To those of you from the United States I hope your Thanksgiving holiday is a good one. In many parts of the country it's a beautiful time of year and the holiday is always good for "relaxing" with family.
The way I see it holiday's are an investment in experience. In the long run it's the experiences - good or not so good - that we're likely to remember most. Each year Thanksgiving is one such experience - hopefully a good one for you - that you'll always think of fondly.
And that is basic value that I've tried to bring to you with this blog and our website createyourdeck.com...
Whether it's the actual planning or building of your above ground pool deck... or enjoying the finished product... it's all an investment in experience.
Experience that hopefully brings good memories... or maybe good laughs in the face of innocent building mistakes, after the initial frustration... and in the very least it's a learning experience where you're challenged to accomplish something great for yourself and family.
All I've ever tried to do through this blog and our website is to help you have that kind of good experience while building your pool deck... and that kind of experience going forward when you use your pool deck.
Hopefully I've been able to do that for you. And because of people like you, I get to do something I love.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Paul Ottaviano
How to build a deck around your pool
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Pool Deck Plans: Benches
If you're thinking of adding an amenity to your above ground pool deck then consider a bench.
More than likely your bench will be permanently attached to the deck, so go with this only if you're sure that you really want one and it's approved by your local building codes. For instance, codes may require a specific type of bench for your above ground pool deck.
Generally, a "backless bench" is best for a platform deck. So this option might not be compatible with your pool deck.
That said, a bench design that does have a back could possibly work for you.
This design will use rail posts you've already built for the deck as part of the bench framing. Also, the bench can fit into most rail designs and balusters can be left alone.
Here are some basic tips to remember:
But, did you know that attached benches usually cannot have more than 4 inches of open space? Check your local building requirements before designing and building your bench.
Short people's feet should be able to touch the ground and tall people probably don't want their knees sticking into their chest. Heights of at least 15" and up to 18" should work fine.
Planning for little things like focal points and seat heights can make your above ground pool deck a fun environment.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Best regards,
Paul Ottaviano
Createyourdeck.com
How to Build a Pool Deck
More than likely your bench will be permanently attached to the deck, so go with this only if you're sure that you really want one and it's approved by your local building codes. For instance, codes may require a specific type of bench for your above ground pool deck.
Generally, a "backless bench" is best for a platform deck. So this option might not be compatible with your pool deck.
That said, a bench design that does have a back could possibly work for you.
This design will use rail posts you've already built for the deck as part of the bench framing. Also, the bench can fit into most rail designs and balusters can be left alone.
Here are some basic tips to remember:
- Always be safe! Go "off the grid" at your own risk.
But, did you know that attached benches usually cannot have more than 4 inches of open space? Check your local building requirements before designing and building your bench.
- Make sure the seat height is comfortable.
Short people's feet should be able to touch the ground and tall people probably don't want their knees sticking into their chest. Heights of at least 15" and up to 18" should work fine.
- Keep your backyard focal points in mind.
Planning for little things like focal points and seat heights can make your above ground pool deck a fun environment.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Best regards,
Paul Ottaviano
Createyourdeck.com
How to Build a Pool Deck
Friday, October 24, 2008
Building Codes Are Expensive to Ignore
My family has a vacation town home in Oregon. It's a beautiful place to be during the summer and fall.
It's a nice community outside of Portland. The grounds at this place are spectacular!
There are plenty of trees, large grass areas, and a wetland area within short walking distance where geese, ducks, blue herons, and other critters spend their time. It's like living in a park.
Now the buildings people live in are a different story. They were built about 30 years ago and they're some of the oldest residential buildings in the immediate area.
Don't get me wrong, it's a fine place to live and most buildings are sound.
But a crucial mistake was made 30 years ago. I'll get to that in a minute... but first what's happening now...
Many of the units in this community sit on a slope. Most of the units that do sit on a slope are flat top structures with a foundation that has only cement footings. The floor of each unit is about a foot or two off the ground. So the whole unit is held up by only four footings.
After 30 years and that many winters of Portland rain, you can probably imagine what is happening now. The foundation has weakened. Some homes have bend of up to 2.5 inches.
