The Dangers of Generic Deck Designs

It is true that you can find generic decking plans for free or cheap online or in stores, but is it a good idea to build a deck from generic plans? We say no. Often, store bought or free plans exclude many important details that are critical to a safe and sturdy deck. For general information, consulting purchased plans is fine, but for building, it is better to avoid major errors and consult with aprofessional deck designer and building company to make sure you are covering all of the necessary bases for the project.

Some common mistakes in generic deck or gazebo plans include:

Stairs

One thing we have noticed is that generic deck building plans really skimp out on stair directions. Deck stairs are frequently traveled and generic plans only provide general assembly directions with an assumption of a certain number of stairs and risers for your deck. In actuality, the deck stairs should be custom designed to meet the specific needs of your deck, yard and family.

Posts

The post directions in generic deck plans tend to lack the reinforcement required to keep the posts secured to thedeck, which is a big issue. We often see generic guardrail posts that are poorly bolted in place and notched too much making them very dangerous.

Railings
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