Tag: washington dc deck design

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How to Build a Round Deck

Step 1: Build a square deck.

Step 2: Cut off all the corners.

In all seriousness, building a round deck isn’t all that different from building a rectangular deck. I’ve designed several. The basic framing has the same considerations as any other deck. You need appropriate footers, ledger attachment, beams, joists, and railings. I have that basic information in this post about building a deck in northern Virginia.

The important thing to keep in mind is that unless you have a curved beam designed and certified by an engineer, a straight beam – or a beam made up of straight segments – is your best bet. This is a curved deck I designed several years ago.

If we orbit the model to where we’re looking up at the structure of the deck, you can see that the structure is very similar to that of an octagonal deck.

The goal here was to design a deck that would not require an engineer’s stamp to get a permit. As such, we made sure that there was no part of the deck where the joists overhang the beam by more than 24″ and we made sure our post spacing was 8′ on center or less. When the joists were installed, they were run slightly long. The carpenter then set his center point and scribed an arc, cutting the ends of the joists to create a single radius curve.

The joists on this project were 2x10s, so the rim board was a kerfed 2×10 bent into place and attached to the ends of the joists. The deck structure was then wrapped with AZEK composite trim lumber, giving it a finished look.

That’s really all there is to it. With the right design and skillful execution, a curved deck is entirely possible to construct, and looks great.

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Making Multi-Level Decks Work

I’ll be honest, I don’t really care for multi-level decks. They can look stunning, but if they’re not well designed they can be a waste of money. After all, those additional levels can require additional materials and framing. Still, with the right design – and the right budget – they can be made to work well.

Credit: archadeck (click to go to site)

This photo is a rare example of a multi-level deck that works. Let’s take a look at what works here, and what typically makes a multi-level deck not work.

  • The deck is big enough to create good-sized “rooms”. All too often I see people throw a step or three into a deck design to make it a super-cool multi-level deck, when it’s just not big enough. A moderately sized space cut in two doesn’t give you two moderately sized spaces, it gives you two really really small spaces. You can see that the designer of the deck in the photo created a dining space with loads of room for additional people when entertaining, so it actually works.
  • There was a reason to divide the space. If the only reason a deck is split up is because it looks cool, that’s a waste of space and resources. In the photo above the hot tub has its own space, not just for the tub but for seating adjacent to it. That’s pretty cool. It makes sense.
  • The proportions work. The hot tub area is an occasional use, private space; the dining space is more regularly used and public. The proportions make sense, and the deck hasn’t been arbitrarily divided.
  • The deck is still easy to traverse. You exit the house on the raised portion by  the spa, and only have one step down to the dining area. I can live with that. Still, I would hesitate to recommend this deck to an older client, especially one with existing mobility or vision issues. I’m 35 and healthy and I’ve occasionally missed a deck step and wiped out hard. Throw cataracts and a cane into the mix and you’re looking at a recipe for disaster.

I really think that if you want a multi-level deck, or one with multiple functional spaces, a good designer is really important. We can make sure that it all works, because the most sustainable designs are the ones you use and the ones you keep.

Interested in a deck design consultation? Contact me and we’ll set a time!