How to Install a Ground Level Deck

Foundation

• 1

  Lay out a perimeter that is 8 feet long and 10 feet wide with wood stakes at the corners of the perimeter. Tie string around the stakes, forming a rectangular shape. Using the right angle, ensure that the corners are perfect 90-degree angles. Make adjustments as necessary.

• 2

  Dig holes 12 inches deep, 8 inches wide centering on where the stakes are. Add two similar holes in the middle of the 10-foot span. Place a plastic tube form around the edge of the holes, pressing it into the earth so the concrete will create a solid shape that protrudes 4 inches out of the ground. Pour concrete, one bag at a time, into the wheelbarrow and add water, following the ratio on the packaging. With the shovel, mix the concrete in a figure eight pattern. Pour it into the tube forms. Allow the concrete enough time to dry, according to the manufacturer's instruction. Typically, this takes 24 to 48 hours.

• 3

  Drill into the concrete footings with the drill, using a masonry bit. Drill holes where the corresponding predrilled holes in the post anchors will fit. Using masonry screws, mount the post anchors on the concrete footings.

Frame

• 4

  Cut four, 2-by-6 beams of southern pine 10 feet long. Also cut four 2-by-6 beams 8 feet long. Nail all the beams together in matching pairs, so there are two 10-foot laminations and two 8-foot laminations.

• 5

  Place the beams into their respective places in the post anchors; the 10-foot sections in the 10-foot spans and the 8-foot sections in the 8-foot spans. Put nails through the predrilled holes in the post anchors into the beams.

• 6

  Check alignment with the tape measure and the right angle. Ensure that this perimeter frame is perfectly square and that all four corners are 90-degree angles.

• 7

  Cut 2-by-6 beams to 7 feet, 8 inches. Attach these joists to the frame using the metal mounting brackets. Put the bracket over one end of the joist and position the joist at the proper spot on the frame. Install one joist per every 16 inches.

Decking

• 8

  Lay the 5.5-by-2 boards across the frame you've just created, perpendicular to the joists, and nail them into place by putting three nails in either end and two nails at each point the board crosses a joist.

• 9

  Use a wood that is aesthetically pleasing; southern pine, while sturdy, is a rather plain-looking wood. Consider more attractive woods like western red cedar, redwood or mahogany. Ensure the boards are placed tightly together. Once you've laid them all down, snap a chalk line along the edges of the deck and use the circular saw to trim the edges straight.

• 10

  Sand down the edges and tops of the wood boards, if necessary, with 60 to 80 grit sandpaper.

• 11

  Finish the deck with a sealant meant to prevent water damage in a color of your preference. If you are staining the deck, ensure that it is properly dried before applying the sealant or it will not function properly.