Before you drive the first nail

[Bobby Parks]

The more thought involved ahead of time, the less problems and better result you'll end up with. First of all it's important that a deck has been designed in an interesting and functional way that allows for all the features a particular customer desires. From a carpenters standpoint, I think a mental build of the project has to occur before cutting the first board.Standing in front of the work site viewing the plan and thinking thru the design. Make sure it looks as though everything should work as planned to avoid a hold up or change that will be more difficult to address later. It is not a bad idea to check the material take off against whats in the wood pile to avoid a hold up once your're rolling. Its like anything else really, you just have to plan well.

[Kim Katwijk]

I think that listening is the first and Most important thing in designing. second would be how to coax the information you need out of your potential client. I try to break my decks into activity areas and design first or function them for form. Each activity such as dining, cooking, sitting, viewing conversation pit, ingress and egress, playing area, lounging area, privacy issues, featured attractions, and the list could go on need a certain amount of square footage to be functional take dining for example a 10 x 10 deck leaves little room for the table for six and guess. I find 10 x10 way to restrictive. where a 12 x 12 is tight but will work. You need to know what type of table and chairs are going to be placed in this dining activity area. Coaxing this information from your client is the key to starting a great design.

[jbjbuild]

I like to make detailed construction drawings of all my decks before driving the first nail. Not only does it help with the design, but I can work out all the different construction problems & challenges on paper. A lot of times I will use the dimensions of angles from my cad drawing to set my miter saw and they will turn out perfect in the field.
I think the extra time spent in planning and drawing is well worth the effort and I think that time is gained back in the field by not having to figure thins out on the spot, also you make less mistakes that have to be corrected.
Jeff

[Andy Engel]

I think the first thing to do before driving a nail is to read the magazine so you know what type of nail to use and how to drive it. <G>

Have a good weekend, gents.

[John Hyatt]

Hi Ya Andy!! First thing I do is get 1/2 the money up frount. John yucking it up

[Clemens]

Hey John,
Hope you will join us at the deck expo. ( George from East Teak will be there too)
Clemens

[Andy Engel]

Hi Ya Andy!! First thing I do is get 1/2 the money up frount. John yucking it up

Yeah, especially dealing with me. Good to see you here.

[Bobby Parks]

I realize our businesses vary , BUT SAY AGAIN?

Bobby Parks

[Bobby Parks]

The previous seemingly meaningless message was a response to a post that has sense been removed

Bobby

[PonY]

ARRrrr... ghh .. What is this "drive the first NAIL" stuff??.. Nail?.. Deck Screws Is preferred by my customers...

lol...

PonY out...
________
grape ape pictures (http://trichomes.org/marijuana-strains/grape-ape)

[Bob Bulick]

Figure of speech us old guys use. Obviously you're a young whipper snnaper.