This makes a home difficult to sell here, and it's a safety hazard. So the association here is doing the right thing, it's getting it fixed.
Here's the thing though and the "mistake" that was made 30 years ago... not only is not up to code now, it was not built to code 30 years ago!
Now I don't know if someone working at the county building department back then was negligent, dumb, or corrupt... the original developer and engineer must have been one of those things too.
But in Oregon, the statue of limitations passed a long time ago for cases like this one. So the association is stuck paying the bill.
The contract now calls for additional cement footings underneath the units and helical piers around the outside. Units that need raising will be raised to the maximum recovery possible. This will bring the buildings up to code and reinforce the foundation.
The association did a fine job finding a good engineer and contractor who made a reasonable bid. But it's still relatively pricey, particularly for the younger residents or retired persons living on fixed income.
The moral of the story is this...
Building codes and dealing with building inspectors can sometimes be a real pain in the a**. And some building codes may seem like unnecessary bureaucratic clap trap... some probably are. So it may be tempting to cut corners, especially for something like an above ground pool deck.
But, most building codes are theoretically there for safety reasons and to protect the value of your home. So while it may be frustrating at times, you're usually better off going along with it.
Rest assured, if a building inspector notices you built something that was not up to code... or you try to include your pool and deck in a home sale and it's not up to code... the cost will likely be a lot more than what you may have saved by cutting corners.
And if you hire a contractor to build your pool deck or for any project, insist on seeing the plans and make sure the contractor followed codes before letting him walk away... and double check before the statue of limitations ends.
I imagine our place will be fine and our neighbors will be relieved once it's done. Heck, we might even get a new deck out of it. But it comes at a price and I'm sure everyone would have preferred to spend that money on something else... like a trip to Italy or Hawaii for instance.
So, once again, the point here is this... bureaucratic rules are annoying, sometimes a pain, and some of my libertarian friends think they're totally unnecessary... but it's the world we live in right now and it's the law. Best to build your pool deck with that in mind.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Best regards,
Paul Ottaviano
How to Build a Deck Around Your Pool
It's a nice community outside of Portland. The grounds at this place are spectacular!
There are plenty of trees, large grass areas, and a wetland area within short walking distance where geese, ducks, blue herons, and other critters spend their time. It's like living in a park.
Now the buildings people live in are a different story. They were built about 30 years ago and they're some of the oldest residential buildings in the immediate area.
Don't get me wrong, it's a fine place to live and most buildings are sound.
But a crucial mistake was made 30 years ago. I'll get to that in a minute... but first what's happening now...
Many of the units in this community sit on a slope. Most of the units that do sit on a slope are flat top structures with a foundation that has only cement footings. The floor of each unit is about a foot or two off the ground. So the whole unit is held up by only four footings.
After 30 years and that many winters of Portland rain, you can probably imagine what is happening now. The foundation has weakened. Some homes have bend of up to 2.5 inches.
This makes a home difficult to sell here, and it's a safety hazard. So the association here is doing the right thing, it's getting it fixed.
Here's the thing though and the "mistake" that was made 30 years ago... not only is not up to code now, it was not built to code 30 years ago!
Now I don't know if someone working at the county building department back then was negligent, dumb, or corrupt... the original developer and engineer must have been one of those things too.
But in Oregon, the statue of limitations passed a long time ago for cases like this one. So the association is stuck paying the bill.
The contract now calls for additional cement footings underneath the units and helical piers around the outside. Units that need raising will be raised to the maximum recovery possible. This will bring the buildings up to code and reinforce the foundation.
The association did a fine job finding a good engineer and contractor who made a reasonable bid. But it's still relatively pricey, particularly for the younger residents or retired persons living on fixed income.
The moral of the story is this...
Building codes and dealing with building inspectors can sometimes be a real pain in the a**. And some building codes may seem like unnecessary bureaucratic clap trap... some probably are. So it may be tempting to cut corners, especially for something like an above ground pool deck.
But, most building codes are theoretically there for safety reasons and to protect the value of your home. So while it may be frustrating at times, you're usually better off going along with it.
