How to build a deck on a house that is built on a slab
Posted on Jan 12, 2009 under How to Build a Deck | 4 CommentsYou may be considering How to Build a Deck on a house that is built on a slab. If you have a room addition that is built on a concrete slab and when walking out of the back door you step down possibly about 8″ to the ground this can present problems with the building of a deck area.
One suggestion is to get landscape timbers and countersink stepping stones part of the way in the ground. Then set the landscape timbers the opposite way to the way the decking is going to run. You can attach a treated 2×6 to the house as a ledger board and since it’s on concrete you won’t need any stepping stones-just shim up the ends so that it is level.
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Yes you can still build a deck on this. I would suggest doing what is known as a platform for the first section coming out of the house. Maybe a 9'x9' section and then build up from there to the elevation you would like the rest of the deck to be.
Maybe something along the lines of this. Link below.
References :
http://landscapeassociates.biz/pages/decks-2.htm
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I agree with the 'step up deck' suggestion.
You could also build a deck on the same level as your back door by using narrower joists (like 2×4s) and support blocks on the ground every couple feet. This doesn't leave any room for ventilation or access for spraying weeds under it, so you'll have to scrape the ground bear, treat it with 2-4D, and cover it with plastic and gravel. Remember to make the ground drain properly so you don't get a puddle under the deck.
References :
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:17 pm
What I did was get landscape timbers and countersink stepping stones part of the way in the ground and set the landscape timbers the opposite way the decking was going to run. You can attach a treated 2X6 to the house as a ledger board and since it's on concrete you won't need any stepping stones-just shim up the ends so that it is level.I actually started out like this for a sun room on the back of my house but there is a layer of roofing felt down as a moisture barrier, put in insullation and I used 3/4" plywood as a subfloor and also boxed all around it with 2×6's as well as 2×6's to attach the plywood to. The landscape timbers were used in another part of the yard for a platform deck.Run your boards 24" on center and you will have a very sturdy deck which you can apply railing to and flower beds or landscaping around it. It's so nice not to have to step down when going out of the french doors in the kitchen and the french door in the livingroom. I have the sunroom and 2 outside decks and enlarged the deck on my sister's mobile home with steps going down the opposite side to a boardwalk to a platform deck with a picnic table. Put a steel roof over the mobile home deck.
References :
have built several decks
April 19th, 2009 at 8:36 am
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