Materials:pressure treated lumber
shims
level
decking material
screws
cordless screwdriver
hand drill
brackets
nuts
posts
balusters
wood for balustrade
wood glue
Floating Deck Build
1. Construct the frame for the balcony using 2x6 foot planks, set 16 inches on center (figure A). It's important to keep the boards flush along the top edge to maintain a level surface.
2. Since a slope on the roof was created, the floor of the new balcony is not level. Using a couple of floor planks as shims, slide them underneath the frame until it's level (figure B). Drive in a few screws to hold them into place.
3. The final step before laying the floor is to attach the assembly to the house (figure C).
4. Run the floor planks the opposite direction from the joists, securing them in place as you go with two screws into each joist (figure D).
5. When laying planks, make sure to leave a slight gap between each one to allow the water to run through the balcony and off the deck.
6. Once the foundation of the deck is complete, start the rails (figure E). To start, attach a bracket directly to the deck's surface.
7. Next, hand thread the support pole into a nut located in the center of the bracket (figure F).
8. Once the bottom trim is in place, simply add a post and secure it with a top bracket (figure G). Tightening the top bracket forces the post to anchor securely to the deck.
10. To build the balustrade, start by measuring every six inches along both the bottom and top rails where the balusters will go.
11. Using a hand drill, create holes for inserting the posts.
12. Put the posts into position and glue them in for a secure fit (figure H).
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