COMPUTER DESIGN CENTER

A s do-it-yourself projects go, building a deck is among the most complex. Weyerhaeuser intends to make the process less daunting with its computerised Design Centre. Poised in front of the computer’s screen, homeowners plot the deck’s outline and then progress to a finished plan, requiring only the help of a home centre employee trained in using the system. You can save time and money by not having to make repeated trips to the lumberyard to buy or return materials due to inadequate plans.

D Do-it-yourselfers can quickly exp explore different designs. The system ca can design one- or two-level decks th that are square or rectangular. It can also yield decks with cutout areas or ones that are U-shaped or L-shaped. Any design can have decking (flooring) 90 degrees or 45 degrees to the f framing. Baluster spacing is d determined by the system, and you ca can choose from ten different W Weyerhaeuser balusters and railings.

To inspect a design, you can rotate it on o the computer screen, examining it from fr above, below, or from any angle. You can focus on part of the deck – its stairs, for instance – and zoom in for a closer look, then zoom back.

When finished designing, you can request a three-page computer printout that includes the following: a perspective drawing of the deck with the materials cost on the day the deck was designed, a colour-coded framing plan that includes the length to cut support posts (based on level ground), and a materials list that includes lumber, masonry materials, and hardware.

Most construction questions the plans don’t answer can be resolved with a Weyerhaeuser brochure for prospective deck builders, titled, naturally, “How to Build a Deck”. Remember, municipalities often require a building permit to build a deck, the plans for which need to be submitted for review.