I’m going to be building an 8×13 foot deck about 4′ off the ground over an existing patio. The 13′ is along the house, the joists with extend 8′ away from the house and canteliever their last foot over a beam set on posts.
Would it be OK to mount the posts to the patio? (It’s a concrete slab with inlaid flagstones). I was thinking of drilling a hole (hammer drill) to mount a metal post base to the slab with an expansion bolt of a sort.
Or would it be better to drill a whole through, and another hole in the bottom of the post and put in some steel rod (or rebar)?
Thanks.
ALSO: What do you all reccommend for a low maintainence railing system (the decking will probably be the timberteck twinfinish)
Edited 6/14/2005 9:13 pm ET by abw12
Replies
If your patio is like most I've seen (3'-4" of unreinforced concrete on dirt) I wouldn't do it. Even with compacted gravel base and mesh I wouldn't feel comfortable; just search the deck failure threads here. Bust through the patio, dig out and pour yourself a real footer with post bracket imbedded.
wrudiger is correct in his assumption. But if you want to play dirty put a footing atop the extg conc., the point is to spread the load. I take no responsibility if there're voids under the slab and it all punches thru, tho!, just that I'm cheap (and that doesn't always pay, eh)
cheers
***I'm a contractor - but I'm trying to go straight!***