How to build a new deck where current pavers are?

[ricm]

Hi there,

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated... We are building a new deck in an area with pavers in the back. We have an uneven area of pavers up against timber sleepers in the garden corner, my question is - what would you advise that we use to put under the decking to make the area level? If we put 'build tuff' as bases and attached the whole frame base to the side sleepers, would this work?  . 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @ricm,

To start, a curved finish to a deck can be difficult, even for a professional. So don't give up. Two things that you need to do: Set up a curved edge to run your jigsaw along so you have a guide, and cut the boards after they have been fixed in position, not before. 

Take, say, a 31 x 11mm 5.4m Moulding White Pine FJ Primed DAR and clamp it down at either end of your arch. Then, push the middle forward to the edge of the pool, establishing the curve. Adjust the clamps as needed. Clamping the piece of timber down at the apex of the arch might be difficult. Try driving a nail down between two boards and using it as a mounting point.

Once you have your guide in place, you can run the jigsaw foot along it. Take your time with it, and don't force the jigsaw; let the blade do the cutting. Reposition your guide to the next section.

It's next to impossible to cut individual boards and then fix them, even on a square-edge deck.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Nailbag]

Hi @ricm looks like you have made some very impressive progress on what would be for anyone a difficult project.

If you want to achiever a timber curve, then following along the lines of @Dave-1 has suggested could be a good option especially since it's one he has accomplished himself. Personally I think long term curved timber, especially tight ones will have a limited life before they will crack apart especially in a pool-side application. A product that would be very easy to manipulate and is available in a range of heights is garden edging. A senate run of this could follow the sub-frame to hide it.

Regarding getting the curve of the deck marked to cut is also a challenge when your trying to follow the coping thats under the boards. You can continue to do one board at a time or lay multiple boards and follow a longer cutting path. To do this, start by driving 100mm screws at curve points leaving them 50mm high off the deck. These will be used as temporary posts to bend 20mm conduit around that follows the coping by simply looking down through the gaps. You may have to move the screws about to get the right line with a combination of screws on the inside and outside of the conduit. The screws would be fixed in to the joists between the boards. Then mark your cut line.

At the moment you are attempting to make a curve using a circular saw which only makes straight cuts. So you need to switch to a jigsaw which is designed to make curved cuts. All saws cut from the under-side up leaving a rough splintered edge. To get around this, you would normally cut the material upside down. In your case this would complicate things as you are following a curve. Using reverse cut blades will get around this as they have teeth upside down allowing you to cut from the top without/limited splintering. A very long time ago I used the same type of blade to follow a line that the deck boards butted up to.

Nailbag

Jigsaw used to cut curved deck ends

[ricm]

Hey @Dave-1 - thanks so much for your response. I am dashing out to take my girls to their friends (half term joys of fatherhood!) but I wanted to quickly ask before I respond more fully, when you said:

"A flexible piece of facia may be hard to make, have you tried the suggestion I made? " 

I looked back and I couldn't see what suggestion you made, I could only find the comment about timber you previously mentioned. Can you clarify pls?

[Dave-1]

Morning @ricm 

Dont worry I have done the same thing when looking at posts, sometimes I have glazed right over an answer then come back later and go "Whoops, thats embarrasing blah just answere dit before I did" lol And school holiday projects end up in go slow mode

So the post was on Page 7 of this thread just before your photos I give a description on how you could make a bendy piece of facia.

I will attach a pic on the idea, just need to sketch it first

The highlighted green segmants are notches you would create in your facia board, pretty much set your circular saw to half the thickness of the facia board and do a bunch of cuts next to each other. So cut, space of a cut, then cut again. No need to measure, just work your way along the board. Over the area that requires the bend.

This is what I mean by padding out your frames to make it easier to have your facia board bending. The idea is to smooth all the deep parts of a bend so its more "even" and that way less strain on a board.

Dave

[ricm]

This is awesome Dave, and so detailed. Thank you. The composite decking does seem really tough to bend but I guess with cuts like you say it will buckle in easier. Im not that experienced with the circular saw, I actually borrowed a large one (the kind that isn't so portable as the hand held ones) and I can explore how to do it, so you are saying just cut half way into the deck board and that part you need to bend will go eaiser?

[ricm]

@Dave-1  more specifically....

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @ricm 

Across the width of the boards. You will have to adjust the height of the blade to the saws foot so it cant cut deeper Dont try to do it by eyesight lol I have done so and ended up with a bunch of smalle pieces.

I have NOT tried to do this on eco board (I am not keen on that material is all) but the theory stands. Its one reason I recommend practicing on it first to see how it goes and see if you are confident on doing it. 

You will need a handheld one either powered or battery will be fine. I know ozito have a special on their smaller circular battery saw atm.

Dave

[Dave-1]

@ricm 

"Along here" the top one to be exact

Dave

[ricm]

ah! right, thanks @Dave-1  really appreciated. 

I have taken the advice to leave this until I get more of the deck complete for now, I will come back to it and let you know how I go. 

Thanks so much for all of the expert advice and help, and always so quick! It's very appreciated and great to have some eyes on it other than the wife! Thanks so much to you and @Nailbag @MitchellMc you are all so great. 

[ricm]

Hi @Dave-1

Well the deck is almost complete (in terms of board laying at least!), I now have the task of dealing with the cutting around the pool and finding product to use as fascia for the pool to cover up the underside of the deck from the pool. 

I have tried what you suggested with cutting the holes in the decking boards and I just couldn't get the right curve happening and it really didn't do what I needed it to do, plus I am not that confident that it will attach cleanly and neatly enough. I'd hate to jeopardise the 3 months work of which Im mostly proud of with a crap looking fascia. 

We have been enquiring at other decking companies and most of the responses have been lacklustre and insulting to say the least, really dissing the Eko product and why Bunnings are *rap. lol I didn't buy a word of it because I actually really like the decking. Anyway, I just wondered if you had any more suggestions/ideas/referrals? 

I think I can cut the shape needed, it's just the fascia thats the final piece to fix (so to speak)! 

Thanks in advance,

Ric