Remodeling Our Deck For A Better Connection With Nature…

In This Post:

The vision for remodeling our back deck
The demo process
Reframing the deck
Choosing Trex over a wood deck
Two Types of Trex
Installing Trex boards
New railing posts
Installing Cable Railing
The remodel was so worth it
Materials & Cost$:

One of the biggest eyesores of our new home 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 the deck, it became apparent the floor boards and the railings were not salvageable. Thankfully, the frame beneath is in good shape, but refinishing the deck as not going to be possible.

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 process

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 the deck

To lengthen the deck, 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 is dealing with a sloped backyard. This meant no use of ladders. So, I had to be very creative with balance while I worked. Below is an photo of me hoisting up the fascia board using a car strap as a pulley.

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

Choosing Trex over a wood deck

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.

Two Types of Trex

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. You 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.

New railing posts

With the Trex installed, it was time to add the deck railing 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”) cable wire, Protector Sleeves, 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! I found 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**, Angled turnbuckles

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.

The remodel 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.

**Deck Table from Walker Edison, Chairs from Ikea**

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.

Below is a breakdown of materials and costs if you are considering your own deck remodel. If you like this story, check out our kitchen makeover post.