DIY Disaster - Attempted Deck, Got Humbled Real Fast
Decided I'd build a small deck in the backyard. Watched some YouTube videos, had a plan, rented tools. Measured once, cut twice. Posts weren't level, boards weren't straight, nails I used were too thick and split some boards. My neighbor came over and was very nice about pointing out my mistakes. Ended up paying a contractor to fix most of it because I realized I had no idea what I was doing. At least I learned that lesson before it became a safety issue with the kids playing on it. Sometimes knowing when to call a professional is the best DIY move.
YouTube deck videos are like 90% misleading. They make it look so easy because they've built like fifty decks and they don't show you the mistakes. What went wrong? Bad measurements or did something get structural?