This grade-level freestanding deck is supported by metal post anchors and steel plates instead of concrete piers. By Andrew Wormer (see the original article on Professional Deck Builder) (more…)
“The Post Band was developed by doing something that we all should do… listen to our customers. The contractors that install these projects want to give their customers a great experience and finished product. Problem is that wood cracks and it can sometimes be hard to explain to your customer that it is “normal” and “nothing to be concerned about”. The OZCO Post Band can give the contractor another tool and solution to create peace of mind for their customers. As a bonus, we came up with some really great outdoor accessories for the post band as...
Powder-coated fasteners stay rust-free, making them attractive and easy to remove, if necessary. I grew up in one of the most hurricane-prone states. What that means is that I consider storms that are Category 3 and below to be the prime sleeping-in weather. They’re the Florida equivalent of a snow day. Living in this state has also created in me a deep appreciation for quality fasteners. The reason is the 2004 hurricane season, where four hurricanes struck Florida in the span of six weeks. Even the sturdiest structures sustained damage. I spent eighteen months after the storms doing demolition and repair work...
Bolts with sleeves create a cleaner, ornamental look when joining two timbers. I’ve built many boardwalks, decks, arbors, pergolas, and pavilions over the years. Usually, they’re made from four-by-four posts with beams made from two two-by-sixes held on by bolts and nuts sandwiching the boards to the post. The bolts are usually bought in bulk, and are extra long so they’ll be able to reach through any number of boards. This leaves an unsightly three or four inches of threads clearly visible beyond the face of the board. If the bolt is any lower than about seven feet above ground, this...
Wooden fences are a standard for privacy, but a wooden fence with metal posts will last much longer than one built with the usual wood posts. When making the rounds visiting friends and family at their homes this Thanksgiving, I noticed something odd. Everyone’s rear fences had doubled posts with a pale brand new wood posts planted next to an old weathered post. Closer inspection revealed that the old, gray, mildewed posts were nailed to their new neighbors, and these new posts were what was holding the fence up. They were also making it abundantly clear that the fences were old...
Wood post anchors are some of the easiest ways to install a fence post, and offer other benefits, like protection from water and weed eaters. Last week I met up with a nice couple who were looking to have a fence installed. Their home was part of a new subdivision just outside of town that boasted beautiful houses with immaculate yards. Their main request was that I didn’t use cement plugs for the posts because they wanted to be able to easily remove the fence if they decided to go with a different style in the future. Thankfully, there are a...
Gazebo truss brackets not only need to hold up to the outdoor environment, they need to look good as well. Recently, one of my friends invited me to a barbecue. My response was to be instantly wary. As someone who’s worked in construction for over a decade, my friends and family are always inviting me over and then sneakily asking me if I’d mind giving them a quick hand with something. But my buddy assured me he just wanted to put the new gazebo he’d just built to use. Predictably, once he’d thrown the burgers on the grill he pointed up...
A pergola doesn’t have to be large, and can be the perfect solution to a small space that needs livening up. The front of my house used to be very plain. While I did a lot of work in the back, I let the front slide because I didn’t have a lot of room to work with. I kept it neat, of course, but it still wasn’t very eye catching. But a friend helped me realize that just because you don’t have a lot of space doesn’t mean you can’t have an attractive entryway. We decided adding a small pergola would...
With beautiful, tough hardware, some wood, and a good wood stain, you can create the bar area of your dreams. I love reinventing spaces to transform an existing area into something new. The pavilion I built in the backyard recently was a fabulous project, but it lacked one key component: a bar. That’s when my wife had the idea to turn a section of the wooden deck railing into a bar top, complete with bar stools. Genius. Now we can enjoy an outdoor bar under my mini cooking pavilion. This bar top project was actually a bit more involved than I’d expected,...
Our family recently moved into our new home, a lovely Victorian that most would classify as a “fixer-upper.” As a DIY weekend warrior, I classify it as a dream come true, as it’s given me lots of wonderful home improvement projects to delve into on nights and weekends. But the big obstacle for me is finding the right replacement parts and hardware items. What’s more, I have the added challenge of trying to find parts that match the style of my home. I felt especially out of my element when I went outdoors to fix up the fence and gate...
