EASY STEPS TO BUILD A TIERED DECK

There’s enough room on both levels of this deck for you to indulge in a range of activities, meaning you can relax, reflect, energise or entertain. It’s not the garden’s centre of a‡ention, but it is the core from which life in your garden – and you – can thrive.

Gather your supplies

• Lower deck frame

200 x 50mm treated pine sleepers

• Upper deck frame

150 x 50mm treated pine sleepers • Decking 90 x 22mm treated pine

You’ll also need Charcoal decking stain; painting equipment; shovels; drill; various drill bits; 100 and 125mm treated pine ba‡en screws; setout paint; post-hole shovel; spirit level; clamp; quick-set concrete; chalkline; countersinking drill bit; 5mm plastic spacers; 50mm decking screws; circular saw

For you to note

Apply a coat of stain to frame timber and decking prior to installation. Touch up cut ends as required.

Here’s how

STEP 1 Remove grass with shovels and create a level area where deck will sit.

STEP 2 Make perimeter frames for the 2 levels of deck. Lower frame is 2.6m x 2.1m and upper frame is 2m x 1.5m. Screw frames together in corners, using 100mm ba‡en screws. Liˆ frames and sit in desired positions.

STEP 3 Use setout paint to mark positions for post holes. Make holes in corners and halfway along sides of lower frame, and in innermost corner of upper frame.

STEP 4 Remove deck frames and use a post-hole shovel to dig 300mm deep holes for each post.

STEP 5 Reposition lower frame and prop under to make level. Measure for posts. At the corner and along the sides where the upper frame will sit, make posts extend 130mm above frame. Make all other posts 20mm below top of frame. Put posts in position, clamp to hold, predrill and screw together using 125mm ba‡en screws. Concrete in place.

STEP 6 Place upper frame, then predrill and screw through posts into frame, using 125mm screws.

STEP 7 At innermost corner of upper frame, prop under to make level. Cut a post to go into hole at this corner, clamp to frame, then screw together. Concrete post in place.

STEP 8 Install joists into upper frame, spacing them evenly, but not exceeding 450mm apart. Screw through sides of frame into joists, using 100mm screws.

STEP 9 Install joists on

lower deck frame so they are perpendicular to direction of decking. On one side of lower deck, screw into outside of frame then run under upper frame, supporting them by hanging off inside of upper frame with 50 x 50mm cleats cut out of a sleeper. Screw cleats to frame and then into joists. On other side install joists that run the full length of this side.

STEP 10 Use a chalkline to mark for diagonal decking on upper frame. Mark one side of joist so centre of board will sit over corner of frame. Lay first board to meet chalkline, predrill using a countersinking drill bit and screw down.

STEP 11 Cut lengths of decking and lay them across joists. Make sure the boards overhang frame. Use 5mm plastic spacers between boards. Predrill using a countersinking drill bit and screw down every fourth board to hold them in place as you lay them out.

STEP 12 Use chalkline to mark centre of frame and joists on top of boards. Predrill then screw boards down with decking screws.

STEP 13 Use a circular saw to cut off overhanging boards flush with frame. If you don’t have a track saw, as seen here, use a straightedge to guide saw.

STEP 14 Cut decking boards to fit along faces of decking frames. Make top board flush with top of decking. On upper frame, cut second board along its length to fit between top board and lower deck. Mitre joins between boards at the corners.

STEP 10

STEP 5

STEP 6

STEP 13

STEP 14

STEP 7

STEP 2

STEP 11

STEP 3

STEP 8

STEP 12

CONTRASTING LINES OF PLANKING DIFFERENTIATE THE TWO LEVELS OF THE DECK, EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE STAINED IN THE SAME CHARCOAL COLOUR. KEEPING FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS LOW MEANS THEY DON’T IMPOSE ON THE GARDEN AND ITS SUPPORT ACTS, SUCH AS THE BAMBOO GATES. GRAHAM ROSS Let me show you more design tips that can make your garden unique on BHG TV, Fridays at 7pm on Channel 7. (Apologies, may be subject to change) Go to bhg.com.au for more garden tips and tricks.