2 days, 10 hours, 7 people, 12 tacos, 2 dogs and a rotisserie chicken later, we have a deck! And all for about $55
All summer I was scratching my head trying to figure out how to create an outdoor space for as close to free as possible. With a new puppy and a busted fridge, money was tight and a patio was a luxury I was just gonna have to do without... Until we found free wood.
Check out the video on YouTube!
While on the phone with my mom, she mentioned some wood my step dad had managed to save from the dump. We had to clean it up and haul it away but it was FREE! And as if it couldn't get any better, it wasn't just any wood; it was treated lumber and composite decking. Music to my ears!
“We had to clean it up and haul it away but it was FREE!”
Fitz the dog enjoyed munching on some spare sticks.
Measuring the placement of the deck.
Side view.
Framing the deck
Once we had the materials, we measured the space and calculated how big we could make the deck. We had enough wood to do a 10ft x 20ft deck. We used the treated lumber and built the platform; making sure to put some rocks and pavers under the wood to keep it up off the ground (this prevents the wood from sitting in water and rotting). We really had to work hard to make sure this was level. Our backyard is notoriously uneven and leveling a wooden frame was no easy feat.
Building the deck
Finally it was time to lay the boards! They were a little warped from years of neglect so it took some muscle power to keep them aligned. But once the screws held them in place it was smooth sailing!
Pro tip: Pre drill holes in the composite before adding screws to prevent the material from warping around the hole. This can be difficult to walk on as it raises the surfaces slightly.
Chase + Dom installing the boards.
Finishing touches
In a few hours we finally had a deck and it was just about free! In the coming weeks we were able to add a privacy fence using some leftover composite, and I painted the risers to add a nice clean edge.
Enjoying a family dinner after a long day of work.
Finishing touches on our new deck!
How did we do? Not bad for almost free! Ready to tackle your outdoor space?
Your friendly neighborhood DIYer,
Bailey
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