Deck Rebuild

The original deck started with a small concrete slab right outside the door — likely poured first, then the deck extended outward from there on bare dirt with no proper support. That unsupported side sank badly over time, breaking boards on the deck surface. Railings came off first, then the boards, then everything down to the framing to see exactly what was there.

The original deck — April 2019

Old wood privacy panel

Standing on the deck looking toward the house

Railings stripped — teardown underway

Old framing exposed — rot underneath

The slab side had a concrete base but no hardware anchoring anything to it — posts just sitting on top. The dirt side had nothing at all. New holes were dug, poured with concrete, and fitted with metal 4×4 post bases to keep the wood above ground and properly anchored. That way posts last longer and can be replaced without breaking up the slab. Same method for the mid-span support — something the original completely skipped.

Original post — no base hardware

New post base hardware set into the pad

Beam on new post base — properly supported

All new joists using doubled 2×10s held up by the same metal post-base system — two beams sistered together for a solid, stable platform. Spacing went from 16" on center down to 12" on center specifically to handle the diagonal decking load. Diagonal boards don't span the same way as straight runs, so tighter spacing was non-negotiable. The Azek boards sat in the yard waiting while the frame was dialed in.

Frame taking shape — boards waiting in the yard

Frame further along — fence posts set

Frame complete — ready to start laying boards

Looking down at the joist layout

Frame from the corner — square and level

Azek boards run at 45° from corner to corner — zero maintenance, won't rot, won't splinter. The longest boards cross the full width of the deck. The critical cut wasn't off the outer edge — it was the line where the diagonal field meets the picture frame border. Because the border is a contrasting light gray, that seam is always visible. One wavy cut and the whole design falls apart. Measured carefully, cut once. One of the posts got marked along the way: June 2019, Deck Building.

First boards — establishing the angle

"June 2019, Deck Building" — marked on the post

Most of the field covered

Looking across the diagonal surface

Field nearly complete — border next

The picture frame runs in a light gray Azek around the entire perimeter — a deliberate contrast to the darker diagonal field. That color difference is exactly what makes it look sharp, and exactly what makes the seam unforgiving. Every angled end cut from the diagonal boards terminates right at this border, so the line has to be clean. A fascia board in the same light gray was wrapped around the rim joist on all four sides to finish the look from the yard.

Border board going in along the edge

Border complete — fence panels staged and waiting

White vinyl railing panels installed section by section around the perimeter. Wiring for the built-in post cap lights was run through the hollow railing posts before the panels were locked in — once it's assembled there's no going back.

First panel assembled — wire run through the post for lights

Railing going up — starting to look finished

Looking out from the deck through the new railing

Lights on at dusk — 2022, with the barrel sauna alongside

Months after the deck itself was done, the privacy fence went in along the back — post holes dug, posts set in concrete, panels and lattice tops snapped into place. The fence and the deck railing share the same white vinyl, so they read as one thing.

First post set — hole digger still in the background

Post work from the lawn — deck visible behind

Panels, lattice tops, and gate hardware staged on the deck

First full panel standing

Fence complete — evening light from the deck