I’m going to be constructing a fairly large deck in the near future and the support for it is becoming a concern. The deck is an odd shape covering around 26 x26 with another 12×12 section for a hot tub. It is going to have a bunch of flower boxes and benches and stuff which is fairly straight forward. The problem I am facing is the area is surrounded by very large trees and there is no tractor access to the site. The soil is mostly loose top soil for a couple of feet then turns to clay to the four feet I must dig for the frost line. I am certain the regular remedy of using a two man auger won’t work because of the tree roots.
Anyway of supporting this deck and protecting it against frost without digging to the four foot frost line?
What are your methods on supporting decks?
Any suggestions welcome
Thanks,
Kev
Replies
Kevin:
I just rented a Bobcat mt-50 last week for the first time with a 12" auger. This machine ROCKED! It is on tracks and it is very narrow so it can get into tight spaces. It weighs like 2500 pounds, though, so it is heavy duty but a one-man opearation. Small tree roots were not a problem, for bigger roots you would need to stop and cut them before continuing. I did 18 holes in two hours alone. Cost me 300 bucks for the day with trailer.
J Painter
jpainter, great looking tool., but how 'bout that beautiful lot-----where's that photo taken?
regards
The photo was taken in my back yard! :-)
I live on a 2.5 acre lot that used to be rolling farmland 30 or 40 years ago. Heavy clay soil that is very fertile, and not a rock to be seen anywhere. Decades of tilling got rid of all the rocks, I guess.
J Painter
jpainter, what a pleasing, pastoral chunk of land - wow. Not to hijack this thread, but I'd love to post pics on breaktime but have always failed as the file is too big. Can you tell me how to reduce file size as to make them practical to post? Using window xp home. If this question belongs elsewhere I understand and will search other threads.
happy building
The question probably does belong elsewhere, but since you asked... There are two basic ways to reduce file size: one, reduce the size of the picture in pixels. Two, reduce the resolution. For on-screen viewing, 96 pixels per inch is enough resolution. Picture size is a matter of taste. You must use a paint program such as Paintshop Pro, Photoshop, or a myriad of others to modify pictures you have scanned or taken digitally. Some offer a semi-automatic "prepare for web" feature. There is a learning curve. Best to find a graphic designer in your family and latch on to him or her like a rabid dog until you've picked up the basics.
J Painter
Thanks for the info - it helps a lot
regards
Do a search here for Irfanview, or downlad it free. It's a grerat program that converts files from one type to anyother, and also dumbs down the photo size. One tip...after you reduce the picture size, do a save-as so that the original pic is unmodified.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
I would say somewhere near Flemington, NJ
the bobcat thing is basically what i had in mind but i can not get it to the back yard without some radical fence and hedge removal.
thanks for the reply
Will the deck be attached to the house, or is it free standing? Do you live in an area where you have to comply with the codes?
More than likely you will have to dig to the frost line for your footers. Could you hire someone to do it?
Jon Blakemore
the largest part of the deck will be free standing at ground level. Codes might not be a big problem but this wil be done for a client so i do not want to be called back next year after the thaw. I am actually the hired person or sucker!
thanks
Cutting big roots close to very big trees sounds like the kind of thing that should be checked out by a tree expert before you do it. Dead trees are no fun, and trees that fall over are even less fun than that. Look around here for posts from Bob Smalser, he's the resident tree expert.
-- J.S.
at the very least ...
that hot tub area's gotta be supported by something other than diadonal braces against the house and sky hooks ....
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
i might beable to convince the home owner to place the tub on the ground on build the deck around it, that will take some weight of the supports
thanks
That's the best idea. It's much easier to get in and out of a tub when the rim of it is just about flush with the deck. You want a little bit of a lip so you can hose down around it without getting any in the tub, but not so much that it isn't comfortable to sit out for a while on the edge.
-- J.S.
Wouldn't you still have to support the hot tub on some kind of a footing to keep it from frost heaving, or would the warm water in the tub keep the ground under it from freezing?
Absolutely you need a proper footing for the tub. Future owners will likely drain it for the winter rather than spending big bucks to keep it hot. Even if they do keep it hot, it should be well enough insulated as not to heat the ground all the way down to the frost line.
-- J.S.
Too bad you can't go with the tractor-mounted auger. My neighbor has one and it punches holes in about half a minute each. You'll be able to dig with the two man auger. You will find that the roots are within the first 12-18" of soil, and once you get thru them there aren't any more. Keep a sawzall with a pruning blade handy and when you find a root lean down in the hole and cut it.
Agreed about talking to an arborist. Cut too many roots and the tree will die in a few years and fall down on the deck.
Cut the roots with a RH and a sharpened spade bit... SLICK!
Got the tip from here.. Man does it work...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!