Stargate - The Sky Insight Observing Deck

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Back view before the project started

Angle view before the project started

Side view before the project started

View from on the deck before the project started

Howard and Alan start digging

Making progress with the pier footing

Pier foundation set

Some of the materials

Building the lower pier

Deck framing completed

View of joists from existing deck

1 Overview
2 Project Plan
3 Summary of Milestones and Events
4 Photos

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Overview

I've seen a number of deck-top observatories and this one illustrates what I want to accomplish.

Here are three views of the deck. The white chairs show a rough approximation of where the deck extension will end. I need to verify that the septic tank, pipes and field are all clear of this location. I know the septic tank is located just off the deck under the garden. I need to find the pipes before I start digging.

As the pictures show, we have a lower level walk out onto the patio. That means that the cement pier will have to go up approximately 8 feet to the deck. I'll be looking at having the cement pier stop just below the deck and attaching an upper pier on top of that. That will give us the option of removing the pier if we want to use the entire deck, including the extension, or sell the house and the new owner want it gone. I don't plan on removing the upper pier often, after all the idea is to have the telescope set up so I can quickly start observing and imaging, but it would be a nice option.

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Project Plan

The project breaks down like this (planned and actual):

Planning (April 2005)
- Design it
  - Measure, draw, re-measure the proposed layout, structure, etc
  - Confirm that the areas that I need to dig for the footings are clear of septic components (e.g. piping, tank, etc)
- Plan the pier
- Plan electrical
- Estimate the cost of materials
  - Get quotes from cement professionals on pouring the pier
Purchase materials (May 2005)
- Double-check measurements (ongoing)
- Purchase lumber and hardware (5/27/2005)
- Purchase cement or schedule cement workers (scheduled for 5/17/2005)
- Purchase electrical components
Construction (May - June 2005)
- Double-check measurements
- Lower Pier Foundation and Deck Footings
  - Dig holes for footings and pier base (completed 5/17/2005)
    - Dig holes for additional footings and pour concrete (completed 6/3/2005)
  - Pour cement footings and pier base (completed 5/17/2005)
- Build lower pier (completed 5/28/2005)
- Construct deck extension (started 5/28/2005)
- Install electrical components
Observing (June 2005 and beyond)
- Personal observing
- Host a star party
- Imaging

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Summary of Milestones and Events

30-March 2005
I got a copy of the septic permit from the county and the blueprint shows that the spectic tank is 10 feet away from the house and I have approximately 20 feet that I could extend the deck before running into the septic field. Looks good so far.

31-March 2005
Using PhotoShop, I rendered an image of what the deck extension might look like. Hopefully my carpentry and deck building skills surpass my PhotoShop skills.

April 2005
Using graph paper, pencil and a ruler I'm drawing elevation and overhead views of the deck extension as seen in the Design it page.

April 28, 2005
Trying to wrap up the design phase. Currently, the plan is to pour a 42"W x 42"L x 24"D concrete pad into a 42"x42"x42" hole and stack 16"x16"x8" chimney blocks with rebar inserted for added stability.

May 11, 2005
Received sign-off from the home owners association on the project.

May 13, 2005
I've decided to have ACI Concrete and Excavating dig the holes and pour the concrete. They are tentatively scheduled for late next week (5/19/2005 or 5/20/2005). I'm also recruiting family members to help with the deck extension which is tentatively scheduled for May 28, 2005 (Memorial weekend).

May 16, 2005
Scott from ACI Concrete called and said they're going to come out tomorrow to dig the holes and pour the concrete. I was shocked, expecting it to be later in the week, but glad... as long as the forecasted rain stayed away.

May 17, 2005 - Footings/Foundations
At 7:00am (CDT) I ran over to Illinois Brick in Woodstock to pick up some chimney blocks. They only had one available. I bought it so I could have it set into the concrete pad after it was poured. They said they'd have more in a day or so. I won't need it for another 11 days but will pick it up this week anyway.

Scott, Howard and Alan (all brothers) from ACI Concrete showed up promptly at 8:30am as scheduled. They double checked my lines and found that I was a 1/2 inch off and adjusted it. Howard, an very talkative amateur astronomer, and Alan got the telescope pier holes started. When it became a one man job, Alan moved over to start the deck footings. The holes were completed in about 2 hours and they called for the cement truck which arrived shortly after 11:00am. Even though they had to wheel barrow the concrete to the holes, it too no time at all to pour it all. Once it was poured and Alan smoothed it out, they placed the chimney block in the concrete. The first step was done.

May 21, 2005 - Picked up chimney blocks

I went back to Illinois Brick in Woodstock to pick up the rest of the chimney blocks. I had double-checked my measurements and came up with 14 more blocks needed. They loaded them into my pickup truck and the bed lowered to where the gap between the abck wheels and the wheel wells were barely two inches. I felt every bump on the drive home.

May 26, 2005 - Planning for the weekend

The weather forecast is for a chance of showers on Friday and Saturday, the only two days available to work on the project. I plan on purchasing the materials on Friday. The bulk of the work will be done on Saturday when my brother and his two sons come to assist. We'll set up the power tools (e.g. saws) in the garage so we'll have a dry (safe) workplace for cutting lumber.

May 27, 2005 (Friday) - Purchasing materials

I took a vacation day and spent most of the day buying lumber, hardware and a dozen bags of concrete mix for the telescope pier. I loaded (overloaded) my Dodge Dakota Sport Quad Cab with the concrete mix and most of the lumber. The 16 foot decking (i.e. deck floor) will be delivered on Saturday since it would hang off my truck bed by 10 feet. After stacking the lumber in the garage, I prepped the site by moving three plants from the new deck location to the adjacent garden and removed all the paver stones at the end of the current patio. The patio will be extended along the new deck extension. Just as I finished up the prep-work a rainstorm blew in.

May 28, 2005 (Saturday) - Main construction begins

I got up early and picked up an portable electric cement mixer from Ralph's Rent-All, the local tool/party rental store. My brother and my nephew showed up at 8:30am as scheduled. We reviewed the site and discussed the game plan. He hadn't realized that before we started the deck, we'd be being building the lower telescope pier first (click here for details).

After the telescope pier was done we took a lunch break to rest, re-energize and plan the second half of the day.

Working on the deck extension was more problematic. This page details the challenges we encountered.

June 3, 2005 - Additional footings I dug a hole for a post by the corner of the house and decided to provide more support to the extension by adding two more posts in the middle of the 12 foot span.

June 11, 2005 (Saturday) I rented scaffolding from Ralph's Rent-All to help with the job of putting the beams back up and then the joists. I had to help family move some furniture in the morning and hoped to have from 2pm until 6pm to work on the deck. We didn't get home until 3:30pm and it started to rain about 5 minutes after that.

June 12, 2005 (Sunday) Beams and joists We (my wife and I) started after breakfast around 9:30am. It was cloudy and the forecast was for rain around 3pm. By 5:30pm I was calling it quits and the rain never came, but it was hot and humid. More details addded to the deck construction page here.

June 27, 2005 thru July 10, 2005
Details addded to the deck construction page here.

July 10, 2005
Pictures of the finished deck (before staining).

Combined view of the initial project pages

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