Building a deck is a home improvement project that the average homeowner is more than capable of doing. It generally involves a series of simple sequential steps and involves basic carpentry skills. Deck building has become much simpler with the advent of home improvement retail outlets that offer how-to-do-it clinics, a wide variety of deck related building materials, tool and equipment rentals and even free deck design consultations. Because the construction process of deck building takes place outdoors, normal family home life is not really affected as it would be for some interior renovation. All of the mess is completely outdoors and the deck building process can extend from weekend to weekend without any real problems.
Most deck construction projects have 6 building elements: concrete footings, wood or concrete posts, a ledger support board, beams, joists and decking. There are also 3 popular options: railings, benches and stair steps.
The actual deck building process involves 13 procedures:
1. Designing the deck
2. Obtaining the required building permits
3. Buying the materials
4. Preparing the site
5. Laying out the footing locations
6. Setting the footings
7. Installing the ledger board
8. Installing the support posts
9. Attaching the beams
10.Installing the joists
11.Nailing or screwing on the decking boards
12. Trimming the decking
13. Installing any options such as railings, benches and stair steps.
It's a wise decision to consult with the municipal building department so that your proposed deck conforms to local construction bylaws. The real fun starts in making choices regarding deck materials, possibilities for decking patterns, railing styles as well as the type and placement of steps. Once these decisions have been made, your design checked and your permit approved, it's simply a matter of developing a materials list and ordering the materials to be delivered.
Site preparation is the next step. Outdoor furniture, stone slabs and other items need to be removed from the site prior to construction. Using the 3,4,5 layout process the locations of the footings can be clearly marked. Then it's hole digging time. Usually it's a choice between hand digging the postholes below the frost line or having a posthole machine do the work. Once the holes are dug, they are filled with concrete and support hardware is fixed in place.
While the concrete is hardening the ledge board can be attached to the house. Next, the support posts are connected to the support post hardware. Double beams are connected to the ledger board and the support posts. Joists are then installed at either 16 or 24 inch centers. Railing support posts are added as is the framework for any skirting to be added enclosing the deck perimeter.
At this point, the decking can be installed either with nails or screws. Then it's simply a matter of trimming the outer edges of the deck boards and installing a facing board to hide the cut ends of the deck boards.
Steps whether on the outside of the deck or inset can then be constructed. The same goes for the railing system that has been chosen. Finally, the skirting can be installed to prevent small animals from creating problems in the future.
All that is left to do is apply a sealant and/or stain to the deck to complete the project. Then it's time for the family to add outdoor furniture, the good old barbecue and a couple of container plants to create a very special outdoor living area the whole family can enjoy.
All it took was a couple of weekends of work and 13 simple steps and some basic carpentry skills to create that deck of your dreams.
Since the mid-1960s one model of team development has been widely accepted in the West. It was first described in a small study of 50 academic papers published by Bruce Tuckman in 1965. In his ground-breaking piece of research he described four stages of a team's life: forming, storming, norming and performing.
Other researchers through the West agree that a team will develop if it is together for some time. Indeed it's almost common-sense that when a group of people first come together they will want to know about the others, will have to change to one degree or another and accommodate other members, could uncover conflicts that need to be settled, but eventually may develop into a harmonious unit achieving more together than each would have on their own.
Forming is the first of Tuckman's stages
When a team begins to work, even if the team is older and members are new, the group tends to spend time getting to know members and team rules, and in most cases members will depend on each other or what the group did before they joined.
When this occurs the team enters Tuckman's stage two, Storming.
This aptly describes what occurs. Members get into conflict and this impinges on their work. Researches see this as a rebellion against being pressured by the others in the group.
Then Norming takes over, Tuckman's stage three.
The people begin to tell each other what they actually think, they gell into a group, and a new team norm develops and is unchallenged.
And this makes possible the Performing phase in Tuckman's remarkable list.
It's a dream time for the team's managers. Everyone understands the others and working together is easy. People co-operate to get jobs done, to the extent of doing other people's jobs where that's going to be helpful. The team leader will be unchallenged and team members support each other.
Now, Tuckman didn't stop here. He thought about his four stages. He added another and of course there were always going to be researchers who debated and refined his paper. But in spite of this, the clarity with which Bruce Tuckman laid bare the scholars of the 60s, and his catchy descriptors, have stayed around and till now are the basis of what we know about how teams work.
Both Richard Vande Sompel & Len Mcgrane are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Richard Vande Sompel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Improvement, Landscaping and Home Improvement. Richard Vande Sompel is a professional deck builder of 35 years and over 850 decks built and is the author of "How to Plan, Design and Build a Deck from Start to Finish". To Discover More About. Richard Vande Sompel's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.
Len Mcgrane has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Web Development and Alternative Medicine. Len McGrane has written widely on and . He. Len Mcgrane's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.