Customer Reviews

Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Decks: A Step-by-Step Manual for Building Decks

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am in the midst of building my first deck which is in fact the first major home project of my life and this book is just perfect. At all levels, especially for beginners! I spent 2 weeks researching almost half a dozen deck building books before I bought this one and so far no complaints.

Pros:
1. Step by step directions with tons of glossy magnified photos (not sketckes but actual photos).
2. Complete list of materials required before each project.
3. Gradually increasing difficulty level of projects..the chapters are layed out perfectly with an individuals learning curve.
4. Comprehensive chapters on how to care and repair your deck. I can already see using the care section once my deck is built.
5. Includes everything on decks - design, posts, framing, decking, stairs, railing, hot tubs, levels, simple to complex designs. You name it and this book has it.

Cons:
The section on mixing and pouring concrete for posts is a bit thin. I also bought the Quickrete Concrete Guide, which I would also recommend highly by the way, and it has made up for this minor shortcoming.

Overall a great book on deck building!!

First off, I'm not a builder. I'm a guy with an office job who sits behind a desk all day long. I think the last thing I built was a birdhouse in third grade and it didn't even last long enough to hang it on a tree. So, I knew building a deck was a BIG project. But, this book made it SO easy! The photos are incredible. They don't use sketches and drawings, they have actual photos. The steps are easy to follow and the instructions are clear from the tools needed to the types of screws to use. If you're looking for a how-to guide on decks, this is the best one!

This book is fabulous for anyone who wants to build a deck but doesn't know where to start. My husband and I used this book to build a deck even though we had never built anything this complex before. After looking over the detailed pictures (not drawings) and easy descriptions, we constructed a 16'x22' deck with angles. This book was a great help and I would recommend it to anyone looking to save money by doing it yourself.

The recipient of this gifted book tells me it has been a great help partiularly with ideas of strengthening the frame. No regrets in buying this for a gift!

The reviewers were right on this one, this is a great book for anyone and everyone wanting to build a deck on their own. Everything is step by step with everything explained in layman's terms so you'll feel comfortable taking on the project.