The size of deck screw to use will depend on several factors, such as the thickness of the decking boards, the type of material you're using, and the load requirements of your specific project. As a general rule, the diameter of the screw should be at least equal to half the thickness of the board. For example, for a 32mm thick deck board, you would want a screw with a diameter of at least 16mm. This will help ensure that the screw is strong enough to hold the board firmly in place without splitting the wood. In terms of length, you'll need to consider the thickness of the deck board, the depth of the joist, and any additional layers of materials you may be using, such as flashing or ledger boards. As a general rule, the screw should be long enough to penetrate the deck board and the joist by at least 25-30mm to provide a secure hold. When selecting deck screws, it's important to choose screws made from high-quality materials, such as stainless steel or copper, which provide excellent corrosion resistance and durability in outdoor environments. You can also choose screws with different head styles and coatings to suit your specific project needs.

The thing is that Brillhart house is not a contemporary design with Florida Cracker-looking elements tacked on. Its a completely contemporary house that utilizes the same sort of anti-technology aspects for cooling and ventilation and since those thing work for a traditional cracker they used them here, and that pretty much determines the shape of the house (except it has a flat roof) It's closer in form to Farnsworth House, it's just that Farnsworth house was not designed to be well ventilated and I don't think the orientation of the deep porch considers the sun, I am not sure. (However Edith Farnsworth did convert the porch to a screen porch during her lifetime. It looked like crap but it prevented her from living inside a solar oven to some extent.

Right now the deck is a mess from the tree damage, but I'll do what I can to give you an idea of what I have :-) These two pics were taken from my kitchen window today at noonish. I'm inside of the kitchen with the phone against the window, so this is about as far back as I can get: This is from last year, standing on the deck with the kitchen window directly to my left (facing West): These next two are from previous years, facing East. You can see the kitchen window on the right of the first pic, just above the loveseat: These next 3 pics are of my pond and garden just past the banister, taken last year: The pond and garden is obviously a work in progress, I work on this as a stress reliever from work so they're always growing and changing. But I've discovered that I hate blocking the view to the fruits of my labor!

I love decks - but I would rather have a patio next to a pool. That said - the deck at our last house was 10'x20', with patio door and stairs on the same end. It was cozy for a small round table and 4 chairs, and a grill. 2' wider would have allowed for a slightly bigger table, but not much additional seating. In our current house, I'm planning a 15'x15' deck, with a swing incorporated into one side, instead of railing in that location. During the planning, I taped out 15x15 on the basement floor, and placed our outdoor furniture in the square (which is what convinced me I needed to put the swing at the side).