Remodeling Our Back Deck For A Better Connection With Nature…

One of the biggest eyesores of our new home in the Mid-Hudson Valley is the back deck. Years of rain and snow wore down the deck and it has vertical spokes, which block the view of the creek behind our house. Remodeling our back deck was a no-brainer. Our goal is to get our back deck to connect better with nature.

A cost-effective option is to refinish the deck. While power washing, it became apparent the floor boards and the railing were not salvageable. Thankfully, the frame beneath is in good shape.

The vision for remodeling our back deck…

Our vision to remodel the back deck is to extend the frame two feet parallel with the house, replace the wood decking with Trex and use cable railing so that the creek and the foliage behind the house are more easily accessible.

The demo…

Using one of my favorite power tools, the reciprocating saw, I removed the railings. Then I grabbed my other go-to demo tool, the wrecking bar, and ripped out the deck boards. That left just the frame remaining.

Reframing…

I added a extended ledger board and installed a new girder board, securing them on two posts. Three new joists, along with a longer facia, completed the re-frame.

A significant challenge while remodeling our back deck, dealing with a sloped backyard. This meant no use of ladders. So, I had to be very creative with balance while he worked.

Choosing Trex over a wood deck…

Having finished re-framing, the next phase while remodeling our back deck was installing the Trex boards.

Why go with Trex instead of wood deck board? Trex is definitely more expensive, but it’s much easier to maintain and it’s also more durable in the long term. You also don’t need to sand and re-stain or re-paint it every 4/5 years.

Choosing the color of your Trex is challenging and will also impact the overall cost of your deck reno. Lowe’s offers two common colors; Toasted Sand (dark brown) and Clam Shell (gray). There are additional options available, but the cost per board skyrockets. You also can not take those samples home with you. So, we took the common samples home and checked them at various times during the morning, afternoon and evening. We decided the dark brown option was the most compatible with the Beige vinyl siding on the house.

It’s also important to note there are two different types of Trex boards; the square boards, used for framing, and the grooved boards.

I learned this the hard way, after I had already installed the grooved boards and noticed how hideous they looked lined up along the edge of the deck frame. I also learned you need to build additional framing for the square framing boards.

Installing Trex boards…

Once the square boards were in place, I worked on reinstalling the grooved boards. Install Trex using hidden fasteners which 1) hold each board in place and 2) also provide a gap between the boards so that the they can expand and contract as the weather changes.

It’s important while you are installing grooved boards to be sure that each board is straight. Otherwise, you may find your boards are off by an inch or more as you get closer to your house’s frame.

With the Trex installed, it was time to add the deck posts. I bought 4x4x8 posts, sawed them in half, and removed half of the ends to secure them to the deck frame. We sampled three different stains and settled on a Dark Oak stain for the posts and railing.

Installing Cable Railing…

The last phase while remodeling our back deck was installing the cable railing. The cable itself and corresponding hardware is available in different sizes and are available from multiple companies. We chose 3/16” cable (vs. 1/8”), Protector Sleeves and Invisible Receivers and Swage Stud Ends for the deck railing and Toggle Turnbuckles for the stairs.

If all of this sounds technical and confusing, it was! You have to be very careful to order the correct corresponding hardware, so read the descriptions carefully!

A Rail System Installation Guide (measures 3 inches between each hole) and a 30 and 90 Degree Drill Guide ensures all drill holes line up properly. You’ll also need a strong pair of Wire Cutters and a Crimping Tool to secure the cable to the Hidden Receivers. WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES!

Cable Railing Top — **Cable Railing Toggle and Hidden Swage Screw**

When the building inspector reviewed the work done, we learned there can’t be a more than a 6+ inch gap between the top railing and the top cable run. So, I had to add two additional cables around the entire deck.

Remodeling our back deck was so worth it…

But in the end it all looks so much better and worth the extra effort! The back deck is everything we envisioned. We can see and enjoy the creek and foliage more easily.

We even found the perfect solar powered railing lamps that illuminate the frame of the deck.

Cable Railing Washers — **Solar Powered Railing Lamps**

We also found an expandable table that ties in perfectly with the Dark Oak stain we chose for the deck posts and railing.

Now we’re enjoying afternoon and evening meals listening to the creek and to birds chirping and watching our resident squirrels do astounding acrobatic feats jumping through the trees off the creek. It’s such a tranquil environment.

If you like this story, check out our kitchen makeover post.