Wood Deck Design Detail #15: 3D CAD Drawings and Completion Renderings u2014 DIY Dad

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ud83dudcda Wood Deck Build Log u2014 4 of 19

u2190 Design #14: Materials List u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Build #31: Foundation Pt.1 u2192

2026 Update from DIY Dad: Final Planning Phase u2014 Preparing for Construction
Design Log
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2026 Update from DIY Dad: Final Planning Phase u2014 Preparing for Construction

Most Important

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Pressure-Treated Deck Lumber

Pressure-treated lumber is the baseline u2014 skip it and you’ll be rebuilding in 5 years.

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The latter half of the planning phase. Planning continued through 2018, but the final design was locked in and construction preparations were complete. The major design change was switching the structural skeleton material to steel scaffold pipe.

Why Steel Scaffold Pipe for the Skeleton

I changed the skeleton from the originally planned aluminum square tube to steel scaffold pipe (u03a648.6 mm). The reasons were cost reduction and ease of sourcing. Scaffold pipe is available cheaply at any home center and can be freely assembled with clamps.

The downside is that it can rust, but this is addressed with a rust-proof paint coat before construction. The structural strength is also more than adequate u2014 it’s a proven choice for wood deck skeletons.

Final Design Specifications

DIY Dad’s final confirmed wood deck specifications:

Decking: Serangan Batu hardwood, 20 mm thick u00d7 120 mm wide
Skeleton: Steel scaffold pipe + clamps
Deck floor size: 4.5 m wide u00d7 2.4 m deep
Roof: Polycarbonate corrugated sheet (pergola structure)
Railing / fence: Serangan Batu hardwood
Stairs: 2 steps

The long planning period meant very few construction mistakes. “Take your time planning and build it right” rather than “rush in and fail” is the DIY Dad way.

Timing Your Material Orders

Hardwood is purchased from online specialty stores, and lead times can be 1u20132 weeks. The best approach is to place the order before construction starts so the wood arrives just as the skeleton is going up.

Design Log

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Deck Stains & Waterproof Sealers

Stain every 2u20133 years. It’s the single cheapest way to double deck lifespan.

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Hi, I’m DIY Dad.

Continuing with the exterior renovation series. The cost estimate came together, so let’s move on to buying materials u2014 or so I’d like to, but the worrier in me wants to verify there are no errors in the plan before purchasing anything. A calculation mistake means wasted time, effort, and money.

So I turned to a useful tool: 3D CAD. I had been working from rough hand-drawn sketches, but if the design can’t be drawn in CAD, the thing can’t be built (meaning there’s an error). CAD requires exact numerical inputs for every parameter, so it forces you to be precise.

I started modeling but abandoned it partway through u2014 the file got too heavy and the software slowed to a crawl. As a result, some of the members and dimensions in the model don’t exactly match the final design, but let’s just pretend not to notice. Here it is, shown step by step: