| Vol.
I, No. 8 | Gardening
/ Memorial Day | May
18th, 2001 |
House
& Home
Links to House & Home On-Line
. Links
to House & Home On-Line The
amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a
search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say
that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its
way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in House & Home to sites that might interest you.
Sometimes the links will be related to one another ... sometimes
we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. In either case, we think
we might be able to help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be
of interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the
bustle. ... Deck
Plans, Ideas & How-to's In conjunction with this
month's Weekend
Warrior: All Decked Out -- this month's Links to House & Home
On-Line takes you to some solid sites that can help you get ideas, find plans,
or pick up a little how-to. ... Ok? Ok ...
Let's go.
Decks.com
Inevitably,
there had to be a site out there that wasn't simply devoted to decks, but
that picked up the name Decks.com in the process. ... This is
it. ...
.
The site is primarily commercial, meaning, while the
others are, too, this one is hell-bent on talking you into their easy
plastic and snap-together models, or their low maintenance exterior floor
coverings. ... So why are we pointing you their way?
Simple. They have a great collection of photos in several galleries,
including Multi level decks, Ground level decks, Curved decks, Spa &
pool decks, Arbors & trellises, Rooms & gazebos, and Rails &
benches. And when you click, you don't just see a few images, but lots
on each page. Granted, they're all packages that they sell, but that
doesn't mean you have to buy from them. You can look at the pix and
get some ideas. The Ground level deck page alone had about three-dozen
photos of decks.
.
If you find yourself just starting to think about
putting up a deck, this is a good place to start. Much of what you see
may be more than you care to take on. But you can always scale down,
or simply use some of the details you see here in designing your own deck.
Rating:
*** [3 stars]
. Decks
Related Information Resources. Deck Plans. Deck Repair
The URL
for this site is www.theremodelinggal.com/decks.htm
... and the first page contains an impressive list of resources. But
the one drawback is, you can't tell for sure what'll come up when you click
on a particular link. ...
.
For example, when we clicked on
Plans, we got to a page of links to plans for decks, gazebos, Adirondack
Chairs, and more. But when we clicked on one of them, we found it was
a page with a few details about that particular set of plans for sale.
Similarly, when we clicked on Deck Lighting, we found our browser opening up
a page at a new site altogether. Of course, if you look in the lower
left corner of your borwser when you hold your mouse over a link, you can
where it points to. But it would've been nice to have that kind of
info straight up on the page itself. On the other hand, for what is
here that's useful, it's more than useful enough for us to send you their
way. In particular, you may want to check out their home-grown links
to Build A Deck, Preparation, Footings, and Preparation. The Build a
deck line is especially worthwhile. It makes up for in detail what it
lacks in illustrations or photos. ... There are a few other
worthwhile links, too, though they'll take you to other sites.
.
If
you're a novice, or aren't familiar with some of the particular requirments
for planning a deck, this site is worth a visit.
Rating: *** [3
stars]
.. HomeTime:
Decks, Porches and Patios
Ok. ... This is the
one. ....
.
Once you've finished looking at pictures and
briefing on the basics, the HomeTime site will tell you everything you need
to know -- and then some -- about getting your project off the ground.
... For starters, they conveniently separate the How-to stuff from the
commercial stuff. Among the How-to offerings: Deck Overview,
Deck Building Tools, Preparing Siding for Ledger Board, Preparing Ledger
Board, Attaching Ledger Board, Laying Out Footings, Digging and Pouring
Concrete, Footings, Cutting and Raising Posts, Installing Beams, Installing
Joists, Installing Deck Boards, Building Stairs, and Installing
Railing. ... That should about do it. ... There's
also a separate How-to for a Three-Season Porch.
.
We've sent you to
the HomeTime folks before, and are likely to again. But if you need a
little confidence booster, or you want to know the nitty-gritty of building
a deck, this is the site to stop at.
Rating: ****1/2 [4-1/2 stars]
That's it for this issue. Good luck. . *******
******* If you know of any
links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
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