Rest assured, if a building inspector notices you built something that was not up to code... or you try to include your pool and deck in a home sale and it's not up to code... the cost will likely be a lot more than what you may have saved by cutting corners.
And if you hire a contractor to build your pool deck or for any project, insist on seeing the plans and make sure the contractor followed codes before letting him walk away... and double check before the statue of limitations ends.
I imagine our place will be fine and our neighbors will be relieved once it's done. Heck, we might even get a new deck out of it. But it comes at a price and I'm sure everyone would have preferred to spend that money on something else... like a trip to Italy or Hawaii for instance.
So, once again, the point here is this... bureaucratic rules are annoying, sometimes a pain, and some of my libertarian friends think they're totally unnecessary... but it's the world we live in right now and it's the law. Best to build your pool deck with that in mind.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Best regards,
Paul Ottaviano
How to Build a Deck Around Your Pool
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Floating Foundation for Your Pool Deck
A common question people have when planning an above ground pool deck is, "what foundation should I use?"
As many of you know, decks need a foundation for load-bearing posts. Pool decks are no different. What type of foundation you'll decide to use depends on a few key things.
If you decide on foundations that require digging a hole, be sure to dig according to local building codes, which could be up to 5' or more depending on your building codes and soil.
However, there is any easier way. Consider using the floating foundation for your pool deck.
Many above ground pool deck owners who build a deck use a floating foundation because it does not require digging and you won't have to worry about frost levels.
If you're looking to build a pool deck relatively quickly during the summer season... then the floating foundation is the way to go because the process is much simpler than mixing concrete, digging holes, and dealing with a more complex set of building codes.
The safety record of floating foundations is very good too.
Our eBook How to Build a Pool Deck, uses the common wraparound pool deck on a floating foundation as a step-by-step example because it is the most simple foundation for a pool deck.
Floating foundations are very popular for a reason and if you have limited time during the swim season to get an above ground pool deck up, then this is a very good option for you.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Best regards,
Paul Ottaviano
As many of you know, decks need a foundation for load-bearing posts. Pool decks are no different. What type of foundation you'll decide to use depends on a few key things.
- How high will your deck be?
- The materials you're using.
- The ground's freeze depth.
- How much weight can your soil handle?
If you decide on foundations that require digging a hole, be sure to dig according to local building codes, which could be up to 5' or more depending on your building codes and soil.
However, there is any easier way. Consider using the floating foundation for your pool deck.
Many above ground pool deck owners who build a deck use a floating foundation because it does not require digging and you won't have to worry about frost levels.
If you're looking to build a pool deck relatively quickly during the summer season... then the floating foundation is the way to go because the process is much simpler than mixing concrete, digging holes, and dealing with a more complex set of building codes.
The safety record of floating foundations is very good too.
Our eBook How to Build a Pool Deck, uses the common wraparound pool deck on a floating foundation as a step-by-step example because it is the most simple foundation for a pool deck.
Floating foundations are very popular for a reason and if you have limited time during the swim season to get an above ground pool deck up, then this is a very good option for you.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Best regards,
Paul Ottaviano
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Above Ground Pool Deck Photo's
To those of you who will spend the winter planning your pool deck and would like some visual examples, you can go to our website where you'll see some above ground pool deck pictures we've put together.
Once you're there just go ahead and click on the photo gallery link.
Regards,
Paul Ottaviano
Createyourdeck.com
Once you're there just go ahead and click on the photo gallery link.
Regards,
Paul Ottaviano
Createyourdeck.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Winterizing Your Above Ground Pool
For most of you in the United States and elsewhere in the northern hemisphere now is a good time to start thinking about winterizing your pool.
And for those of you in warmer or temperate climates this information may still benefit you. Here are some basic tips to help you get started.
Before you shut off and drain your pool for the winter, you'll first need to clean and service the pool. Make sure your water chemistry is balanced too.
It's unlikely that algae will be a big problem if you drain your pool. However, you don't need to risk an algae bloom while you're shutting down your pool for the winter. So go ahead and service the pool as you normally do before drainage. Also, consider adding more chlorination than normal or an algicide.
