Bearers and Joists? Or just bearers and decking?

[Mick666]

Hi SilentC/All,

I just thought of one other question that has occurred to me as I was reading other folks posts regarding low decks (or as I may want to call it if council drop by "walkway"). Is it possible/feasible to forgo posts/stumps all together and just bolt my bearers straight into/onto a one sided stirrup? Up until this week I was all set to buy 100x100 H5 Tp stumps, whack them in and cut them off where necessary with the intention of notching in the bearers but as I sit here I wonder why I can't just bolt the bearers straight on to the stirrup? Provided they were all in the right spot and at the correct level then they should just slot in and I don't have to worry about moisture on timber etc.

Whadayareckon?

Cheers
Mick

[silentC]

I've never built anything that close to the ground but I don't think there's anything that says you have to have stumps. In fact the stirrup would be the stump in that case. I've got a feeling I've seen it done somewhere.

I think if you're going to go down that path, then follow Pharma's advice and leave a gap between your walkway and the house so that you reduce the likelihood of termites bridging and you should be right. It then just becomes a landscaping structure. In fact you've almost convinced me to do a similar thing at our place where I have a similar problem.