DIY Network

Eat-Out Kitchen, Part 1: Floating Wood Deck and Pergola An ordinary backyard gets transformed with an ideal space for outdoor dining and entertaining. See more outdoor-room creations from DIY's Indoors Out. From "Indoors Out" episode DIND-102

	Before
	After

In this Indoors Out outdoor transformation, Dean Marsico and Derek Stearns transform a neglected urban back yard into a tranquil, contemporary eat-out kitchen.

Project Overview

After a long day of work, Bobby Caballero and his wife Kia long to dine outside and away from the cramped space of their Washington, D.C. row house. However, with a flat austere look and noisy surroundings, their yard is anything but a sanctuary.

Dean and Derek battle the elements and come to the rescue with a dining retreat — complete with grill and seating area, and cozy outdoor fireplace for year-round comfort. Throw in some comfy seating, stone pavers, plants and lighting and you have an outdoor room perfect for relaxing or entertaining.

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	The finished deck with pergola

Deck and Pergola Installation

The first phase in this project includes construction of a floating wood deck and dramatic pergola. These elements will add both function and architectural detail to this outdoor room. Below is a summary of the basic steps as seen in this Indoors Out project, as well as a list of materials and tools used and some installation tips.

Tools:

framing nail gun and galvanized nails
circular saw
drill
hammer

Materials:

lag bolts
marking paint
concrete
sonatube
pressure treated wood for framing and decking
1x12 pressure-treated joists
joist hangers
deck screws

Note: The quantities needed for each of these materials vary with your own particular application. For your specific project, Dean and Derek suggest taking the dimensions to a local materials supplier, where they will calculate the amount of each product needed.

	Figure A
	Figure B
	The completed outdoor kitchen features a water feature and adjacent flagstone patio.

Steps:

• Start by measuring out the design and marking that onto the ground with marking paint. Using your marked out design, then prep the area (figure A, digging down three feet for the footings.

• Put the sonatube in the ground and pour concrete into the sonatubes. Let them dry overnight and set the deck support posts on top of them.

• Build the frame, and then hang your joists with the crowns up, nail them into the frame, and then install joist hangers for extra strength. As you work, keep checking to make sure everything is level. Joists are usually sold with a slight curve along one of the thinner edges. This "crown" gives the joist extra strength for the decking and weight to come.

• Once the supporting frame is in place, begin adding the deck boards. For this project, Dean and Derek use 5-1/4" x 6" pressure-treated decking boards set flush against each other. The boards will shrink, leaving a small space for water drainage.

• With the decking in place, the pergola beams go up (figure B. The ends of the beams are notched for a clean look and tight fit. With the pergola done, put a grill on the deck, fire it up, and invite guests.

RESOURCES :

Resources for Indoors Out, episode 102:

Groff Landscape and Design
Website: www.grofflandscapedesign.com

Mirage Stone
Website: www.miragestone.com

Tri-State Stone
Website: http://www.carderock.com

Olde Towne Historic Landscape
Website: http://oldetownehistoriclandscape.com

John Deere Landscapes
Website: www.johndeerelandscapes.com

Vista Lighting
Website: www.vistapro.com

TW Perry
Website: www.twperry.com