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I decided to rebuild Mike's and Jill's back steps. What was there was rotting, and a couple of the boards were broken, so they had to step over. Not the safest situation. Jill was going to redo them herself earlier this year, but didn't, for various reasons. I had her send me photos, and it looked like she'd be able to handle it. It turns out she wouldn't have been able to, so I'm very glad she didn't try it. Because I couldn't even get it done.
Tuesday night, after we arrived, I drove across the river and picked up supplies at Lowe's. I was just going to replace the deck and the treads of the steps. Six pressure-treated 2x6's and two 2x12's. I knew the joists and everything underneath was rotting, but that was more than I thought I could tackle, and my work would gain them a few years. I thought the work would take two to three hours the next morning.
Mike and Jill don't have a lot of tools. They did have a prybar and a Sawzall, so I was able to get the deck mostly removed, but I hit a major snag. The corner posts went over the top of the deck boards. Even cutting the decking up, I couldn't get them out from under the posts. Then seeing how rotted the structure was underneath, I made the decision to take the entire thing down and rebuild it all. This may have been a mistake. I'm playing different scenarios in my head, and I think there are one or two that may have worked. Maybe.
So I went back to Lowe's (15 min drive, one way) and got more supplies. And did more demolition. I discovered that the frame had been built as a whole and then attached to the house. I was not going to detach or attach anything to the house, so I had to demo and rebuilt with that board in place. You'll notice a two-tone board on the side of the frame in the photo below. This is a result of having to leave that board on the house. But when I tried connecting pieces, I discovered the next part of my plan that wasn't going to work.
I planned on using screws to fasten everything down. Apparently screws are not made for pressure treated lumber. They would not go in. But first I realized I needed some clamps, so I drove to the local hardware store and bought clamps. I thought Mike's drill was kinda small, so I went back to the hardware store to see if they had any bigger drills. The one he has seemed as strong as any, so I bought drill bits to pre-drill the screw holes. The bits were not long enough.
It was at this point I decided I was done. I was out of ideas. Mind you, there was a 2.5-foot drop-off outside their only back door. (Actually, they have another back door, but it's unusable because the latch is broken, and the door is a Pella and would cost $1600 to replace.) But that was my state of mind. So I started to clean up. It was about 6pm, so it was dark. But that gave me some time to think clearly, and I decided that I would buy a nail gun. I've always kinda wanted one, but couldn't really justify it. Partly because they're expensive, but mainly because I honestly don't have that much use for them. But now I had a use, and a real need. So back to the local hardware store.
Once I had the nailer, everything started to come together. I was able to get the side boards on, then the one across the front to make the outside frame. Then the joists inside. I had taken the original ones out and left the joist hangers in so I could just hang the ones in the brackets. Strangely, they were not the same size. I had to notch the corners out to get them low enough. But I got it, and then started on the steps.
The last time I was at Lowe's I got four three-step stringers. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the original configuration well enough to recreate it, but I also don't think Lowe's (or Home Depot, which I also visited that day) had exactly what I needed, so. I did the best I could. Which was kinda half-assed.
It took me quite a while to get the stringers lined up (the pieces at the ends with the cutouts that the steps sit on). I had to figure out how high to make them - the top step should be about ten inches down from the top of the deck. But then the bottom of the stringers were not near the ground like the originals were. That's the part I'm mystified by. But there was a ready supply of bricks, so the stringers are now resting on a short stack of bricks. And there are no supports for the treads in the middle, so they bounce. It was also a bit of work getting the two sides level with each other.
Notice how the top step seems the right distance below the top of the deck. And the next step down is too close to the one above it. And the bottom step is much too high above the ground. I have no idea how that all should have gone together, except I guess I would have needed stringers with another step. I don't see any of those at Lowe's, but maybe I didn't look hard enough. Hmm, online search says that store did have them. :-( I definitely would have gotten them if I'd seen them.
That was yesterday. This morning I went over to cut the deck boards and nail them down. Then it was finished. Or as finished as I was going to make it.
So now Mike has to hire someone to finish the job. To redo the steps and add the posts to the corners, with railings between (the posts and railings are there). And we'll pay for that. I was surprised to learn that I put $350 into materials (not counting the tools). They say every project needs three trips to the hardware store. I beat those odds, since it turned out to be five trips to two different stores (not counting one more to get some cash back on lumber I didn't use). They also say any good project needs a new tool, so that worked out. Or is it just Cindy who says that.
I had many problems. One was that I should have taken photos to reference at the hardware store, or to just remind me how to put it back together. I didn't have my own selection of tools. Just the bare minimum of what I thought I'd need. I was tired from the day before, and didn't sleep well in the hotel, so my brain wasn't at its best. On top of that there was the stress and the time crunch that didn't make things easier. There were many things I thought of the next day that might have made things easier. One small example - I kept going up and down the stairs to put battery packs on the charger. Why didn't I bring the charger upstairs?
And early in the day, I wasn't thinking about buying tools. The first obstacle I hit was getting the deck board out from under the post. I maybe could have just bought a chisel, and broken the decking out from under it. But instead I decided to demolish the entire thing.
But now it will be all-new, and it will last for many years. I just hope we can hire someone to finish the job soon.
