I'm about to start laying a 2 level deck in my garden and have a question about footings.....

The lower level deck is going to be the height of a single deck board and the upper level is going to be the height of 2 decking boards (both will be joined where the step up is). Would I need to dig out foundations for both heights, or will the lower height decking be ok on concrete 'pads'.

Also how deep would you do the footings, some say 300mm, others say 600mm deep?

Cheers
Chris

 

If you lay straight onto concrete pads then you may get damp up through them if they are quite low. Overkill on the foundations is definately the best bet for a long lasting deck. When I did mine, I dug holes approx 18 inches deep, dropped fence posts in and held them with postcrete. Another good thing is they set almost immediately. Then bolted the joists to them with coach bolts then decked over the top. A bit more work but definately worth it.

Also if any of your concrete pads were to sink then it would leave the decking rocking a bit. Shall post pics later of my decking to show you how its layed out underneath

 

Ah cool fair enough, didnt think about the concrete sinking to be honest. Do you think i'd need to go 18" down though for a deck that only going to be 6" high?

 

You will probably be alright with 12", as I said though with mine I chose the overkill option with the foundations and it certainly isn't going anywhere!

 

true true, just being lazy I think!!!! I presume in short, dig the holes, concrete the posts in, build the deck frame around the edge attaching to posts (coach bolts), put joists across, lay decking boards? Been looking at the DIY thing on B&Q's site and it doesnt look too complicated

 

Yes thats pretty much it! Joists need to be no more than 18" apart. And don't forget weed proof membrane and a couple of inches of pea gravel over to stop the weeds coming through before you stick the boards down

 

My decking sits on 100mmx100mm posts, every 1.2 metres, including for the step. All are 600mm deep, even the ones that are only about 300mm out of the ground. Pics of my project are in the Photo section, within the last few weeks.

 

Just had a read of it mate, VERY impressed . Love the way you've managed to hide the bomb shelter!! Where did you get the metal railings from for the rails?

Chris

 

The rails are complete kits from Wickes. I didn't like the quality of their decking boards, but the rail kits are really nice. They are Ł60 each and we used 4 of them, plus you need the top handrail trim that doesn't come in the kit.

Thanks for the comments by the way.

 

i allways sit them on block pads each pad is sat on a small concrete footing to level out and stop pad moving then a piece of dpc on top of the block then the frame / joists on top never had no problems or complaints