I though this book was significantly superior to other books in the following ways: 1) Excellent descriptive text and photo detail. 2) The "Pro Tips" were enlightening. 3) The comments made about the style and appearance of deck were very helpful. It discusses what aspect of the deck are the better place to spend your money. For example, is it better to spend more to install a unique floor pattern or on the railing detail? The book is loaded with insightful design and construction stuff. For example, the different choices of railing design and appearance. Other books had one or two railing designs the Build Like A Pro book had several. These somewhat subjective but important insights weren't touched upon in the other books. 4) The scope of this book was much broader than other books, while also being more detailed and insightful. From the planning / drawing, the footing, framing, decking, on through to the finishing, this book does it all in presentation and language that even a non construction person can follow.

The other books I've read were Ok for an easy low frills deck. Those books could also help a homeowner talk to a contract about having a basic deck built. However, this book was much better in those areas, plus provided a great deal more insight for the person actually designing and constructing (workin' da tools), a higher value added / better looking deck. If I could change things, I would have purchased only this book. It's no more expensive than the others and a lot better.

In summary, I believe this is a FIVE STAR book and a must have for those planning and building a deck. My only regret is that the author, Scott Schuttner, obviously a very experienced builder, didn't write additional chapters or another book simply devoted to screen porches. But heck, lets be fair, this book is all about decks from A to Z. OUTSTANDING BOOK!!... Thanks


Beginner to Expert, Something for all.   June 11, 2007
PinetreeCC (MA, USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I am a firm believer in the KISS method of doing things. (Keep It Simple Stupid") Every step is covered in this book so that anyone can learn from it. The "Build Like A Pro" series of books are all laid out like this one. The "Expert Tips" are great. They show you short cuts to help you do the jobs right, but in less time. This is stuff you only learn by doing the job everyday. They are trade secrets.


Building Second deck now   July 5, 2007
Brock Odom (IL USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

My wife and I successfully built a deck using this book 2 years ago. Planned, submitted plans to village got building permit and final inspection. It felt good to accomplish such a large task with only 2 people who are not carpenters and haven't built a deck before. The deck is around 300 sq. ft. so it is not small. The book has all the information you need to build a solid deck. It also includes information on problems you could run into and ideas for customizing the deck. We are now building a smaller 100 sq. ft. deck for the front of our house. Believe me, we could not have done this without this great book.