Wood Deck Vol. 44: Fence Assembly u2014 DIY Dad's Renovation Log

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ud83dudcda Wood Deck Build Log u2014 18 of 19

u2190 Build #43: Floor Boarding Pt.4 u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Build #45: Stair Assembly u2192

u7acau30fbSee the complete Wood Deck DIY Guide

Originally published: 2021-01-19 / Revised: May 8, 2026

2026 Update from DIY Dad: Wood Deck Complete! Finishing the Floor, Fence, and Stairs
Second Half of Floor Boarding
Fence Assembly
Stair Fabrication and Installation
Wood Deck Complete! u2014Full Summary
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2026 Update from DIY Dad: Wood Deck Complete! Finishing the Floor, Fence, and Stairs

Most Important

ud83duded2 RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

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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After all the floor boarding, I attached the fence and stairs to finish the wood deck. A project that took over 3 years from planning to completion was finally done!

Second Half of Floor Boarding

ud83duded2 RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Deck Stains & Waterproof Sealers

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

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Once all the floor boards are laid, trim the ends to a straight line. Use a chalk-line guide against a circular saw to cut in one clean pass. Hardwood is dense, so the blade wears faster u2014use a carbide-tipped saw blade.

After cutting, sand the raw edges (#80 u7acau30fb#120 grit sandpaper) and then apply finish coating. Hardwood has natural oils that can resist paint adhesion u2014use an oil-based wood preservative such as Xyla-Decor or similar.

Fence Assembly

Attaching the fence (railing / privacy screen):

Fix the vertical posts to the scaffold pipe skeleton
Screw the top rail (cap rail) to the posts
Attach the horizontal boards (fence slats) at even spacing

Set the board spacing to the minimum needed to block sightlines from outside, while still maintaining airflow. Making it completely gap-free increases wind pressure on the structure.

Stair Fabrication and Installation

ud83duded2 RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

Deck Screws & Fasteners

Use stainless screws only u2014 standard screws rust and stain the deck within one rainy season.

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Stairs from the deck down to the ground:

Treads (horizontal surfaces): Selangan Batu wood, 2 boards side by side
Risers (vertical faces): omitted (open-riser design)
Stringers: the diagonal members that support the treads

Stair dimensions: tread depth 270u201400 mm, rise height 150u201400 mm. Too high a rise makes climbing difficult. For elderly users or young children, aim for low rises (150 mm or less).

Wood Deck Complete! u2014Full Summary

It took over 3 years from planning to completion. Total material cost: approx. 220,000 yen. Contractor estimates had ranged from 800,000 to 1.2 million yen. The first family barbecue on the finished deck was unforgettable.

Hi, DIY Dad here. Continuing the wood deck renovation series. The floor is complete and I’m very pleased with myself u2014but in this state, the whole thing is completely exposed to the road. On top of that, the existing fence is too low, so you could actually fall right off the deck onto the street! I need a fence that doubles as a privacy screen. This time I’m finally trying a material I’ve been wanting to use for a while: louvered lattice panels.

u7acau30fbLouvered lattice panels

I’m fixing them directly to the deck boards with coarse-thread screws, using SPF 2uff83u30fb 6-foot boards as intermediate posts.

u7acau30fbInstallation photo

You could peek through if you really tried, but it works fine as privacy screening. People aren’t going to blatantly stare into someone else’s yard u2014hopefully. Keep adding panels and you get something like this: