OK guys new Question re: decking

[celeste]

Hi all

Sorry Guys this pair of duplex's is a big jump in the reno stakes, bigger than I am use to on my own. I may have quite a few Q's B4 its thru.

1. any plumbers on this site? one that can make S### run up hill!

Ideas coming from all directions - wish I knew more, so I can weed out the too$ or too hard quickly.

Anyway back to the questions

2. I am tossing around - what to do on the ground under the pergola, at the mo it has cement slabs (600 x 600 or there abouts) all crooked and broken.

I can pave - which is easier the brick style or the larger 300 x 300 ? I have done all the levelling out for a paver B4 so I know about run off.

or

I can do a floor level jarrah deck about 100mm off ground - if I go this way, do I just make up a frame in say 100 x 100 planks with 3 or 4 cross members (7m x 4m approx) that just sit on the dirt - maybe attached to the house (brick) along one of the long sides and then attach the decking planks on top. oil and done?
Do I need to anchor it into the ground? Drill holes in the frame and hammer in steel rods?

any other options appreciated.

Celeste

[pawnhead]

I'd recommend you do it this way if you don't want it moving around or rotting. If you don't want to do any digging, then use H4 treated pine. Certainly if it's in contact with the ground. You shouldn't need to spike it down, but if you haven't got reasonably deep (450mm or more) footings under it, with clearance to the bearer then don't be surprised if it doesn't stay level. Especially if the soil is clay and soaks up water in the rain, then dries out again when the sun comes out.
You could always lay the whole deck out of treated pine sleepers. It's cheaper than hardwood decking per square metre but it would look a bit rougher. Some people like the chunky look though.

[celeste]

Hi all

thanks for that pawnhead - deep down I knew I should do it that way. I was feeling a bit lazy. Now, I am feeling really lazy, so I am going with pavers and getting someone else to lay them.

I get a bit grand with my plans for the reno's, then I check the budget and I rein myself in.

I do like the look of the low lying decks/walkways that are popping up in all the landscaping books tho.

Celeste

[pawnhead]

Yeh, I've just built a low lying deck and you can check it out here (post#29).
There used to be old paving, all out of level, made up of a mish mash of old tiles, pebblecrete, broken bricks and just mortar thrown on the dirt that was all cracked up. It looked shocking so I busted it all up with a sledge hammer. There was a section of reinforced concrete as well but the sledge hammer and builders bar took care of that. Then I dug down another 300mm. You should have 300mm clearance to the bearer, but I only gave it 300 to the joist and the bearer only had 200mm. It would be impossible getting under there but it wont rot because it will all be under cover when I've added a sail to the end of the laserlite roofing.
Just use a bar to loosen up the dirt, a shovel and a couple of buckets to spread it around the yard elsewhere. Use the bar for your footings and a trowel when it gets too deep for the shovel. It didn't take all that long for me and I was just plodding along pacing myself because I've got a crook back and I've already had one back operation.

It'll be good exercise if you need to loose any weight, but I suppose it depends on how big an area you want to do.

[celeste]

Yeh, I've just built a low lying deck and you can check it out here (post#29).
There used to be old paving, all out of level, made up of a mish mash of old tiles, pebblecrete, broken bricks and just mortar thrown on the dirt that was all cracked up. It looked shocking so I busted it all up with a sledge hammer. There was a section of reinforced concrete as well but the sledge hammer and builders bar took care of that. Then I dug down another 300mm. You should have 300mm clearance to the bearer, but I only gave it 300 to the joist and the bearer only had 200mm. It would be impossible getting under there but it wont rot because it will all be under cover when I've added a sail to the end of the laserlite roofing.
Just use a bar to loosen up the dirt, a shovel and a couple of buckets to spread it around the yard elsewhere. Use the bar for your footings and a trowel when it gets too deep for the shovel. It didn't take all that long for me and I was just plodding along pacing myself because I've got a crook back and I've already had one back operation.

It'll be good exercise if you need to loose any weight, but I suppose it depends on how big an area you want to do.

Hi Prawn head

Thanks for that, but I do not know all those tech terms bearers etc. I do have a rough idea but not exactly. could you do a labelled drawing for me?

I am leaning towards paving, but my options are still open.

Also, I am thinking of putting jarrah decking on the front porch, it is concrete at the mo. not much room from floor to door - can I just glue them straight on to the cement? or do I need to put down battens (is this the right word) on to the cement and then nail the decking onto them, like you would with tongue and groove inside.

Celeste

Celeste

[pawnhead]

The bearers are the timbers underneath that go on the bottom spaced widely apart to save timber and foundations. they're usualy the biggest sized timbers.
The joists sit on top of them perpendicular (90 degrees to the bearers), and they're closer together because the flooring is thinner and can't span as far.
The decking sits on top running in the same direction as the bearers.

Study the photos in that other thread and you'll see what I'm talking about. Anyone could build it if they're confident with a shovel and a power saw.

I'd put battens down on that slab before the decking. If you glue them down you'll get water and crap accumulating between the boards because it's got nowhere to go. It will rot a lot quicker, not just because the water has nowhere to go, but also because it's in contact with the surface over the entire area of its bottom, and capillary action of the water draws it between the concrete and decking board.
If you put battens down, then put strips of plastic under them as a moisture barrier. you can put it on top of them as well as protection from the weather. They make special rolls of plastic designed to hook over the top of joists under decks. They last a lot longer if they are installed.

And I love prawns.