Before we get into this week’s deck update, we have to say: HOLY COW—your homes are amazing. So many of you sent in photos inviting us to crash your houses while we’re in Atlanta for the Haven conference, and we wish we could visit every single one of you. We’ve already mapped out as many house-crashes as we can fit into our trip, and while we’re disappointed we can’t meet everyone, we might be back this fall for a book tour. Huge thanks to everyone who offered to let a toddler, a chihuahua, and two curious bloggers poke around.
Back to the deck. I’m proud of this post title: it contains not one but two deck puns about our latest progress—leveling and digging. Following up on Deck Day #1, Day #2 didn’t produce a dramatic update on its own, so we combined a bit of Day #2 and Day #3 into this post. The highlights: a completed ledger board on the house and all the post holes dug—so here’s a clean recap of the last few workdays of deck building.
You may remember we left off with one ledger board mounted on the brick side of the alley and the siding side prepped for its ledger. The ledger is a key structural element that supports joists and ties the deck to the house.
The first task on Day #2 was to hang the other ledger board against the house. After measuring and marking where each joist hanger would sit so we wouldn’t place bolts in those locations, we used a little diagram to align the hangers to match the brick side. Clara contributed the artistic crayon scribble on the plan.
The ledger itself was a 17-foot 2×8, which made it awkward to handle, but my dad and I got it leveled and screwed into place using temporary blocking and clamps. This time the bolting went quicker because we were fastening into wood rather than brick and used 6” lag screws, so installation moved smoothly.
With the ledger in, we added joist hangers next. Our goal that day was to dig the post holes as well, and since it was still early we figured we could get the hangers done quickly. We installed every third hanger first to make use of our level’s full length, then filled in the ones between—an easy but somewhat time-consuming part of deck construction.
We had our usual audience watching from the back door. For reasons only a toddler understands, the cheering section had shed most of its clothing (except for a blue cloth diaper). My wife stayed clothed and invaluable—helping with photos, coordination, and Clara-wrangling throughout the day.
By early afternoon we had all the hangers installed on one side of the house. Hungry and running a bit behind schedule, we paused for lunch and then focused on laying out post hole locations. Our inspector only needed to see footings at this stage, so digging the holes was the priority.
Planning the post layout looked straightforward on paper. The supplied 3D rendering helped visualize the underside of the deck, showing two posts at the far end, two in the middle of the stair run, and two more at the bottom of the stairs. Translating that into marks on the ground was a bit trickier.
We first determined where the deck end would be and decided the stairs would angle out at 45 degrees. Using string tied between bolts hammered into the yard, we staked straight lines to define the deck perimeter and stair placement.
For stair layout we used an online stair calculator to confirm run and rise, then debated different stair styles. We considered flared stairs and even a mid-run landing, but space (and seven treads) made a simple straight run the best option. We later shifted the stair stringing five inches away from the house and left room beside the steps for a plant buffer so the AC unit wouldn’t be obstructed. We also plan to convert the short deck railing to a built-in planter box to add greenery.
By 5pm, two solid days of work had caught up with us, so we postponed digging to another day. A few days later my dad showed up with a rented two-man auger from the tool rental center—enter Deck Day #3.
Having learned the hard way digging fence holes by hand, we opted for power this time. The two-man auger made the job far quicker. It cost about $60 for a four-hour rental and was straightforward to use: start the engine, set the bit in a shallow pilot mark, and hold steady while the auger does the work. We made sure to call Miss Utility first to locate any buried utilities before we started digging.
The auger does most of the lifting, but it still required both of us to steady it and occasionally pull it out so the loose soil could be cleared. Physically demanding? Yes. Faster and more efficient than digging entirely by hand? Definitely.
We did have a small hiccup: the rental bit was 8 inches wide while our local inspection requires 12-inch footings. After augering we widened and cleaned each hole manually with a shovel and post-hole digger to reach the required dimensions.
Once the holes were clear, we verified they met the inspector’s requirements: a 12-inch diameter and at least 18 inches deep to accommodate our frost line. We actually went to about 21 inches so we could add a few inches of gravel at the bottom for drainage before pouring concrete.
Digging all six footer holes took about two hours—much faster than hand-digging would have been. It was a hot, humid day, so we were exhausted (and sweaty) afterward, but pleased with the progress.
With the footer holes complete, we’re ready to schedule our footing inspection. I feel confident about the layout and dimensions, but inspections always give me butterflies, so send good vibes. Maybe I’ll dress up in my “inspection outfit” or send Burger and Clara out there to charm the inspector.
Have you used an auger for post holes, or do you prefer digging the old-fashioned way? For us, the rental fee was money well spent—much less time and effort than manual digging. If you want to follow along from the start of this deck project, we’ve documented planning, clearing the area, getting a permit, demoing the old deck, and our first full deck day.