Jack's Backyard

Custom Wood Decks or Whatever You Want.

This is a gigantic deck I made in the early spring of 2005. The homeowner called and asked if I made decks. I'm a little picky about the deck projects I choose to do and prefer to build for people who know my work. She didn't even know I built decks, but she knew she wanted something different and took a chance based on the work she saw on this website.

The area she wanted covered was huge... Almost  1600 sq. ft. Runoff had eroded away a good percentage of her yard over the last 30 years and she wanted the use of her land. At first she wanted a flat deck going out over 38' feet and far enough from side to side to cover your peripheral vision. I thought it would seem like a dance floor. A 1600 sq. ft dance floor! She told me openly that she wanted me to use my creative skills and make a great deck.

This was a big project... After some negotiating we came to an agreement and I agreed to make her flat deck. During the first 2 weeks of the project, it rained constantly and the project was delayed. It was during this time, while sitting in the rain staring at this monster, I decided a flat deck would never do. Finally the rains pushed off and it was time to get back to work. I had a new plan and was anxious to get to work... all I needed was her approval.

She left town for a week... I presented my idea to her as she was rushing off to the airport. "Jack, I hired you because I trust you. Just make it look good." She said. That was the loophole I was looking for. I immediately started on the new design knowing that in a week she might come home and chew my head right off. Needless to say, by the time she came home, I was well under way and there was no turning back. At first she did not see my vision, but as the days went on she began to see the big picture.

All Went Well...The pictures you see here are the finished project. She loved the deck and so did her entire family. I felt a sense of pride I cannot express here. During the build, I had a steady flow of local builders watching my progress. Most were shocked to learn that this gigantic deck did not have a single nail in its construction. That's right... I used decks screws. There are easily 10,000 deck screws in this sweet deck.  There are 268- 80lb bags of concrete at the foundation... all hand mixed. Would I do it again? Maybe....

Click on pictures for larger image