How to Make a Hexagon Deck Platform

Prepare the site where you will build, raking or shoveling away any grass or plants, and clearing mounds of soil. Tie a string between two stakes, drive the stakes into the ground and use a level to check that the string is perfectly horizontal.

Map out the plan for your hexagon, using string and stakes. A regular hexagon has six sides of equal length and six 120-degree angles. Measure and adjust your plan until all six sides are equal and the distances between any two opposite sides are also equal. Dig holes at each of the hexagon's corners and fill them with concrete. Set the concrete piers in place, checking your measurements again. Orient the piers so that the square posts they will support will have a flat side facing the interior of the hexagon.

Cut the posts to the height of your deck, measuring from the concrete piers. Along the top eight inches of each post, cut back the wood along one face to create a 120-degree angle. Set the posts into their piers.

Cut six pieces of 2-by-8 lumber to the length of the hexagon's sides. Cut off the ends of each of the pieces at a 30-degree angle so they fit together to form a hexagon. Drive wood screws through the 2-by-8 boards to affix them to the posts, keeping the tops of the posts and the tops of the boards level.

Cut 2-by-8 boards to fit into the hexagonal frame, parallel to one another and spaced about 16 inches apart. Cut the ends of the boards at 30-degree angles, as necessary, for those joists that affix to the angled faces of the hexagon. Drive wood screws through the hexagonal frame and into the joists, at least two per board. Use joist hangers, instead, where the joists meet the frame at a 90-degree angle.

Cut 2-by-4 boards to size to cover the hexagonal frame, laid parallel to one another and perpendicular to the floor joists. Use the L-shaped brackets and wood screws to affix the floor boards to the joists underneath.

Cut six pieces of 2-by-6 boards to the length of the hexagon's sides. Cut down the ends at a 30-degree angle so the boards fit together to form a hexagon. Set the new hexagon on top of the completed deck as a final border. Attach it with wood screws.

Paint or stain the deck with a product designed for outdoor use. Let the paint or stain dry completely.