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I am planning to build an outdoor decking on one side of a swim spa. The swim spar will be on the raised concrete slab, see photo. The deck will be between the swim spa and the raised garden, see photo. The decking will be on an uneven concrete base. The deck's dimensions are approximately. 950 mm heigh; 1700 mm wide; 5400 mm long with steps on one end and a step to go into the pool. See attached drawing in red.
I need some advice on how to build the deck substructure and what material to use.
Cheers Andrew
Hi @Rufo
The other option is to use 140x45 as the bearers and 90x45 as the joist. This would be assembled as a standard decking frame, not as a single level. A good example of this are in these guides - How to install bearers and How to install joists. In this particular instance, the assembly was done in reverse with the 90x45 being doubled up with the 140x45 at the top. If you observe closely you'll see that the bearers are made to sit on top of the posts with straps going around them. So in theory, if the posts were to increase in height the assembly method would still be applicable. But because your deck is quite long, I suggest adding more posts to prevent it from being bouncy.
If you need further assistance, please let me know.
Eric
Hi @Rufo
Post placement depends on the type of timber you'll be using. There is also the factor of the weight of the materials and the number of people that will be standing on the deck at any one time. I propose a distance of 1 meter per post. I prefer to make conservative recommendations to be on the safe side. I suggest having a look at the "span table" from Hyne timber one of our suppliers. The span is how far the timber can travel in the air before it needs support.
If you need further assistance, please let us know,
Eric
