One
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Two
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Three
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Times a thousand
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Time for another flashback. As I said, the old deck was old, but ... we used it. We were careful not to fall into any holes, we looked up at each other and not down at the ugly decrepeit deck. It was ok. But Twil decided she wanted a HOT TUB. Oh yeah. To get a hot tub, we needed a new deck. Which brings us to this picture.
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The hot tub will be going in this corner. A hot tub is super heavy so this part of the frame is getting some cross braces to strengthen it. You may notice it's floating in midair! Not really, I just raised it up so I can work on it without kneeling. I can't tell you how fucking tired of kneeling on the concrete I became. So I brought the work to me. Just... so high.
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I decided to work to align all the joists with at least one block, because otherwise I'd just be pushing each bay further out of whack. You can see I started on the side hear the center of the patio and worked toward the edge. Then I realized the trouble I was headed toward and put in a center line of blocks.
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Then I filled it in as I could easily reach. Spoiler--each of these intersections will be getting its own supporting block. Yay, more kneeling.
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All blocked in!
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All dropped in.
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It's not super obvious from here, but you can see the previous center section on the right side of the picture? It's been leveled and supported. The new corner section is just assembled and lying on the ground. My method was to make it, then level very precariously with blocks in corners and maybe a couple midspan, then attach it to the previous section with many nails. This corner section is much lower as you can see in the bottom center of the picture. It will get raised up then attached to the frame on the right. That gives me one solid side as a reference.

Like I said all those intersections get supporting blocks. I eventually caught a break when a family friend came over and we turned last round of these blocks into a two man job. He is young and limber and agile enough to get the measurment while standing, passes the caliper to me, I transfer the measurement, cut the board and hand him the caliper and the block, repeat, repeat, repeat.
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The last section of the open space is filled with a frame.

We measured and cut the pieces
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Then we dry fit all the pieces.
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We lifted up the joists and locked them all up with a crosspiece so we could nail one end, repeated on the other end.
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And dropped it into place. After dark. Still not blocked up.
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There were sections around the perimeter that still needed a little frame building. Because I needed to put them in around the posts, that left some parts unbuilt so they could fit. Now I made some boxes and nailed them to the existing frames which were solid and level.
111823
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before
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after (reverse angle, next night, at night)
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Some places got extra reinforcement like more cross braces

before
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after
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This edge, which is the path to the side of the yard, lots of traffic here.
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How will I keep those friction fit blocks in place? I'll surround them with a bed of this.
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I figure I'll fill the frames with gravel, locking EVERYTHING in place. I'll screed it level and it will lend even more support between the supporting frame members. There are no pictures of this because my truck still has this first load of gravel in the bed.

Why is it still in the bed? Because I'm not done overengineering this frame. I thought, what will keep the gravel from leaking out under the edges of the frame? Luck? My good looks? Hahahahahaa! Um, no. This hardware cloth will though. Just enough to pin the bottom to the concrete and a couple staples into the wood, that the weight and jaggedness of the gravel will lock itself in place.
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I then noticed that the blocks on the edge of the frame would not have the benefit of being surrounded by gravel. What would keep them in place. I felt the vertical movement would be secured by gravity, and they're definitely not going to move inward toward the gravel, but out toward the yard? Yeah, that could happen. I was going to put a little steel strap on it just to tack it in place, but then Twil saved the day by suggesting that the skirt/frame around the edge of the deckboards be wider so as to cover the deckboards, all of that 2x4, and the top section of the blocks on the border of the frame. EXCELLENT suggestion!
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There will be more pics to come. I took a bit of a construction break to compose the text and select the pictures for the story to this point. I've been thinking about you, my friends, throughout this project. Many times I wish I'd had the opportunity to consult with you as I worked through this ordeal. And it has been a labor of love, but still an ordeal. I started in April / May of 2017, just about the time I went to the hospital for trouble with my congestive heart failure. And in June 2017, I offered to help my unemployed friend replace the clutch in his only vehicle so he could search for a job. That's another thread, but it definitely took up a huge amount of time and energy after work when I could/should have been getting the deck done.

Anyhow, here's where we are now. The frame is 98% done. I only have a few places to install those screens. Then I can unload the gravel. I drive by the place where I get the gravel on my daily commute, I'll wind up getting a load the day after I empty the truck, maybe one a day (hahahaha, riiiiight).

Once the deckframe is packed with gravel, then the deckboards. I have lots of ideas on that phase of the work. More to come! I welcome your input so, don't be shy. Don't be mean, but .. don't be shy.

Awww, thanks Clodfobble. You're right, Jack is super, super skinny. Was skinny, he died a few months ago, these are some of the last pictures we have of him trotting around doing dog work.

We loved him very much, I absolutely promise you he was not deprived in any way of any food or love or attention.

Did you have to Were you supposed to get a permit for this job?

Chisel off the mismatches in the concrete, fill the cracks, and astroturf. Walking, it would undulate like a real lawn. :lol:

This change in roof design will dump water off both sides instead of the back, isn't that where the foot traffic is?
Lots of stone to avoid pinning the blocks.
Man, that's a lot of work and expense... and you haven't even got the wind chimes up yet.
You Sir, are a glutton for punishment.

Or, this is what the motivation of putting you and your woman into a hot tub on the regular will do. :D

Permit will probably be required for the electrical work to bring 220 V out to the deck, probably will also bring a couple 120V accessory circuits..

I will do whatever grunt work is needed for the electrician.

This.

The change in roof design will shed the water to the sides. One place we walk under every day, and I already have a gutter below the eave and above our heads in that area. Pics of that later