When we last updated the deck progress, I was hard at work fastening boards across the middle of the deck. Since then I kept at it, steadily attaching boards until the central field was completely secured and felt like a solid surface instead of a scattering of gaps and holes.

With the majority of the decking in place, I moved on to the open edges and the picture-frame border. Rather than measure and cut each board beforehand, I followed a tip I’d read in a number of tutorials: place the boards, fasten them temporarily, then trim the entire run with a circular saw for a clean, even edge. That approach produces a far neater result than trying to individually measure and cut every board to meet the frame.

I positioned the mitered frame piece to mark where the decking needed to be trimmed, drawing a clear pen line across the boards to guide the cuts. Before starting the saw I set the blade depth to 1-3/4″ so I would cut through only the deck boards and avoid cutting into the supporting girders beneath.

Once I made the straight cuts and sanded the raw edges, the first end piece dropped into place cleanly. That section was straightforward. The next portion required cutting boards at an angle to meet the picture-frame corners, which meant a bit of careful measuring and some test cuts on scrap wood to find the correct miter angle. A few trial pieces helped me dial in the geometry without risking the finished boards.

After confirming the angle, I marked the boards with the obvious pen line and made the angled cuts. The edges looked much tidier after sanding, and all the frame pieces fit together as intended. Seeing the completed frame bolted down felt like a milestone — that trimmed border gives the deck a more finished, professional appearance.

With the picture-frame border completed at that end, I took a step back to appreciate how the framing detail elevates the overall look. The small investment of time to plan, test, and cut accurately paid off: the deck now reads as a cohesive, intentional surface rather than a patchwork of boards.

At this point all deck boards are installed and screwed down. It’s a relief to move from the precarious phase of exposed joists and gaps to a stable walking surface. In the finished view you can also see the two zippered seam details we incorporated; our plan is to center the dining table between those seams to create a built-in visual anchor, similar to the original rendering we worked from. We’ll share close-up photos of the seams once the boards are sealed and the furniture is in place — staining or sealing will really make those details stand out.

Next up on the to-do list are the railings and the stairs. Those elements are both structural and code-sensitive, so they require careful planning, precise measurements, and more math than I was hoping for. I expect the inspector will pay particular attention to these components, so I’m preparing to take my time and get everything right.

For anyone tackling a DIY deck project, a few tips from this stage of the build: trim boards in place for the cleanest edge, set circular saw depth to avoid cutting below the decking, use scrap wood to test tricky angles, and sand all cut edges before final installation. Those small steps make a big difference in the finished appearance and durability of the deck.

All told, this phase of the build has been satisfying. Moving from the chaos of loose boards and open joists to a finished deck surface feels like major progress. If you’ve been working on a similar project, I’d love to hear how you handled edge trimming, picture-frame borders, or angled cuts — even the little successes feel heroic in the middle of a long DIY project.

P.S. If you want to revisit earlier steps in the process, the project began with a shared vision, followed by clearing the area and removing an old balcony, selecting materials, digging and setting posts, installing joists, and preparing for deck boards. From there we worked through initial decking and laid the remaining boards to reach this stage. The sequence of those earlier posts documents how the deck evolved from concept to the installed surface you see here.