Browse Forums Outdoor Living 1 Feb 10, 2010 9:43 am I have chosen to go down the path of DIY Decking for my alfresco area (~28 SQM - 7M x 4M). Half the deck has covered roof and the other half is open. I have done some bit of research and have reasonable idea on how to put the frame. My Problem : I have only 200 mm between the floor level and ground level (ground level not concreted) to do the deck. I understand that the height of frame usually takes up about ~250 mm height (20 mm Deck + 140 mm Joists + 90 mm Bearers). The height will be ~160 (20+140) mm if the joist and bearer are at same level (not one on top of another) - which is probably what i have to do. Hence the clearance between the lower level of deck and ground will be ~40 mm (200-160) unless I do some digging. I also read in some forum that a clearance of 600mm is recommended to avoid rot and termite infestation. Now - This must be a common problem as I can imagine most new houses will have about 2 bricks between indoor floor and unconcreted soil level which is ~200mm. What are the options to do the decking in this scenario? 1. Excavate and concrete the ground level first. Do the decking on top of concrete. This means extra cost for the concreting job. Is this the only recommended option ? 2. Excavate the area so that the clearance is atleast 150mm (between the lower part of the deck and ground). How do I take care of drainage in this situation as the deck area will be at a lower level than the rest of the backyard and water will get clogged? Is there a DIY drainage solution I can apply? 3.Any other option ?? Here is image of the alfresco area. it's an old picture taken during the construction, but should give good idea of the alfresco area where we want to do the deck. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Thanks, Subh Re: DIY Low Level Timber Deck 2Feb 10, 2010 11:32 am That's a tough one, if it were me I'd get it concreted and deck on top of it, problem solved. If you go down the excavation route the only thing I'd be wary of it removing that much material right beside the slab... now I don't know of thats a real issue but it would be one I'd look into. That aside excavate all you need and simply slope it away from the house, dig a trench at some point and run agg pip in it covered with 12mm rock and plumb that into the storm water. I don't really see any problems here other than the ammount of material to come out there by the looks of your photo. Again if it were me, concrete it, the price of excavation + removal of soil may well come in the same as the concrete. Re: DIY Low Level Timber Deck 3Feb 10, 2010 4:08 pm Hi Subh, I also have similar problems, Slab is only 25cm from the ground. So its difficult. One way i was investigating was to not to use bearers, instead use more joist which hangs from the wall ( assuming the you wall/window at three sides) Use few posts to give support in the middle of the Joist. So there by you need only 100mm + 20 mm space for the deck and have 80 mm clearance, which i would say its alright (if you are using good timber - say hard wood, not sure) These are just ideas not sure will work or not..... Please share if you have any ideas.. Regrds KKN Re: DIY Low Level Timber Deck 4Feb 10, 2010 7:20 pm Hi all, Have a look at this forum under decking. http://www.*.com/index.php Raffs low deck was a great example of what can be achieved. Cheers PP Re: DIY Low Level Timber Deck 5Feb 10, 2010 8:16 pm kkn Hi Subh, I also have similar problems, Slab is only 25cm from the ground. So its difficult. One way i was investigating was to not to use bearers, instead use more joist which hangs from the wall ( assuming the you wall/window at three sides) Use few posts to give support in the middle of the Joist. So there by you need only 100mm + 20 mm space for the deck and have 80 mm clearance, which i would say its alright (if you are using good timber - say hard wood, not sure) These are just ideas not sure will work or not..... Please share if you have any ideas.. Regrds KKN Yeah a common approach in a situation like this is to use joist hangers instead of laying them over bearers, saves you some space. DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair Thanks. I was thinking of using either Extreme Joist or LOWDECK timbers for joists. Any idea what sets them apart and which… 2 12889 Thanks! I'm spoke to the builder I'm not sure if this is all true but basically went along the lines of they considered all options and if I was to compact and fill it… 2 7316 Those span tables can be pushed a little for a low deck if you dont mind a little flex. Last deck I did, I pushed it a little and it was still rock solid - no noticeable… 6 13782 |