Deck and Gazebo!

I wanted to show this BIG project we’ve been working on.

First Dan and Bjorn built this deck, and I’d check in on them once in a while and give my input- you know after you stare at stuff for such a long time, you can’t get out of a rut or whatever it’s called, it’s just good to get fresh eyes looking at it once in a while.

Dan cut out the FAITH HOPE LOVE on his CNC router btw

The deck is “floating” it’s mounted into 9 concrete blocks, but otherwise not attached to the house.

Because the deck is 17ft wide and boards are 16ft, we decided to make sort of a picture frame around, so there wouldn’t be any seams and at first we thought of doing it picture style in the corners but after thinking about and looking online, that often splits or separates over the years, so we did straight seams instead.

Dan “invested” in a deck KREG jig that worked GREAT!!

after the initial frame, I’d often help him but putting screws in the holes or handing him tools. You may notice at the picture above that our septic tank cover is underneath the upper corner- another reason why the deck had to be so high!

so the last few boards are cut to fit and will be sort of a lid that just goes on top. we’ve lived here 9yrs and never had septic problems, but you never know! so we need to have access to it, plus there’s also a drainage pipe we had to leave a hole for near the house.

here my little dancer is showing off the deck!

Then it’s gazebo time!!

because of the septic tank cover, we couldn’t exactly put the gazebo pillars centered on the deck but had to go back a bit, but it looks good like that!

But having to make sure the pillars are plum and straight etc was such a pain, but had to be done!!

The week before 4th of July, the 3 older kids had VBS, so Dan and I used every night to work on the roof rafters for the roof for the gazebo.

I’d find the parts and screws etc and read the directions and Dan would do the assembly (with me holding things in place a few times)

Dan also got river rocks and the kids spread them out under the front of the deck- still missing in the gap next to the house. The left and back has the boards hit or go underground.

We got all the roof pieces assembled

and moved to the back yard

it said it was a 4 person job, well it’s more like 4 BIG adults!!

a neighbor had volunteered her husband who’s retired to help and we figured with Dan, me and Bjorn and him it would be fine…

No, it wasn’t… there always had to be one person standing on a ladder in the middle to hold up one roof piece, then the other 3 lift up a 2nd roof piece and the middle guy hold that in place, and someone bolts them together and so on.

Of course it was BAKING outside and I was the one in the middle, not that the roof pieces were heavy to hold in place, it was just awkward and HOT!

Not until our neighbor’s son showed up, he was a big guy over 6ft tall, this guy saved us from a lot of trouble! we got the whole roof finished and it looks awesome!

The gazebo is from costco btw…

So we finished it and had people over for 4th of July (of course forgot to take pics) Now we just need furniture under there, I’m thinking lounge chairs and a small table, Dan wants an electric fire pit or gas and of course he’s thinking of lights, speakers, and a TV! ha ha

It’ll come together soon enough.