The Houghton yard before
A 1970s house with a cedar deck added in the 1990s, five feet above the lawn on the lake side. The boards were grey and cupped, the railing moved under a push, and the rim joist behind the ledger was soft when probed.
Designing for Houghton
The owners wanted the same footprint widened by four feet so a dining table and a lounge set could both fit, a railing that kept the lake view, and stairs moved from the side of the deck to the center where the path to the lawn ran.
The Houghton structure
The old deck came off down to the soil. A strip of siding and rotted rim sheathing behind the ledger was replaced, then flashed. New footings went below the frost line on undisturbed soil, with the framing at 12 inches on center for a picture-frame border and taped throughout. Lateral load connectors tie the deck to the house floor framing.
Building it in Houghton
Tear-out took a day and a half. Footings were poured on day two, framing completed by day five, decking and border by day seven, railing and stairs by day nine.
The Houghton result
A wider deck that holds a table for eight and a separate seating area, with a railing slim enough to keep the lake in view and stair lights that make the trip to the lawn safe after dark.
Have a tired deck with a view? This is the project for that.