrical productions their children often perform. The solution is a dual-purpose entertainment platform, complete with weather-resistant curtains.
At this point, the platform area has been marked off. The postholes have been dug, the poles are in place and attached to the joists and the stage curtains are in production, but there's still a lot of work to do (figure A) (figure B).The corner posts are left in place as is, but the interior posts are trimmed down to the height of the joists with a reciprocating saw (figure C).
The deck itself is a composite material, a blend of recycled plastic, polymer and epoxy; the boards have no maintenance problems and cut just like wood. Before the decking can be laid, the first board must be notched to fit around the posts. After measuring and marking the board, Dean makes his cuts with a reciprocating saw, starting 1-1/2" from the back of the board, to let the board seat flush with the joist (figure D). Another method of doing this is to use a basic, or paddle, drill bit to create a hole in the decking (which makes it easier to cut into the corners), then trim out the board as needed to fit around the post (figure E).
Using a quick driver equipped with collated square-head screws, which autoload as each screw is driven, John installs the deck boards (figure F).Note: Always wear safety glasses when operating a corded quick driver. When the boards are in place, a circular saw is used to trim off any rough edges. Finally, the corner posts are cut down to fit the height of the curtains, and holes are drilled through the posts for curtain rods. A 2x8 topper, held in place with screws, acts as a valance to hide the rods. The eight curtain panels are nearly complete. Tiebacks made from both fabrics will add additional flair to the curtains and are held in place with pewter grommets and hooks (figure G).
RESOURCES :
Black and Decker tools
Website: www.blackanddecker.com
Black & Decker, Inc. (Corporate)
Website: www.bdk.com/main_bd.htm
TimberTech Decking
Website: www.timbertech.com
Porter-Cable Tools
Porter-Cable Corporation
Website: www.deltaportercable.com
Irwin Industrial Tool Company
Website: www.irwin.com
Ames True Temper Tools
Ames-True Temper
Website: www.ames-truetemper.com
Plants provided by Hancock Horticultural Services
Hancock Horticultural Services Inc.
Phone: 865-933-3200
American Society of Landscape Architects
Delta Tools
Deltak Power Tools
Website: www.deltamachinery.com
Power nailer
Model #Pro250G2
Simpson Strong-Tie and Quik Drive
Website: www.quikdrive.com
Curtain fabric
Fabric.com
Website: fabric.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
