Wi Sailor girl,

Still here...how can I help ?

Wow! That was quick! Thanks so much for the reply.

So, first of all, I LOVE the deck you built on your girlfriend's house. When I saw the photos of it I said, "That's it!" I hope you don't mind if I use it as inspiration and to help my contractor understand what we're looking for.

A couple of questions on specifics, if you don't mind:
1. Did you use 3/16 or 1/8 cable for the railings?
2. How big are the posts (i.e. 6x6, etc.)
3. How big are the supports for the roof/pergola type structure?
4. What's the railing height?
5. Are the posts stained or painted?
6. What's the height of the railing?
7. Any source you want to share for that awesome IPE railing?

Anything you'd change or do differently?

Thanks so much for your help, and I apologize if I'm getting a little stalker-ish here, but sometimes you see something and just know it's right. So it is with your deck. We'll be doing composite decking, so slightly different, but otherwise we're going for a very similar look. We'll be installing the cable railings ourselves but the rest will be done by our contractor.

Glad you liked it...Copy away if it helps.

Cable: 5/32" 1x19 type 316 Stainless: Best price I found

http://www.qualitychainandcable.com/ecom/product/15/11/

Turnbuckles.... Best price I found for the one I used was

http://www.highlandrigging.com/shoppingcart.html?/cgi-bin/unicorn/CatalogMgr.pl?cartID=b-4376&SearchField=partnumber&SearchFor=S0791&template=Htx/s0791-00.htx&displayNumber=25

Smalller white post were 6x6 treated posts wrapped with 1x pvc trim. Mitered corners. Be sure to get a decent trim guy used to working with pvc.... Not painted

Larger white posts are 8x8 wrapped with 1x12( 11 1/4" finished)

Railing/ cable Support Posts in between were aluminum powder coated silver

36" to under side of white support rail under the ipe rail.

Rail from ABS Wood ( george ????)

http://www.abswood.com/pages/price.htm?gclid=CKqiyZmY_pgCFQxKGgod-w2amg

Any deck over 12 ft I would go to 12" o/c joists

If putting roof over it and if its higher I would try to use waterproof materials and seal it so you can power wash bugs off as needed. Thats a huge issue on hers.

Here is a link to her deck

http://s952.photobucket.com/albums/ae7/DesignDirective/Hackworth%20lakehouse/?albumview=slideshow

Good luck

Thanks so much for all the detailed information. I'm really impressed with those posts ... I never would have guessed they were PVC wrapped.

One more kind of specific question and then I'll shut up: do you know what the height to the top of short white posts is? I'm just trying to get a feel for scale.

Thanks again. I'll let you know how it goes.

The shorter posts are about 42" high since the bot of the white sub rail is 36" and is 1.5" thick and the rail is about 1". It need to be high enough to let the rail die into the post.

Good luck

bigkahuna, what is the depth of your of your porch off the living room and height of your beam at the top of your post? I am trying to see how that would affect the amount of light coming in. I know in my case it would be different because I don't have the light coming off the water. thank you David

David, The deck/porch is 14' deep. It is about 9'-8" to the bottom of the beam ( rafter bearing was 10'-7 1/2")

The deck faces almost directly south and is in Ohio and during the summer the light comes about 1/2-3/4 of the way back on the deck.