Instructions

• 1). Design the plans for your wood deck. Decide on location, size, look, materials, etc.
  
  
• 2). Clear the outside wall's trim to the height of your planned deck on the side of the house to which your deck will be connected. Then cover the newly exposed surface with a waterproof membrane.
  
  
• 3). Mark the location of your ledger and drill wood spacers at intervals of about 1 or 2 feet to the wall under the demarcated ledger line. Then align your ledger with the tops of the spacers and attach to the side of the house using a 1/2-inch lag screws.
  
  
• 4). Attach a strip of waterproof membrane to cover the top of the spacer blocks and ledger and extend up the wall for a few inches. Then cover the waterproof strip on both the surface of the ledger and wall with one strip of metal flashing, and secure it in place with nails spaced at about 6 to 8 inches apart. Using joist hanger nails, secure double-joist hangers to each end of the ledger, level with the bottom edge of the board.
  
  
• 5). Now mark the perimeter of your planned deck with strings and dig holes in each planned footing location. Regardless of your slope, these holes will have to go deeper than the frost line--at least 1 or 2 feet.
  
  
• 6). Place your deck posts into each hole and measure each post to the height of the deck, keeping about a foot of extra post on each end to be cut off later. This will mean that the posts on the lower end of the slope will have to be longer than on the top end of the slope.
  
  
• 7). Pour concrete in the hole around your deck's footing and allow to dry about one week. As it dries, continually adjust to keep the posts even, using a level.
  
  
• 8). Mark the locations of your support posts with string and follow the same above process: dig holes, insert posts, cut off 1 foot above the deck height, and fill the hole with concrete, keeping the post level.
  
  
• 9). Use string again to determine the necessary lengths of your deck beams and planks and obtain the required numbers of these at the appropriate length.
  
  
• 10
  
  Secure the deck beams to the posts with 3-inch nails of bolts, framing both sides, and then attach your deck planks or floorboards over the top using wood glue and nails.
  
  
• 11
  
  Stain and finish according to taste and allow to dry. Your slope has now been decked.