deck on ground help pls

[browny000]

first of merry christmas to all, well ihave 4 weeks off over chrissy and the wif has the LIST for me to do, the main is deck around the pool, this is where the problem starts lol.

due to hight limits i have to go deck on ground (top of pool coping down to natural ground is 140mm)

the ground is good drainage

what size timbers would you recommend using preferebly using treated pine (mmmmm soft wood)

the layout of the timber

can the whole deck just float on the ground, or how would i fix it to ground, the deck is to be built within the confines of the pool bond beam and treated pine sleepers on the outside , so in my theory it should not move around.

im usig kwila decking 19mm thick and propose to use stainless steel screws (square drive), any advice of other fixing solutions appreciated.

sorry about the n00b questions, is anyone near sunshine coast queensland i maybe able to chat with

well ppl "may your tools be sharp and your timber be straight"

all the best stay safe

[journeyman Mick]

Browny,
I did a deck in a similar situation years ago. Used treated pine sleepers on a bed of packed down crusher dust. Then trip-L-gripped joists on top of this with decking laid the usual way. Not ideal, but it worked.

Mick

[meerkat]

Hi Browny,

ours is just off the deck so to speak.

We put posts in as per the recommonded spacing into cement as required.

Then the bearers went on (treated pine) then the joists on top of them.

The whole deck sits on top of the bearers & joists which needs one step to get onto the deck.

Sorry about the lack of detail but if you want them just let me know.

Basically structually, its what is required whether its just off the ground or a metre off. I wanted to make sure that the council would have no problems if they wanted to have a look.

My dad says its over engineered but it will last, right down to the tar on the areas that would get wet from the spa.

Regards
Andrew

[mic-d]

I seem to recall doing one several years ago where I formed up a bunch of small pads (150x150 or so) all at the same level out of concrete then attached the joists to these and put in some trimmers (noggins) between them too. Then handnailed the deck. Used a water level to get the pads to the same height.

Cheers
Michael

[Larry McCully]

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/h2buildadeck

[browny000]

Hi Browny,

ours is just off the deck so to speak.

We put posts in as per the recommonded spacing into cement as required.

Then the bearers went on (treated pine) then the joists on top of them.

The whole deck sits on top of the bearers & joists which needs one step to get onto the deck.

Sorry about the lack of detail but if you want them just let me know.

Basically structually, its what is required whether its just off the ground or a metre off. I wanted to make sure that the council would have no problems if they wanted to have a look.

My dad says its over engineered but it will last, right down to the tar on the areas that would get wet from the spa.

Regards
Andrew

hey meerkat, thanks, what size timbers did u use, all of what u did came in under the limited 140mm i have to play with, thanks once again

[browny000]

thanks to all replies, am working on some plans and will post for feedback, many thanks and a safe new year

[browny000]

Browny,
I did a deck in a similar situation years ago. Used treated pine sleepers on a bed of packed down crusher dust. Then trip-L-gripped joists on top of this with decking laid the usual way. Not ideal, but it worked.

Mick

why do u say not ideal, is it a 'not sturdy enough' problem, thanks for the reply

[journeyman Mick]

Brownie,
it was definitely sturdy enough, we sized the joists as per the normal span tables and the "bearers" (sleepers) had a zero span so they weren't going to deflect. Decking was laid with 450mm or less span as per usual. The problem was (and will be in your case) that there's next to no clearance between the subfloor and the ground. Usual practice is to allow at least 600 clearance to allow adequate airflow and keep the timber clear of the ground. This clearance is required for access, termite inspection and most importantly to prevent fungal decay. Dpending on your local climatic conditions etc you could have fungal attack resulting in an unsafe deck within a year or two, but in other areas you might get away with it for a couple of decades.

Mick

[Sturdee]

thanks to all replies, am working on some plans and will post for feedback, many thanks and a safe new year

Looking forward to it, as the reason I haven't built a deck in the BBQ area is the limited head room. If your's works out okay I may do it as well.


Peter.

[browny000]

well guys here is the proposed layout for the joists on my deck, i certainly aint the architect/artist lol but it should make sense if not ask and i will endeavour to explain....all the best keep it safe

[Trav]

Browny

I think you might find the spacing between the joists is too large. I have usually gone for a 400 or 450 spacing - any more could result in flexing of the decking boards (which could lead to loostening of the fixings).

Were you going to use two screws per board per joist? I considered using screws, but decided against it as two screws looked too 'busy' on a single decking baord, but one screw could encourage cupping of the board.

Trav

[barrysumpter]

Have a search in these forums for my posts regarding my Octagon Deck.

I've just been informed by an associate that he followed my advice and was very happy with his outcome.

Specifically, research first, pre-drilling nail holes, twisted shank nails, etc.

Sumpter Deck Octagon

Your timber supplier should know all the latest standards.

All the best,