Having a deck built by a company can be expensive and many people don’t have that kind of money. The good news is that you can easily undertake deck or dock construction as a DIY project. There are some things you can do to make this project happen on a budget and this article is going to talk about some of those things!
Consultation
Before you decide to build a deck on your own, you should try and get a dock construction consultation from a professional. This will give you the best idea of whether or not you’ll actually be able to build a deck. There are quite a few things that need to be a certain way in order for a deck to be safe and working. For instance, not only do you need to make sure that you’re house can support the deck, but you also want to make sure that you have the right kind of land for it. The last thing you want to do is buy all the materials and try to start the building process, only to find out that you can’t actually build it!
Figure Out Floor Plan
After you get your consult, you’ll want to sit down and actually draw up a floor plan. There are a couple reasons why this is an important step. The first is that you want to make sure you know exactly what kind of design and size you want the deck to be. This is definitely not something you just want to make up as you go along. The other big reason is because you want to be able to write down all the materials you’ll need. This is especially important if you’re on a budget and you can’t really afford to just buy a bunch of random materials.
Shop Around for Materials
Next, you’ll want to shop around for materials. Many people who don’t have an exact budget will usually just go with the first store they come across, but people with a budget can’t really do this. Every store is going to have different prices for different materials, so make sure you shop around at a few different ones.
Even if the difference in prices is only a few dollars, it all adds up in the end. If it will save money, you could also buy from a few different stores, depending on which ones have the best prices on the specific materials you need.
Only a Little Help
It can be a little difficult doing the deck as a one person job, so you should have someone help you. With that being said, though, you don’t want to ask too many people for help because many people aren’t going to do this kind of work for free. They’re going to expect some kind of compensation and being on a budget doesn’t really allow that. If you need more than one person, make sure you know what compensation they want beforehand so you can figure out who you can ask. Depending on the kind of friends you have, you could offer to buy them pizza or something similar.
Seal Your Deck
Finally, you’ll want to make sure you seal your deck. Not only will this help keep your deck looking brand new, but it will also reduce the chances of you having to build a complete new one in a short amount of time. The good thing is that most sealants are pretty affordable, so you should be able to easily fit it into your budget!
If you really want a deck but you just don’t have the money to hire an actual company, then you should definitely think hard about doing it yourself. As long as you take your time and make sure you’re paying close attention, you should be able to build a deck that’s just as good as one that’s built from a company!
Author Bio: Douglas Pitassi is a small business blogger and freelance writer.