Deck design for rain and shine

The finished project is a remarkably close approximation to the balsa model submitted for the contest. The only structural changes were to forgo a railing around the lower deck (it was deemed unnecessary) and leave off a second stairway in order to comply with local building-code restrictions. “Had I built it to code with this feature, you wouldn’t even have been able to get into the backyard,” explains Brent.

But the biggest modification was adding the Softub hot tub the Palmers won as part of their $14,000 prize package. Brent built the tub right into the lower deck. He was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to work with the Trex, also part of their winnings and a product he has never used before.

“It’s fabulous stuff to work with-easy to cut, easy to shape,” he says. This versatility inspired Brent to laminate and bend strips of the material for a semicircular border around the hot tub and even to notch out a perimeter deck board to match the contours of a rock in the garden.

Completing the summer-long project truly was a family affair. Jessica Palmer did her part by taking care of the landscaping, with help from Grandma Krista. And the Palmers’ three sons, Jack, 7, Willie, 5, and three-year-old Sam, helped Brent with the deck construction.

“All three boys often get involved with what I’m doing,” says Brent, who bought them each kid-size goggles, gloves and dust masks. “I taught them to use sanders and things like that. They loved being part of it-especially the digging.” Boys will be boys, after all.