The Complete Guide to Decks: A Step-By-Step Manual for Building Basic and Advanced Decks (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library) [Paperback]

Creative Publishing International (Author)

Book Description

Series: Black & Decker Home Improvement Library | Publication Date: February 1999

-- Popular remodeling project for do-it-yourselfers.
-- Includes comprehensive planning tips and techniques.
-- Complies with Building Code and engineering standards.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bryan Trandem, Executive Editor for Cpi's Home Improvement & Gardenting division, has written more than a dozen books, including Building Decks and Advanced Deck Building. He has edited another forty titles for Cpi.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Creative Pub Intl (February 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865731810
• ISBN-13: 978-0865731813
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,519,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most complete guide I've seen, May 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Decks: A Step-By-Step Manual for Building Basic and Advanced Decks (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library) (Paperback)

Tons of photos, very good step by step instructions. Great for the begineer to intermediate DIY'er.

However, be sure to check your local building codes before making any plans. It will save you a lot of money. This book (like most deck building books) are written with people in the North Eastern US in mind. Readers in the South East don't need such deep footers for example. It goes the other way too, the directions for attaching a deck to your home were insufficient for code in my local area.
This book, like most other deck books, focuses on tall decks and really doens't discuss much about ground level decks.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the lot. Joist the book you're looking for!!!, June 6, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Decks: A Step-By-Step Manual for Building Basic and Advanced Decks (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library) (Paperback)

I checked out many books from my library (which did not have this book). This book beats all other deck books I've seen for the following good points: * Awesome pictures & drawings: B&D accomplishes with a picture what others can only do with a drawing. * Great mix of design ideas with how-to detail for each design flare. * Very complete how-to teaching style with a level suitable for beginner to advanced. * Clear, consise writing style.

B&D has fast become my favorite home improvement book source. Their advanced wiring guide is also very good!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for the whole deck, October 30, 2001

By 

Ryan (Olathe, KS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Guide to Decks: A Step-By-Step Manual for Building Basic and Advanced Decks (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library) (Paperback)

This book has great step by step instructions on how to build a deck in general. It also has several start to finish guides (with good pictures) for specific kinds of decks, and the special stuff you do for those.

The one complaint I would have is that the deck was tailored to building a deck with a cantilevered beam. I was building a corner-post deck, and some of the examples didn't show both. (Some of them did, but I could have used more detail.)

I've also heard the Home Depot deck book is good.