Deck

Home Estimate Cost will help you save money on your deck estimate or your home renovation. We offer new construction estimates, renovation estimates and remodeling estimates. We even offer disaster estimates to help you cost out deck repairs because of hurricane, flood, fire, wind and tornado.

We'll help you balance more workloads by preparing your construction project estimate. Save money by cutting out the need to hire extra personnel and lessening overhead expense. Know the price of each project before you get started. Pricing is based on your zip code or largest nearby city and is updated monthly.

If we could be of service to you for writing an deck or framing estimate Contact us with your questions for residential, disaster and insurance related projects.

An attached deck, porch, patio and lanai which are in keeping with the house design usually add to overall pleasing appearance. Thus, any similar attachments to the house after it has been built should also be in keeping structurally and architecturally with the basic design. In such additions, the connections of the deck, porch, patio and lanai to the main house should be by means of the framing members and roof sheathing. Rafters, ceiling joists, and studs should be securely attached by nailing to the house framing.

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When additions are made to an existing house, the siding or other finish is removed so that framing members can be easily and correctly fastened to the house. In many instances, the siding can be cut with a skill saw to the outline of the addition and removed only where necessary. When concrete foundations, piers, or slabs are added, they should also be structurally correct. Footings should be of sufficient size, the bottoms located below the frostline and the foundation wall anchored to the house foundation when possible.

There are many types and designs of deck, porches and patio, some with roof slopes continuous with the roof of the house itself. Other porch roofs may have just enough pitch to provide drainage. The fundamental construction principles, however, are somewhat alike no matter what type is built. Thus, a general description, together with several construction details, can apply to several types.

A typical flat roofed porch with a concrete slab floor. An attached porch can be open or fully enclosed; or it can be constructed with a concrete slab floor, insulated or uninsulated. A porch can also be constructed using wood floor framing over a crawl space. Most details of such a unit should comply with those previously outlined for various parts of the house itself.

Porch floors, whether wood or concrete, should have sufficient slope away from the house to provide good drainage. Weep holes or drains should be provided in any solid or fully sheathed perimeter wall. Open wood balusters with top and bottom railings should be constructed so that the bottom rail is free of the floor surface. Floor framing for wood floor construction should be at least 18 inches above the soil. The use of a soil cover of polyethylene or similar material under a partially open or a closed porch is good practice.

Supports for enclosed porches usually consist of fully framed stud walls. The studs are doubled at openings and at corners. Because both interior and exterior finish coverings are used, the walls are constructed much like the walls of the house. In open or partially open porches and decks, however, solid or built up posts or columns are used. A more finished or cased column is often made up of doubled 2 by 4's which are covered with 1 by 4 inch casing on two opposite sides and 1 by 6 inch finish casing on the other sides. Solid posts, normally 4 by 4 inches in size are used mainly for open porches. An open railing may be used between posts.

The base of posts or columns in open porches should be designed so that no pockets are formed to retain moisture and encourage decay. In single posts a steel pin may be used to locate the post and a large galvanized washer or similar spacer used to keep the bottom of the post above the concrete or wood floor. The bottom of the post should be treated to minimize moisture penetration. Often single posts of this type are made from a decay resistant wood species. A cased post can be flashed under the base molding. Post anchors which provide connections to the floor and to the post are available commercially, as are post caps

A deck and porch balustrade usually consists of one or two railings with balusters between them. They are designed for an open porch to provide protection and to improve the appearance. There are innumerable combinations and arrangements of them. A closed balustrade may be used with screens or combination window.

A balustrade with decorative railings may be used for an open porch. This type can also be used with full height removable screens. All balustrade members that are exposed to water and snow should be designed to shed water. The top of the railing should be tapered and connections with balusters protected as much as possible. Railings should not contact a concrete floor but should be blocked to provide a small space beneath. When wood must be in contact with the concrete it should be treated to resist decay.

Home Estimate Cost provides a detailed written estimate for labor and material for residential remodeling and light commercial. We are an estimate outsource provider for any size project nationwide.

How a building home construction should be remodeled can be determined only by systematically inspecting the house and evaluating any necessary repairs in comparison with the value of the house.

Deck