#Sketchup Deck Plans Professional Deck Builders
#Sketchup Deck Plans Free Deck Design
#Sketchup Deck Plans Download Thousands Of

Sketchup Deck Plans Free Deck Design

All promise to make deck design quick and easyвЂ”to find out how well they live up to that promise, I rounded some up and gave them a try.CabinetVIEW is a collection of 3D models created with Google SketchUp. Front & Side Elevations.If you want to dip a toe in the CAD waters before investing hundreds, or thousands, of dollars in software you're not even sure you're going to like, you could experiment with one of the many free deck design programs online. All deck plans include: Framing Plan. Our plans include a framing plan, front & side elevations, footing layout, 3D rendering cover sheet, material list and a typical details building guide. Many of the deck plans include features to make your deck unique including arbors, pergolas, built in benches and planter boxes.

Sketchup Deck Plans Download Thousands Of

But then again, none of the expensive softwareвЂ”such as Chief Architect or SoftPlanвЂ”that I helped evaluate in an earlier article could either.Download thousands of free detailed design & planning documents including 2D. None of the freeware I tested could match RLA's rendering ability. I can generate construction drawings with it, but for me its most valuable function is producing photorealistic renderings I can print out or email to a client. This is a relatively inexpensive ($400) full-featured design program that I use nearly every day in my deck business. Even if you donвЂ™t intend to build the pavilion as exactly shown this is a great starting point to adapt it to your needs.Fairly or not, I compared the programs with the CAD software I'm most familiar with, Realtime Landscaping Architect ( ideaspectrum.com). Measurements can be taken and plans can be printed.

I designed a deck that was small and simple. Back in 2001 my new home needed a deck. FRE Google Sketchup Plans for my deck and shed.

Download Center Download Autocad Drawing,Sketchup models,3dmax models.Some freeware allowed me to draw the deck freehand and filled in the details automatically, but some didn't. When you get back to your starting point, the software should fill in footings, posts, beams, joists, decking, and railings, all with your pre-selected specifications.Creating understandable floor plans from an architectural drawing will help you. With good CAD software, drawing a deck should be just like drawing on paper, except with a mouse instead of a pencil: Place the cursor at a corner, click the mouse, drag the cursor to the next corner of the deck, click, and drag to the next junction point.

Sketchup Deck Plans Professional Deck Builders

DIYonlineA number of companies, including Caldera Spas, Fiberon, Lowes, MoistureShield, Trex, TimberTech, and USP, offer free (though registration is usually required) online deck design software developed by DIYonline and targeted mostly at consumers. Many of the programs are very similar, so I picked out a few representative examples to provide an overview of what these free programs canвЂ”and can'tвЂ”do. I found this to be a quick way to get started, but more tedious than drawing freehand when I had a specific and detailed design that I was trying to execute.Even though these programs are not really intended for professional deck builders, they offer a mixed bag of useful features. The user starts with a pre-existing basic deck, then modifies the template by stretching or shrinking the sides, changing the corners, and adding stairs, railings, and other details.

A shaping tool provides options for modifying the corners: 45-degree, rounded, square-notched, angled, and concave.The deck's height can be adjusted from 11/2 feet to 12 feet. You can also choose from other basic shapes, including L, notched center, T, or octagon. Fiberon's version, for example, offers different decking colors the USP version focuses on hardware connections.In all versions, the program starts with a standard 20- by 20-foot deck that you can resize by dragging the sides in or out.

For example, walls can only be added to one side of the deck, not beyond the deck, and you can't add a roof or overhead structure like a pergola. I didn't follow any of the cut lists, so I can't report on those.Other limitations of the program are more serious. All call for more footings than are needed, so the materials lists are over-supplied. As with all CAD software that automatically generates framing plans, including RLA, none of the DIYonline-based programs placed the beams and footings where I would. Other options may include railing styles and decking patterns, extra window and door styles, a small variety of accessories, and even different types of footings.When the design is complete, the user can save a printable report that includes 2D plan views, 3D renderings, a material takeoff, a cut list, and a tool list.Limitations. Stairs can be added some versions also offer landings.

And unlike with a regular CAD program, you aren't drawing a deck you're manipulating an existing deck by pulling or pushing the sides and adjusting the corners. Because you can't zoom in and out, making accurate adjustments to dimensions is quite difficult. Wall finishes and colors are limited, too, and graphics quality is quite low.

The Big Hammer site also has an option to download Big Hammer Pro Deck Design, a substantially enhanced version of the free software that requires a $150 set-up fee and a monthly $49 subscription. To access them, you need Microsoft Windows (there's no version for the Mac) and Internet Explorer 8, as well as a fairly robust video card. Home Depot Do-It-Yourself Deck Designer and Big Hammer DIY Deck DesignerThe free deck design tools on the Home Depot and Big Hammer sites are virtually identical and have the look and feel of real CAD software. OK, it's free just be prepared to scream once in a while, as when the program won't let you put your stairs where you want them.

The tool worked perfectly for me on the Big Hammer site however, I was unable to successfully draw a medium-sized deck using the free-form option on the Home Depot site. Next to the 'add' button is the 'remove' button, which allows you to quickly erase components.While this program lets you create a design by manipulating a template, it also has a free-form deck tool. Under the same button are edge-editing tools for shaping corners. An 'add' button in the upper-left corner of the screen has all the draw items: deck, stair, railing, walls, doors, and windows, for example.

The website has a number of resources to help users get the most out of the software, including online tutorials, a YouTube channel, and support and user groups.SketchUp can import photos and other graphics, but its 3D renderings look average, just a step up from DIYonline freeware. But SketchUp is easy to learn, and many builders find it to be a useful and powerful design tool, particularly for 2D plan views and elevations. And once you've laid down a set of joists, they can all be copied or changed as a group and saved to your library.I'm not a SketchUp power user and find this process very time-consuming. If you want to, you can color and texture the component or change its size if you need to use a component more than onceвЂ”for multiple joists, for exampleвЂ”you can copy and paste.

SketchUp is compatible with both Macs and PCs, and can be upgraded to the Pro version ($500), which offers tools like DXF/DWG file compatibility and a great presentation program called Google LayOut.Kim Katwijk designs and builds decks in Olympia, Wash.