McHugh/Gant Hangar House

Day 458 - CableRail Final

Friday, September 8 -- Dave and Rick essentially completed the decking and the cable rail. The only remaining tasks are to finish the wiring of the low-voltage deck lights, install the removable boards along the house wall, and install the wood cap rails on the railing. We want removable boards in case we have to hose out the space under the deck or gain access for some reason.

The deck and railing look awesome. This project started at the beginning of June! The result is outstanding. We've learned a lot about the materials used. Cablerail is an excellent product. Geodeck is also a great product -- the lesson is to avoid any butt joints due to the expansion of the planks in heat and direct sunlight. Our chevron pattern worked out well. The problems came with the "picture frame" boards around the edges. The other lesson learned is that the substructure must be properly built with the deck in mind. We could have avoided a week or two of shimming if the walls and been built to the proper heights, the floor of the house built to the corresponding height, and if the tops of the walls were flat with proper flashing installation. The shimming of the joists on the waterproof membrane would have been eliminated if the membrane were flat. The slope would have required custom joists in any case. However, because of Dave's dedication to quality, the deck looks perfect and will be a joy for many years, with virtually no maintenance anticipated. We'll post more pictures of the deck when it is completely finished.

Some detail shots...

John installed the vinyl tile on the hangar stairs landing.

Kelli continued the excrutiating task of chipping out the bad grout job in the master bathroom shower. For a sanity break, she spent some time taking some artsy photos. Here are a few...