Yippee! It’s finally finished! Yup, the biggest project we’ve tackled thus far is finally complete. We’ve officially completed the cornerstone of our entire backyard overhaul. We planned, we prepped, we dug, plotted and finally finished a project that took the majority of the summer. It feels good to have a completed deck. So I’m finally back to tell you the end of the tale of the deck.

Let’s start at the very beginning shall we. Almost 2 years ago when we first decided to purchase the house. We knew right from the beginning that a pool in the back yard would be oh so awesome for hot summer afternoon’s gazing from the comfort  of the raft overlooking the lake. Bryan and I both grew up with pools and had always talked about having a pool someday. What didn’t know was that someday was going to come quicker than we’d hoped.

While we loved the idea of having a pool in the backyard what we didn’t love was the giant saucer of a pool floating out in the middle of the yard with a WAAAAY too small platform that made it impossible for sitting. The way it was you were either in or out no lounging on that platform was going to happen EVER. Artificial grass does not exactly say “hey come and sit down on my synthetic grassiness”. Totally not the look or “feel” we were going for. We felt there there were some area there for improvement.

After some deliberation and hours of debating with my father Tony the mastermind behind every major building project that goes on around here we came up with a plan.

Click on the image above to see it super-sized.

With his plan we were aiming to address a few issues that we felt were going on. First the new deck would solve the lack of lounging area that we feel is definitely imperative to a truly relaxing pool experience. Second it would bridge the much higher grassy area of the yard with the much lower rocky area you can see in the first picture. As it was it felt a little bit disconnected from each other and we really wanted the whole yard to flow from the house right on down to the lake front which of course is the main attraction.

Once the plan was laid out the guys got to work digging and setting posts and starting the general construction. You can read all about the progress in these posts here  and here where we first introduced you to our total vision.

But I digress, the deck itself was a huge undertaking not only because it’s well, pretty darn big at almost 16 feet wide by 26 feet long but it also needed to float next to the pool, not attached to it and transition from the grass area to the height of the pool.

To make up the height difference we decided that a couple of different platforms and some steps would be needed to make a smooth transition.

The first steps start right as you make your way through the arched gates my father custom built. On either side they give weigh to two benches perfect for sitting and chatting or as we have found lately are also pretty handy for using as side tables to set a glass of perfectly summery homemade iced tea my mom is famous for.

As you make you way down the deck another two steps transition onto a second platform level with the pool. Where some day we plan to add some chaise lounge chairs and side tables but for now a little baby Adirondack chair set next to some of the most comfortable already owned aqua chairs.

A lot of the details in the deck were super time consuming. Each element took some thought and preparation. Not to mention what felt like 100 trips to Home Depot over the course of the summer.

The arched gate adds some height to break up the long expense of railing across the back yard. Giving it a bit more visual interest, as well as the varying widths on the rails. While on the custom bandwagon we played around with each handrail by hand router the edges for an added layer of detail.

And speaking of playing we’ve already been getting a ton of use out of the deck splashing and playing about. We absolutely plan to get a ton of years out of this baby watching Nik play and laugh by the pool.

So what about you guys, Anyone take on a giant deck project like us that took the majority of the summer? We’re so happy it’s done though!