How to Set and Cut Deck Posts
Your new deck isn't going to build itself. Get started by setting and cutting the posts that will be the frame for your new favorite hang-out.
Setting the posts for your deck requires careful work, but it can also be exciting because the posts are the first visible sign that your deck is going up. Even though you still have a lot of work to do after you set the posts, getting them up can make you feel like you're halfway there.
Posts must be plumb, so they have to start out with square ends. Check the bottom of each post with a speed square and cut it if necessary. Dip cut ends in a preservative before setting them in the anchors and let the preservative soak in overnight.
To make the job go quickly, do everything in stages—square all the posts, set them in the anchors with a temporary brace, then plumb, align, and brace all of them, letting their height run wild, then mark and cut them to a consistent height.
Setting posts will go more than twice as fast if you have someone help you. Two helpers are even better; you won't have to move back and forth from one post to another to adjust them. Follow along with our steps below to get started.
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