Decks & Outdoor Projects

Planning to build a deck? an Adirondack chair? a potting bench? The pros show you how in Taunton's Decks & Outdoor Projects with the same clear graphics and step-by-step instructions you've come to expect from Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding. This information-packed special edition includes everything you'll need to construct a sturdy deck, design innovative railings, build a garden bench in a day, and more.

Curved-Back Adirondack Chair
Solid mahogany will weather well with or without a finish

Handcrafting a Sturdy Arbor
A weekend's work and a few pieces of lumber yield a handsome home for vines

A Guide to Exterior Lighting
Safety, security, and aesthetics play an important part in how to illuminate the outside of your house

A Garden Bench in One Day
Start at sunrise, have a seat by sundown

Materials for Decks
From tropical hardwoods to man-made plastic composites, the choices are more varied than ever

A Level Deck Foundation
Unconventional way to construct a level and square deck base

Building Decks to Last
Construction techniques, fasteners, and finishes that will hold up best over time

Deck Railings
New designs incorporate wood, glass, steel, and even lighting

Trestle Table
This simple design in red cedar works well indoors and out

The Perfect Potting Bench
Built to work, this bench is the gardener's dream organizer

A Garden Bench for All Seasons
A boatbuilder wards off weather with Spanish cedar, marine epoxy, and copper rivets

Build a Stone-Edged Gravel Path
Measure carefully and take the time to get it right

Letter from the Editor

Outdoor Ideas

Tips & Techniques
Improved sawhorse; Weatherproofing outdoor furniture feet; Decking spacer/nail guide; Boot cleaners

Weatherproof Finishes
Wood against weather

Small Projects
Build a garden sieve

Garden Structures
Versatile lattice

Q & A
Supporting a deck without attaching it to the house; Finding a good chisel; Removing rust from machinery; Grape vines on pressure-treated wood; Clamping around curves; Recycling the sidewalk