Drawing Decks

Since this home is on a beach, we might as well add a couple of decks off the front. For more information about the deck tool, see "Deck Railings".

To add a first and second floor deck to the plan

In floor plan view, go to the first floor (you may be there already).

Make sure Angle Snaps

and Object Snaps

are turned on.

Delete the stepping stones that we added in the previous tutorial.

Select Build> Decks> Straight Deck Railing

and draw a deck off of the first floor as shown in the following image. As you may recall from the first tutorial, when the deck railings and the exterior front walls of the house enclose an area, room definition is created and a "Deck" label appears.

Select the deck "room" in floor plan view. If you have a selection fill color other than white specified, the deck will highlight when selected. See "Colors Panel".

Click the Build Advanced Deck Framing

edit button.

Now take a look at our first floor deck in a Render Full Camera

view. You can see that the program generated support pillars, footings, and the handrail.

Return to floor plan view and click the Up One Floor

button to go to the second floor.

If necessary, turn off the display of attic walls. If you cannot remember how to do this, see "To turn off the display of attic walls".

Zoom In

on the second floor.

Select Build> Decks> Straight Deck Railing

and draw a deck on the second floor that is 10 feet wide and 9 feet 6 inches deep as shown in the following image.

The front deck railing should be positioned above the exterior wall on the first floor below, with their exterior surfaces in alignment. Select Tools> Reference Floors> Reference Display (or press F9) to turn on the first floor for reference.

The second story deck railing is positioned above the first floor exterior wall, but the exterior surfaces are not in alignment. Make sure Object Snaps

are still turned on, then select the deck railing.

Move the deck railing so that it is flush with the exterior surface of the exterior wall below. The object snaps will appear when they are in alignment.

Release the mouse when the deck railing is in alignment. Repeat this process for the deck railing on the right.

Press F9 to turn off the reference floor display.

We need access to the deck. Delete the two windows, select Build> Door> Sliding Door

, then click on the wall to place a sliding door.

Now take a look at our second floor deck in a Render Full Camera

view.

The platform edge of the second story deck can be made to match the exterior wall.

To change the deck platform material

Select an exterior wall and open it for specification. On the Materials tab, make note of the exterior wall material being used. In this example, "Tan 1" is the default material used.

Select the deck railing(s), open them for specification, go to the Materials tab, and select the Platform Edge in the tree view.

Click the Plan Material button to open the Plan Materials dialog. Select "Tan 1" in the materials list and click OK. Click OK to close the Deck Railing Specification dialog.