I’ve been trying to think of a way to raise the level of my patio to meet the sliding glass door on a budget for some time. Over the years and the good intentions gone bad from a friend moving dirt around in my patio area several years ago, the dirt and water causes a huge mess when it rains. It has the appearance of a small pond after a heavy rain. Well, maybe not a pond; more of a huge mud puddle.
Years ago I had a Jacuzzi on a deck that I built beside the concrete patio. It didn’t flow well then and I’ve talked about using pallets or scrap lumber to build it up and blend the area more. (I got rid of the Jacuzzi a while back.) As luck would have it, one of my BFF’s dad had some pallets in his barn and said I could have them!
Day 1
What does any Dimestore Diva do? We loaded up the truck and moved them to the Gypsy Hut! Also known as my humble domain, me casa, crib, cottage, dwelling, home. Moving these heavy pallets from the upstairs level of a barn and hauling them to my house was very tiresome. We definitely got a good workout that day!
So, after we load and unload, we sorted through and used the best ones for the base. The original plan was to use leftover hardwood flooring (also donated by Du’s parents) to fill in the gaps between the pallet boards. I suggest if you plan to use pallets, make sure they are the heavy duty type. We were steadily cutting pieces to fit into the spaces and trying to disassemble the other pallets. Remember, pallets are built to hold a heavy weight for shipping, thus they are NOT EASY to dismantle.
Day 2
My friends were supposed to be bringing more scrap hardwood pieces for the completion of filling in the gaps. What a nice surprise when they showed up with decking boards! Their logic is decking boards aren’t the main expense of building a deck and the foundation was there from the pallets. We spent about four hours drilling screws into the deck boards connecting them to the heavy pallets below. The result is pretty awesome and on a budget! I still have some finishing touches to do and we have a few more boards to complete, but the bulk is finished. I owe these guys for sure!
These two BFF's are Exhausted!
I think the next pool party and cookout will be much more enjoyable! However, now I realize how desperately I need new patio furniture. I see more thriftstore shopping in my future!
What you need!
Awesome Friends! (time, muscle, and ambition)
Pallets ( these can also be found free on Craigslist. Make sure you get the quality/heavy pallets for the Deck frame)
Deck boards
Deck screws
Power Drill
Love this. Thanks for breaking down the steps. I too have been on a similar mission, sans the pool. I have the pallets, but was unsure and debating between filling with free scrap wood, or springing for decking boards... I'm just as thrifty as you Diva. But it wasn't the thrift that was wigging me out, it was the labor and results. I really like your results. Now I can spend some time on Saturday, and finish my project. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tracey! The scrap wood was very time consuming. Definitely go with the decking boards and a little help from your friends!
ReplyDeleteThe guys really look exhausted, but the end result certainly looks great! Now you have an area to hang out in after taking a dip in the pool, or eat outside so you don’t get the house wet during your swimming sessions. Have fun with your new deck!
ReplyDeleteAwesome friends and the right materials – that’s all you needed to get this project done. Yeah, your BFFs look “convincingly” exhausted judging that photo. But you have to give them props for making such a wonderful deck. Good job to all of you! David @ DAL Builders
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ReplyDeleteThe photo may have been a little staged but they were tired. I really do have some awesome friends and a year later I can report that the deck is holding up great! I recently had my brother build a pergola for me as well!
ReplyDeleteWhen you layed the pallets, did you bolt them together?
ReplyDeleteMalenurse, we didn't. There was a concrete slab patio there so they layed nice and snug together.
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