How to build low-level deck on pavers?

[prakashkalai]

 Hello Everyone,

We are planning to try our hands on our first DIY by attempting to build a low level deck in the courtyard shown in the picture.

We will be removing the pebbles near the garage wall. Deck to cover full area from the house wall to garage wall. Leveling with the step near house and the garage entrance.

Do I need to dig any hole and use post & concrete or just use the adjustable pedestal as base? Ground is uneven.

Any other advice on building the deck would be really great - in terms of whether I should go with the full wood or aluminium frame, merbau or composite decking etc. Future plan is to have a pergola in this area.

Thanks in advance!

[JacobZ]

Hi @prakashkalai,

It's fantastic to hear that you are getting ready to jump into a decking project at your home. I am excited to help out wherever I can.

You might like to start by having a read through some articles on this topic so you can get your head around the basics - 

• How to build a low-level deck
   
• How to build a deck
   
• How to understand deck components
   
• How to understand deck span tables.

The first thing you need to consider when looking at the space is the clearance needed for the deck's frame. Typically, people want their decks to finish level or slightly below the entrance to their home, both for aesthetic reasons and to prevent water from flowing into the house. It looks like you've got a bit of clearance on the left, but not much on the right. I would be aiming for no less than 150mm of space beneath the top of your finished deck to allow for framing and posts or support, as well as drainage and airflow beneath the deck to help prevent issues stemming from moisture. The more depth you can create, the better, as airflow will dry up moisture that gets beneath your deck. In your situation, you will need to remove the pavers and dig out some of the soil to allow for this clearance. Unfortunately, I can't see any way of avoiding this.

Once you've created this clearance, you can use either concreted-in posts or pedestal feet as the support for your deck. Concreted in posts is the traditional method, which ensures the deck is both well supported and anchored in place, but pedestal feet are also an option where this isn't possible.

The main thing you should focus on in the initial stages is creating that clearance to allow for the frame. Once the clearance is there, you can evaluate what materials you will use for the deck, checking that you meet their clearance requirements before selecting one.

Allow me to tag @Dave-1, @JDE and @Nailbag to see if they have any advice they can offer.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @prakashkalai 

@JacobZ has pointed out some major points that you will need to accomodate, still doable but the removal of the existing and digging the ground out si the ground level plus decking will end up level with the garage. You will also need to make sure that area has drainage so water will not pool.

How uneven are your pavers? The reason why I ask is you could re-level the pavers and then install Syneco 30 x 30 x 2.2cm Acacia 12 Slats Floor Decking Tile - 9 Pack over the surface instead. These clickable tiles (comes in different colours) only look to be around 6mm high.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @prakashkalai 

Following on @Dave-1 grate advice, the most important piece of advice I can give is take your time and do the preparations properly. A sound correctly constructed foundation in any structure is paramount. Errors here will have flow on effects that even an experienced DIY'r will struggle dealing with. 

The read through the links @JacobZ provided. These are just a few of the dozens posted on the community on this type of project.

Nailbag

[prakashkalai]

Thank you @JacobZ @Nailbag @Dave-1 for your valuable advice. I ll go though all these links and take a decision and plan properly.  Really appreciate your help! Thanks!!