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Hi,
I am after help to build a deck 814cm in length x 260cm wide. I am wanting to put it long length of house wall in backyard.
I have never done a deck before. I have attached some pics of area where I want to put up a deck. I would appreciate some help with the
- where & how do you attach ledgers
- there is a concrete raised-area near the door; i think a couple of posts may have to sit on the concrete; how do i secure the posts on concrete
- how deep do i need to need the holes in soil for the footings
- looking at the pictures are there any specific things that i should keep in mind when taking measurements
i probably sound and am being dense here but would appreciate help here to kick start taking measurements & clearing the doubts that I have. Thanks a lot
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Pav. We're really pleased to have you join us and trust you'll get loads of helpful advice and inspiration for this project and many others to come from our wonderful members.
Have you had a search for "Low level deck" here on Workshop? I'm sure you'll find similar projects to yours that you can learn from. It's a very popular topic, particularly at the moment.
Let me also tag a few of our resident decking experts here in the community who might like to kick off the discussion for you - @Adam_W, @Brad and @ProjectPete.
Please let me know if you ever need a hand getting the most from the Workshop site, or ever have any feedback about how we could improve Workshop for you.
Thanks,
Jason
Hi @Pav,
I'd also like to welcome you to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's great to have you join us.
The ledgers are attached directly to the brickwork which adjoins the deck structure and they act as the last bearers. They are generally attached by bolting through the timber directly into the brick. A gap is left in between the ledgers and brickwork to stop moisture buildup and its migration.
There appears to be less than 50mm clearance between the top of the raised concrete area and the door sill. That is not enough room to fix a bracket, post, bearer and decking board. My suggestion would be to remove the concrete pad and run the deck the full length using posts into the ground. As a general rule, footings should be close to 30 x 30 x 60cm in dimensions. Further requirements for adequate footings can be obtained through your local council and are dependant on soil conditions in your area.
The only thing I would consider worth mentioning is that by removing the raised concrete slab it will make installation easier. The removal will allow you to run continuous lengths of timber across the front of the house. If you do not remove the slab, the decking boards will almost be sitting on top of it. The timber will not have adequate airflow or the ability to drain water off underneath them. This can lead to decay and a diminished lifespan of the deck.
Please let me know if you need further information or had questions.
Mitchell
