When we last left off in our deck saga, I was battling the heat and steadily fastening screws across the center of the deck. Since that stage of the project, I continued the repetitive but necessary work of securing the boards until the middle of the deck was fully laid and screwed into place. I was relieved to finally have more solid decking underfoot and fewer dangerous gaps to worry about.
The remainder of the board installation was more of the same—measuring, aligning and fastening—but I hit a point at the end of the deck that required a little extra planning. When you reach an open edge, especially if you’re adding a picture-frame border, it’s smarter to position all the boards first and then trim them in place with a circular saw. Cutting the boards after they’re laid gives you a cleaner, more consistent edge than attempting to measure and cut each board individually before installing them.
With the rough edge screwed down, I set a miter-cut frame piece in place and used it to mark a clear guide line for the circular saw. Before cutting, I set the saw depth to 1 3/4″ so it would cut through the decking boards without gouging the girders below. Then I made the cuts, stopping occasionally to steady the saw and make sure the line stayed true. I left the last board uncut because it was part of the picture-frame trim and had already been mitered before installation.
After sanding the cut edges to smooth them, I dropped the end piece into place and was pleasantly surprised at how neat it looked. Cutting the straight end was straightforward; the angled section took more time. My geometry skills were a little rusty, so I did a few test cuts on scrap wood to find the exact angle where the picture-frame boards should meet.
Once I dialed in the angle, I repeated the marking-and-cutting process for the second piece. The edge came out clean, if a bit sawdusty, and the final frame fit together nicely. I’m proud I managed to get everything right without ruining any of the actual deck boards—only the scrap pieces volunteered as practice material.
Seeing the completed end and the picture-frame detail made a big difference. That small finishing touch instantly made the deck look more polished and professional. With the boards all down, I felt a real sense of accomplishment. There were moments during the build when I doubted I’d make it to something that actually looked and felt like a finished deck, so this felt especially satisfying.
In the current photos you can also see the two zippered seam details we created. We plan to center the dining table between those seams, as Sherry did in her rendering, which will help the seams read like an intentional built-in detail once the boards are sealed and the space is furnished. We’ll share closer seam photos after we seal and style the deck so you can see how the effect really pops.
With the decking complete, the next items on my to-do list are the railing and the stairs. I have them in the back of my mind throughout this project because they require precise measurements and will be carefully reviewed by the inspector. I expect some careful math and planning will be necessary, and I’m bracing myself for the work ahead. Will I run into problems? Time will tell.
Anyone else tackle a DIY project recently and feel like a minor superhero for getting through it? Even small wins—like clean cuts and snug-fitting trim—can feel huge when you’re doing the work yourself.
Psst—Want to catch up on all of the deck action? Here’s where we shared our vision for the space, then we removed the plantings and the old balcony, followed by selecting our materials and documenting our first day of building progress. Then we dug our post holes, learned that we failed our first inspection, revised our plan and dug more holes (which got approved) and proceeded to set posts. Next it was time to install our joists, do a bunch of last minute prep for deck boards, get started laying decking boards, whip up a mood board with our design plan and continue laying deck boards. Whew—you’re all caught up.