Also, remember that your water won't be circulating during the winter so don't leave chlorine tabs in the water once you shut the pool down.
Next you'll want to shut off the pump, any electrical sources, and gas for the heater if applicable. From there, you'll drain the pool. You don't have to completely drain the pool but it's recommended that you drain at least below the outlet and skimmer level.
Also, make sure you drain all lines and the plug them up for the winter. Don't leave water in your tubes or pipes for the winter. This protects your above ground pools equipment from freeze damage. So make sure you drain your equipment completely.
Once the above tasks are done, seriously consider covering your above ground pool. This will keep your pool clean and help prevent algae. Sheet vinyl is a good cover for the money. And to be on the safe side you may want to lock gates or fences that lead to your pool or deck.
I've simply covered the basics here. But, by using the above information to winterize your pool you'll make the job of re-opening of your above ground pool in the spring much easier.
Enjoy your pool!
Regards,
Paul Ottaviano
How to Build an Above Ground Pool Deck
And for those of you in warmer or temperate climates this information may still benefit you. Here are some basic tips to help you get started.
Before you shut off and drain your pool for the winter, you'll first need to clean and service the pool. Make sure your water chemistry is balanced too.
It's unlikely that algae will be a big problem if you drain your pool. However, you don't need to risk an algae bloom while you're shutting down your pool for the winter. So go ahead and service the pool as you normally do before drainage. Also, consider adding more chlorination than normal or an algicide.
Also, remember that your water won't be circulating during the winter so don't leave chlorine tabs in the water once you shut the pool down.
Next you'll want to shut off the pump, any electrical sources, and gas for the heater if applicable. From there, you'll drain the pool. You don't have to completely drain the pool but it's recommended that you drain at least below the outlet and skimmer level.
Also, make sure you drain all lines and the plug them up for the winter. Don't leave water in your tubes or pipes for the winter. This protects your above ground pools equipment from freeze damage. So make sure you drain your equipment completely.
Once the above tasks are done, seriously consider covering your above ground pool. This will keep your pool clean and help prevent algae. Sheet vinyl is a good cover for the money. And to be on the safe side you may want to lock gates or fences that lead to your pool or deck.
I've simply covered the basics here. But, by using the above information to winterize your pool you'll make the job of re-opening of your above ground pool in the spring much easier.
Enjoy your pool!
Regards,
Paul Ottaviano
How to Build an Above Ground Pool Deck
Monday, September 8, 2008
Football Means The End of Pool Deck Season
When autumn football season starts here in America this usually means the end of pool deck season... unless you live in Arizona or someplace where the weather will finally be more compatible with outdoor home improvements.
Of course, there is nothing stopping you from building an above ground pool deck during the fall or winter unless the weather is very harsh. But for most of us the outdoor building season is past its peak and is nearing a dormant time of year.
For those of you who took on the task of building a deck around your pool this year I sincerely hope everything went well.
It was a busy summer for us at createyourdeck.com too. Many customers, and visitors with great questions. Thanks to the people who took the time to contact us - or took our survey - we learned more about what people like you want in regards to pool deck information.
In the meantime, some of you may not have moved forward with building a deck around your pool this year. But, you still plan on doing it.
You can visit us to get a start on the basics of your pool deck plans. And you can check back here from time to time as I still plan on posting content during the winter.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Regards,
Paul Ottaviano
Of course, there is nothing stopping you from building an above ground pool deck during the fall or winter unless the weather is very harsh. But for most of us the outdoor building season is past its peak and is nearing a dormant time of year.
For those of you who took on the task of building a deck around your pool this year I sincerely hope everything went well.
It was a busy summer for us at createyourdeck.com too. Many customers, and visitors with great questions. Thanks to the people who took the time to contact us - or took our survey - we learned more about what people like you want in regards to pool deck information.
In the meantime, some of you may not have moved forward with building a deck around your pool this year. But, you still plan on doing it.
You can visit us to get a start on the basics of your pool deck plans. And you can check back here from time to time as I still plan on posting content during the winter.
As always, enjoy your pool!
Regards,
Paul Ottaviano
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