I tried skipping the layout step on a simple deck frame and it cost me a full day

Had a straightforward 12x16 deck to frame up last week, thought I could just measure and cut the rim joists, square them up as I went. Figured the ground was flat enough. By the time I got the beams in, the whole thing was out by almost 2 inches diagonally. Had to pull half the hardware, cut new blocking, start over. Everyone says 'measure twice, cut once' but I'm learning the real rule is 'layout fully, build once.' Has anyone else had a project go sideways from trying to shortcut the initial setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

brookef733mo ago

Ugh, laser level saved me from that exact mess!

mary_schmidt3mo ago

Remember when we all thought a regular level and a good eye was enough? I hung a whole gallery wall once that looked fine until I stepped back. The entire thing was on a subtle but very real downhill slope. My partner called it my "modern art statement on gravity.

jasons6326d ago

That 2 inch diagonal sounds brutal, Mary's story about the gallery wall hits close to home though. Did you end up going back to a full string line and batter boards after that, or did you find another trick to keep things square without the full layout? I spent a whole afternoon walking back and forth with a tape measure on that deck before I finally gave in and drove stakes at every corner.