Our pool deck project... Here's our pool. We had it installed in August 2003. That little ladder just doesn't cut it, and there are some zoning issues with having the ground level around the pool higher than the actual pool. That, and we don't want to find a deer or other animal swimming in the pool some morning. So, we decided we have to put a deck up. Once I started thinking about how great it would be, I realized the ground is really bad- shale... lots of it. It would be nearly impossible to sink that many supports with concrete. It would take me a year to dig them by hand with a post hole digger, and I couldn't reach in there with an auger (see photos on the next page). So, I searched the Internet for plans, and found this web site that has plans for free, plus they make these concrete piers that you can build the deck on top of the ground. The web site is www.deckplans.com. I highly recommend checking them out if you want to build a deck. They have lots of great plans, and a forum where they answer just about any question you can dream up. ...And of course buy their piers. I have seen similar ones at hardware stores, but these are the only ones I've seen with the slots cut in the sides so you can lay your support boards in place. So, I found plans for this really nice deck that goes all the way around the pool, with another part sticking out the side. I like it, except it would cost a bundle, plus, I didn't feel it's necessary to go all the way around the pool, just around one side- the high ground side. Basically, I took their plans, and modified them (see drawing below). This is what I'm basing this project on. My starting point. Gotta move the dirt. All that was in the hole where the pool now is. Side view to show elevation of ground relative to the pool. Yea, that's a campfire ring in the foreground. My amazing artistic talents showing what the deck should sorta look like when it's done. Plans from deckplans.com. They make the concrete piers the deck is going to rest on. Since the ground is heavy shale, there's no way I could sink that many supports with a posthole digger, and no auger will reach in there. The drawing has been modified to match what I want to do. I had to re-orient it to match the layout of our pool, cut half the walkaround deck out, replace it with the existing resin fence railing, and modify the main deck slightly so the corner to the bottom left is straight rather than cut at an angle. I should make note that these plans are copyrighted by deckplans.com, and if they have a problem with my posting them here, modified or original, let me know, and I will gladly remove them from this site. This is only one page of many, so you really should go to their site if you actually want to use the plans, I am only showing one page for block and framing layout purposes. Here's the original plan. They can be found on their web site here. I encourage you to visit their site, so you can get the whole set of plans, and not just this drawing. They have everything you need to build a great deck, and as I mentioned, they make the concrete pier blocks that made this deck possible. [First page] [Previous page] [Next Page]