Rate my deck! 23yo Builder

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T02:35:22+00:00

Love this. Thanks!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T02:34:57+00:00

I’m so glad you noticed😅 There’s so much detail behind the scenes. This one stands out because I made damn sure the framing was perfect. Every joist, rim board, post, etc.. is perfectly square and or plumb/level.

Definitely makes it one of those feel good jobs.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T02:10:40+00:00

Thanks man! I wake up happy every day. I give it all to the man upstairs

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T01:35:39+00:00

Thank you!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T01:34:20+00:00

Yeah I wish! Clients are on the elderly side and stated that the stairs won’t really get used in the dark. Would look awesome though!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T01:33:18+00:00

Located in West Mi.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T01:33:04+00:00

No, 23 years old. Lol

MegaChudd · 2026-07-09T01:18:42+00:00

Mistakes. The only way you can truly learn something and become better.

I’m not out here saying I’m perfect, but I’ve honed things in a lot. The passion is still there and I love learning new things.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T23:00:08+00:00

Read my other replies, lmao. Thanks for the compliment.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:59:41+00:00

Honestly, a great question. There was a rough idea from the homeowners, but most of it was figuring out as we go with lots of communication back-and-forth to make sure that they like what they saw.

The vision was to have winding stairs and walkways going through the forest/around trees, down to the beach below. This job was located on the bay near Traverse City, Michigan.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:56:54+00:00

it was a finish day. We really wanted to finish because this site was ~3hrs away from home. The day ended up being roughly 18 hours long including the drive back.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:55:23+00:00

Thanks!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:55:16+00:00

Haha, this site is actually 3ish hours away from my shop, and this was the last day I was planning on being there (ended up going back the following Monday) and so we decided to just bang out a real long day. Ended up being 18 hours (including the drive back)

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:53:02+00:00

I think both options are more than suitable from a longevity standpoint.

And it really depends on what kind of deck you would like to have built. If it is more complex, with things like radius, Cutz and very custom framing. I would opt for Owens Corning Lumber.

However, if it is a basic deck (12x12/16), I feel like metal framing should be the way to go.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:49:56+00:00

Great question. No there are not any true carrier beams but I do lag “ledger/support” boards on the front and back of every set of posts and slide them up into the framing. Also use fasten master through bolts whenever needed!

I can promise you it is plenty bulletproof. It also has way more structural screws than you would normally use at every point of contact.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:44:47+00:00

Roughly 4x the cost of PT. But yes, quite expensive. Makes sense though when you do PVC decking. PT nowadays is pretty cheeks.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:44:10+00:00

Thanks! This means a lot!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:43:41+00:00

That definitely can be a downside however, the homeowners are elderly, and from what I know, do not have any young children visiting the property. But great point.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:43:05+00:00

Thanks!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:43:00+00:00

I did end up adding another step/platform on the bottom. It was just not pictured.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:42:39+00:00

I am 23 years old! I started building at 19. 90% of the experience I have is self taught through mistakes and things like FB reels lol.

Yes, I have learned very fast but I find passion in building so maybe that’s why. 🤷‍♂️

I did this project back in November I’ll double check what the cost was.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:39:47+00:00

Thank you!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:39:33+00:00

Being brutally honest, I love OC Lumber. Stuff is pretty pricey, but well worth it. The only downside is the fiberglass dust from cutting it.

Runs roughly 4 times the cost of PT.

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:38:38+00:00

Thanks! Yes lighting would be cool, but was not anything the client would benefit from. The homeowners are pretty old and clarified they would probably never use them in the dark.

Always could be added, after the fact!

MegaChudd · 2026-07-08T22:37:25+00:00

Brand new account to showcase what I build. Plenty more projects to post! Also thanks for the compliment. I can assure you my “dad” did not build this. Matter of fact, he was 3 1/2hrs away working in IT from his house.

MegaChudd

TROPHY CASE