The actual framing and construction of a sunburst deck are surprisingly straightforward, even for novice deck builders. The elegant finishing touches—the decking inlays, the curved bench and rails, and the sunburst balusters—will require patience and a bit of finesse, but no advanced skills or deck-building experience. The do-it-yourselfer with medium levels of skill and experience can expect to take about 150 hours to complete this deck. Here are some tips to get you started.
Tools, permits and time-savers
You'll need only the more common power tools to build a sunburst deck: a circular saw, a saber saw, a heavy-duty power drill that doubles as a screwdriver, a heavy-duty router and a belt sander. If you live where winters are severe and footings need to be deep or if you have a lot of footing holes to dig, consider renting a power auger. One option for the deck is to use pressure-treated lumber for all framing members and cedar for the decking, railings and other visible parts.
Even though the design is structurally simple, obtain whatever permits your locality requires and have the deck inspected as needed. Don't hesitate to share your plans with your local building inspector; he or she can help you avoid design pitfalls before you start to build and may even be able to recommend some time-saving shortcuts.
The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc./GID
Building a sunburst deck requires patience and finesse.