Tuesday night, after we arrived, I drove across the river and picked up supplies at Lowe's. I was just going to replace the deck and the treads of the steps. Six pressure-treated 2x6's and two 2x12's. I knew the joists and everything underneath was rotting, but that was more than I thought I could tackle, and my work would gain them a few years. I thought the work would take two to three hours the next morning.
Mike and Jill don't have a lot of tools. They did have a prybar and a Sawzall, so I was able to get the deck mostly removed, but I hit a major snag. The corner posts went over the top of the deck boards. Even cutting the decking up, I couldn't get them out from under the posts. Then seeing how rotted the structure was underneath, I made the decision to take the entire thing down and rebuild it all. This may have been a mistake. I'm playing different scenarios in my head, and I think there are one or two that may have worked. Maybe.
So I went back to Lowe's (15 min drive, one way) and got more supplies. And did more demolition. I discovered that the frame had been built as a whole and then attached to the house. I was not going to detach or attach anything to the house, so I had to demo and rebuilt with that board in place. You'll notice a two-tone board on the side of the frame in the photo below. This is a result of having to leave that board on the house. But when I tried connecting pieces, I discovered the next part of my plan that wasn't going to work.
I planned on using screws to fasten everything down. Apparently screws are not made for pressure treated lumber. They would not go in. But first I realized I needed some clamps, so I drove to the local hardware store and bought clamps. I thought Mike's drill was kinda small, so I went back to the hardware store to see if they had any bigger drills. The one he has seemed as strong as any, so I bought drill bits to pre-drill the screw holes. The bits were not long enough.
It was at this point I decided I was done. I was out of ideas. Mind you, there was a 2.5-foot drop-off outside their only back door. (Actually, they have another back door, but it's unusable because the latch is broken, and the door is a Pella and would cost $1600 to replace.) But that was my state of mind. So I started to clean up. It was about 6pm, so it was dark. But that gave me some time to think clearly, and I decided that I would buy a nail gun. I've always kinda wanted one, but couldn't really justify it. Partly because they're expensive, but mainly because I honestly don't have that much use for them. But now I had a use, and a real need. So back to the local hardware store.
Once I had the nailer, everything started to come together. I was able to get the side boards on, then the one across the front to make the outside frame. Then the joists inside. I had taken the original ones out and left the joist hangers in so I could just hang the ones in the brackets. Strangely, they were not the same size. I had to notch the corners out to get them low enough. But I got it, and then started on the steps.
The last time I was at Lowe's I got four three-step stringers. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the original configuration well enough to recreate it, but I also don't think Lowe's (or Home Depot, which I also visited that day) had exactly what I needed, so. I did the best I could. Which was kinda half-assed.
It took me quite a while to get the stringers lined up (the pieces at the ends with the cutouts that the steps sit on). I had to figure out how high to make them - the top step should be about ten inches down from the top of the deck. But then the bottom of the stringers were not near the ground like the originals were. That's the part I'm mystified by. But there was a ready supply of bricks, so the stringers are now resting on a short stack of bricks. And there are no supports for the treads in the middle, so they bounce. It was also a bit of work getting the two sides level with each other.
Notice how the top step seems the right distance below the top of the deck. And the next step down is too close to the one above it. And the bottom step is much too high above the ground. I have no idea how that all should have gone together, except I guess I would have needed stringers with another step. I don't see any of those at Lowe's, but maybe I didn't look hard enough. Hmm, online search says that store did have them. :-( I definitely would have gotten them if I'd seen them.
That was yesterday. This morning I went over to cut the deck boards and nail them down. Then it was finished. Or as finished as I was going to make it.
So now Mike has to hire someone to finish the job. To redo the steps and add the posts to the corners, with railings between (the posts and railings are there). And we'll pay for that. I was surprised to learn that I put $350 into materials (not counting the tools). They say every project needs three trips to the hardware store. I beat those odds, since it turned out to be five trips to two different stores (not counting one more to get some cash back on lumber I didn't use). They also say any good project needs a new tool, so that worked out. Or is it just Cindy who says that.
I had many problems. One was that I should have taken photos to reference at the hardware store, or to just remind me how to put it back together. I didn't have my own selection of tools. Just the bare minimum of what I thought I'd need. I was tired from the day before, and didn't sleep well in the hotel, so my brain wasn't at its best. On top of that there was the stress and the time crunch that didn't make things easier. There were many things I thought of the next day that might have made things easier. One small example - I kept going up and down the stairs to put battery packs on the charger. Why didn't I bring the charger upstairs?
And early in the day, I wasn't thinking about buying tools. The first obstacle I hit was getting the deck board out from under the post. I maybe could have just bought a chisel, and broken the decking out from under it. But instead I decided to demolish the entire thing.
But now it will be all-new, and it will last for many years. I just hope we can hire someone to finish the job soon.
Thoughts
Date: 2025-10-24 06:03 am (UTC)From:It took me most of a day to replace a wire mesh panel for a yardwork job. I made a mess of it, but it's holding. Done is better than perfect. I did get a construction staple gun out of it, though, and that thing works quite well ... when I'm not wedged into a tight space on my back with no leverage.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-10-26 08:36 pm (UTC)From: