It may be Monday, but I’m going to share our most recent barn project AND give you a shot to win an amazing new Autosense drill from BLACK+DECKER!
So … BEST. MONDAY. EVER!
Am I right?
I could jibber and jabber about our new deck and how fabulous it is (and I will). But I was never very good at surprises. So, here’s our awesome new deck.
Geez, Louise. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so lovely in my life. A special thanks to my dad, Ryan, and the new BLACK+DECKER Autosense Drill for all this pretty.
Finishing the railing on our massive barn deck was near the top of our to-do list. It’s pretty high off the ground and our property is WINDY, making the space pretty much unusable without a railing. Unless you want to fall two stories.
And I don’t.
But our barn to-do list is about a mile long. And Ryan and I knew that this would be a big, long, ugly project to complete. (We could expect many a “garden incident.”)
Thank goodness for Papa Bear.
My dad saved the day and built all of the railings for the massive deck and stairs. This was a major undertaking, because we wanted to use the 2x4s we already had (Ryan bought 500-2x4s on Craigslist for a song). But this meant that my dad had to rip all the boards and assemble each railing one by one.
I’ll share more about our painting and staining process later this week, but I just couldn’t wait to share the final results. (Bad blogger.)
After the building and painting and staining, my dad and Ryan installed railings in a day. I was not anywhere near the barn at the time. (Which is probably enough of a help in itself.) But I did manage to make it back to photograph the final few screws going in. With that cutie – the BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX Lithium Cordless Drill/Driver with AutoSense Technology.
Ryan was pleased to have someone photographing his work. He loves the wiferazzi. Especially when she tells him to “SLOW DOWN ALREADY.” Or when she says, “STOP! I’M TRYING TO GET A GOOD SHOT OF THE DRILL AND RAILINGS.” He loves when I give him photographic direction.
Since the railings were already assembled, he was only attaching the rails to the cedar posts. He did this at an angle, which is a common way to make the right-angle connection. First he drilled a pilot hole with a drill bit – starting straight and then turning to an angle to hit the post when he got the hole started. To finish the job, he used 3-inch deck screws straight into the post. (He calls this toe-screwing, which sort of sounds dirty to me. I’m practically a teenage boy.)
The drill is designed to prevent clutching out, over-torqueing, and the damage that comes with it. Every little bit of help is appreciaated with a project this big. There are a lot of railings.
Did you see the rad gate my dad built? It is perfect to corral the tiny terrorist who lives with us.
It was also my dad’s idea to do the posts in cedar instead of white. I really love the contrast.
In the end, the drill worked great to finish off this big job.
And now I feel comfortable hanging out on the deck with my 2-year-old.
I have tons more projects on the horizon to shoot this space with an extra dose of fabulous.
Oh, and if you are wanting an extra shot of fabulous, too …
IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!
This giveaway has ended and winner has been notified.
The folks at BLACK+DECKER were kind enough to send me an extra drill to give to one of you. If you are anything like us, you’ll really like it. And it may even give you the confidence to use a drill for the first time. (Case in point: ME. Practicing on a scrap piece of wood because I was too scared to try it for real.)
I did well enough that I have a couple of my own building projects on the horizon. Stay tuned.
To win your own BLACK+DECKER Autosense drill, check out the smart features of the drill here and then leave a comment below sharing your favorite feature and how it would make your DIY projects easier! (This giveaway has ended and the winner has been notified.)
Thanks to BLACK+DECKER for sponsoring today’s project and discussion! There may be affiliate links in this post. Read our full disclosures here.
This is so so so beautiful! Wow you Woodwards are amazing people.
Wowwww!! Yall did a fantastic job. The drill’s cordless and autosense capabilities make this seem like a must-have tool in Andrew’s toolbag!
I love that it stops automatically when flush!
I know Mark (he handles all the drilling in this house) would love that it won’t strip screws!
Deck looks great! Drill looks moderately fool-proof, like maybe even I could handle it. I’ll take it!! 😉
The automatic depth option sounds like a great feature and the fact that the drill is compact is great, too.
I would leave my hubbys tools alone and learn how to use my own. Happy dance!
Not stripping screws would be great. And it’s cordless!
The light is the feature I like best! It always helps when you can see what you are doing.
The 20V does it for me!! I can’t tell you how my life changed when I upgraded from 12V to 19V — I’d love to take it up one more notch. Thanks for a great giveaway!
no more stripping screws? now maybe the husband won’t cringe when i grab the drill. not that i do that. right.
Battery Indicator – nothing worse then getting all set up with a project and finding out it wasn’t charged!
We’re looking for a new drill because ours just died-love that you love this one! Also love how compact it is!
Small AND it won’t strip a screw!! sign me up!
auto stop – fantastic
Top ten list of why I deserve a new cordless drill
1. I would be able to drill things
2-10. see above
compact…just the right size
Oh my goodness! Auto stop and the light for when in dark corners and under the sink!
Sounds like the battery is top notch. I’ve never been a fan of cordless because the old (HUGE) monster I have never holds a charge long enough to finish a project. Looks like it’s time to upgrade! 🙂
I’d love to surprise my husband with this bit seriously I’m the one that needs a drill that doesn’t over torque! I feel like such a novice with I try and drill something serious.
I love the light! It would be awesome in the dark, tight corners.
The auto stop rocks. We are going to be tiling our bathroom soon, it would be great for the backer board.
I love the battery status indicator on this! this would make my life easier because it wont strip screws like my old one did.
my hubby won’t have an excuse to not do projects anymore, or even better, I can do them myself
The deck looks great and that drill is awesome! I’ve been looking for an easy to use drill that I can use for a variety of projects and this one looks like it would work out great
I love the auto-stop feature… that would be super helpful for me for ALL my projects because I’m always stripping my screws trying to make sure I’ve got them in good and tight :/
The touch buttons on top are awesome: battery indicator , drill mode. The fact that it stops and doesn’t strip on the screw is so helpful! This would really help my husband with DIY projects around our house. Our next project is a new, extended deck, and the remodel of one of our bathrooms!
The autosense feature! Too many stripped screw heads in my past!
We’re hoping to buy our first house this year, so this would really help us out with tons of projects! My favorite feature is the ion battery which can hold a charge up to 18 months
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
What do I like best about this drill? It’s a powerful drill that’s also female friendly.
Now, wait a minute before anyone calls me sexist. We girls can do anything a man can do if we put our minds to it, but we’re not working with the same equipment. Our center of balance is different, for one thing, and most power tools (IME, especially drills) are built assuming you have a lot of upper body strength and most women just…don’t.
I tried for years to use a drill and didn’t get the hang of it until a woman construction worker showed me that I’d been using it wrong (read: like a man) and taught me the proper way for a woman to drill. She also told me to get a compact 20v and it would make my life easier. I did, and I’ve been doing so much better with projects requiring a drill ever since.
So, I love the smart features of this drill, but I also love the fact that it’s a 20v and compact, which makes it woman-friendly.
Sorry this is so long!
I love the autosense feature of the drill. It would make hanging picture frames super easy!
PS – Love the deck! It looks amazing!
I saw, I clicked and now I NEED to win that drill 😉
LOVE your new deck Kim. It looks AWESOME!!!
You crack me up. Personally, the led work light is a great feature. We’re always trying to screw in the dark. (Ha!) Also, it stops automatically? Swoon.
No more stripping heads…how cool is that? Also like the compact size.
I love that the drill is cordless and compact!
Your deck looks awesome and so does this drill. I could really use a drill that stops when the screw is in place – no more stripped screws!
I love making things and love the vintage look. Im definitely learning on how to use tools, I would love this drill to use on my next project. My husband and I just moved and plan on building a deck:)
I think the automatic stop feature is fantastic. Love the deck!
I am honing my woodworking skills (finally picked up a hammer 🙂 ) This Black and Decker Autosense drill looks like a confidence booster, that can help me to stop looking at projects and start them.
Your deck looks great! We could really put this drill to use! I love how compact it is and the long battery life!
That deck. AMAZING. Love that the drill stops when the screw is in place! I tend to overdo things . . . . . . . this would be a good feature for me 😉
i like that it stops when the screw is in place this will help me because learning self control can get hard at times and i have split a many of wood screwing screws in too far
uhhh… no more stripped screws please! i strip so many screws I actually googled “how to remove stripped screws.”
It would be my favorite if the battery stayed charged for longer than 1/2 hour. Our ancient drill’s battery is going kaput currently so it would be awesome to win a replacement!
Love that it’s cordless! This would really come in handy when we move into our new fixer upper!
First, love the “tiny terrorist that lives with us” comment! Second, I want to win just so I can give this drill to your dad, he deserves it for sure! Third, I suppose my favorite feature would be the compact size (because it makes it easier for us girls to use when we steal it from the hubby’s toolbox!)
I like the lithium battery and the autosense feature sounds interesting.
The deck looks so awesome! That drill is super rad with a lot of great features but I would have to say may favorite feature hands down is the Engage Depth Control! That is very useful for minor adjustments and you can be confident you wont mess anything up! The drilling mode selections though! SO RAD!
The deck looks amazing! I love the contrast of the cedar and white. And it’s done!! As far as the drill goes, I am a huge fan of the automatic clutch. I’m apparently known for continuing to screw things in after they’re in too far and strip screws. Whoops. I have ideas for some projects I want to tackle (on my own!) so having my OWN DRILL would be pretty stellar!
Plus, battery indicator?? I love it.
This is amazing!! I love it! I am trying to aquire some tools of my own for some projects…none quite as beautiful as yours…single mom…still practicing the whole do it yourself area of my life. But big thumbs up for such a beautiful deck!!! Good luck with your future projects!!
I love that the drill will stop when the screw is in…I’ve stripped so many putting things together.
The deck looks FABULOUS!!! The cedar-white combo is perfect! Kudos to Dad!
When you have a 120 year old house there are ALWAYS projects!!! I could so use that drill to install new/old window locks and lifts. With their old brass screws ….. I am always stripping them with my drill! Having the drill stop when the screw is in place ….. who knew????
Are you kidding me right now with that amazing view!?! Unbelievably gorgeous. I am not even kidding, we are so close to our neighbors I can see them getting a snack out of their fridge when I am sitting on my couch. For real. I need to get out to the country ASAP.
Angela @ Number Fifty-Three
Kim, it came out amazing! And that view! The baby gate is invaluable too. I think my favorite feature of the drill is that it’s more compact. I borrow my husband’s a lot and it’s SO heavy!
Love the deck!!! And that new drill would be oh so handy for us in our new home projects!!!!! Please!!! Lol
Looks so awesome, Kim!
Battery power indicator is def my fave. Drill batteries are my bane!
What an amazing space! I just love the view!! That drill would be amazing for me. I use to try to do a lot of projects myself but then I kept stripping screws and would have to wait for someone to come help with the stripped screws to finish up the project. Then I finally just gave up trying projects obviously because I apparently didn’t know about this amazing drill.
What a cool drill! I love that it stops when screws are flush! I need that in my diy life.
I have a vanity in my garage that needs assembly…to be honest it’s been there for months! This would make assembly a snap!
Getting it right every time sounds great to me! I always overshoot and dig it in (especially drywall). Awesome deck!!
Your deck looks awesome! And I’d love to be entered in the giveaway … We are currently building a deck off of our pool and we could put it to good use. And Fathers Day is coming after all!
I just wanna get stuff done myself and stop having ti wait for Cory to do it. I can’t work a drill but this one makes it sound like I can handle it 🙂
What an amazing deck, I love the contrast of the wood vrs. the white. I would love to have my own drill too!!!
That view. That view is insane. I think we need a Jack and Rose Titanic post on the end of that baby.
I like that this drill changes easily between drill and drive modes and I think this will make our projects easier and quicker.
Um…. wait, what?! It stops when it hits the exact point that it is flush with the wood?! That’s AWESOME!! That is definitely my favorite feature!! I also appreciate the built in light, the fact that it’s cordless and that it is compact. I want this drill! 🙂 And your deck looks AMAZING!! Totally loving the contrast of the cedar with the white. Can’t wait to see pics of the whole finished barn…. you must be getting really close! 🙂
Love love love the cedar and white! It looks beautiful!
As far as the drill…we almost never do home projects, so the fact that it holds the battery charge for 18 months is pretty awesome.
There are so many great features but I’ll go with the built in light (my work space isn’t well lit). Thanks!
I’m digging the pretty buttons on top that switch it between drill and drive modes. This would help my DIY because my husband would maybe do more if I treated him to a new drill 😉
i love the different colors on the railing! you are going to love living out there and spending so much time on that giant deck!!
and I think the light is a fun feature!! We will probably be working on MANY diys with this new drill if it were ours!
I love that it automatically stops when a screw is in place. That sounds like a drill I could use!
Your new deck looks fantastic!!! If I won, this drill would be all mine – no more sharing with the husband and it looks light enough where I’d feel comfy using it alone!
Every time I even look at my husband’s power tools we have a “garden incident” of our own. I’m the queen of stripping screws and a number of other offenses.
I’d love to have this all for my very own!
Like I said to Michelle… I love that you guys are both giving this away today 🙂 And I like that it looks like it isn’t so heavy my arms would fall off using it (which happens with our current impact drill).
I love the mix of cedar and white paint (good idea, Kim’s dad). The contrast is just awesome (and I’m partial since our deck is two-tone white and cedar, too)!
I DIY with my Dad as well. Lets just say I am a screw stripping queen! No bueno! I make my father roll his eyes constantly. Learning curve… this drill sounds fantastic and the sensor would redeem my skillz!
Thank you!
The railings are SO gorgeous, and THAT VIEW!!!!!!!! Wow.
The small size would be soooo much easier to use than the large drills are!
Love this drill!
life changing that it stops when the screw is all the way in! no more husband complaining that i sunk the screw in too far!
Totally guilty of over-torqueing and the compactness of the drill is great! The deck looks so inviting and love the “wiferazzi” comment!
Whoa! I knew your deck was going to be amazing, but it’s EVEN MORE AMAZING than I expected! Great job, guys!
Most useful feature is that it is cordless. Hubby’s only cordless drill recently bi t the dust and we are down to two corded drills. Extensions cords suck!
The deck looks amazing! And check out that view!
I love the auto-stop sensor on that drill. I tend to be an over-driller sometimes haha.
I love the built-in work light! Dork I know, but we do most of our work in the basement and holding up a flashlight is NO FUN!
And your deck/rails look gorgeous. I’m so jealous!
i love the deck! such a good job. and you are so lucky to have such talented family members 🙂 i think i would spend all of my time out there just gazing at that view.
others have said it already, but stopping when the screw is in place is a major win in my book
Not sure what is more gorgious, the view or the deck! You are one lucky lady!!!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stripped screws using B’s drill. Love that it stops when the screw is in place!
and now it is safe to party on the balcony. awesome job! i’m coming over with my cooler of natty boh.
My favorite feature would be the compact size – right now in the middle of an “accidental” renovation and I have a hard time with the bigger drills getting into small spaces!
Kim I could definitely use some Autosense in my life and the compact size is looking great for some tight spaces when I build furniture pieces. I’d love to win!!
I’m enjoying following the progress on your project. The deck looks fantastic! I love the auto clutch feature on that drill. My husband and I do a lot of home improvements ourselves and have had to deal with stripped out screws many times. What a headache!
I love that it will stop once the screw is in place!!!!… I may or may not have stripped a few screws over the years :/
Thanks for the give-a-away!
It sounds like the no over torquing thing would stop me from slamming my arm against things while we are remodeling our basement…I think that’s a favorite thing!
Hired out to have my potting shed built. After the contractor left me high and dry I am currently trying to finish myself. All power tools are so appreciated at this time! BTW…..so jealous of that beautiful deck.
I need a new one baldy. Love the depth control!
This would make a great Father’s Day gift…but if it truly is as easy to work as it sounds, maybe I’ll have to keep it for myself!!! There is a tiny shred of hope that I can become crafty with the right tool!
It. Stops. When. The. Screw. Is. In. Place????!?! Are you KIDDING ME?? My marriage needs this drill. All the ghosts of past screws I’ve stripped (*snort*) NEED THIS DRILL. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE AUTOBOT PICK ME!!!!
Cordless & compact!
Oh my gosh, Kim! Look at that view!! Can I come over and drink sweet tea on the deck with you?! Your dad and Ryan are amazing. I am so excited for you guys and love keeping up with all the progress made!
Smart drill. Love it. Now no longer have to guess if screw is in good. I really like that it allows for quick and simple drilling. Love your porch