My client is looking for a very low deck-6-8 inches off the ground. Florida sand/no frost. Nothing fancy 🙁 PT 2 X 6 decking. I haven’t seen one done this way but the guys at the lumber yard say to just lay 4 X 4’s on leveled sand for girders. Thoughts?
Digging is very easy but if I do as usual the girders will be buried-seems like a lot of digging for no benefit.
I’m thinking about a PT 2 X 8 on the flat on leveled sand.
Thanks
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Replies
need to concrete post in ground just to anchor due to hurricane winds. Remember if construction was easy, everybody would be doing it.
You could use the 4x4's directly on the ground or a sand bed and have about a 3" to 5" step up. One of the drawbacks to such a low deck is the accumulation over time of sand or dirt and other droppings that pass through the cracks. After a while you end up with weeds and saplings trying to gain a foothold in the spacings.
If conditions permit, you could use pier blocks partially buried and properly spaced to keep a 2x6 or 2x8 off the ground and frame a standard joist grid. Might need a step section for the added height.
I wouldn't use a 2x on the flat. The preservative percentage is a little light for ground contact.
Uplift can be countered with helical anchors screwed into the ground and strapped to the framing at the corners. Sort of like holding down a mobile home. That's a code approved method. At a local city park they have anchored their pavilions and gazebos like that.
Why don't you just use pallets? <g>
Jon Blakemore
Why not a patio? It won't blow away. Pressure treating protects wood from rot and insect damage, but does not reduce weathering. In 10 years the deck will look awful. There are lots of attractive finishes that can be used, including in your climate, tile.
As someone who has to dig through four feet of compacted, stony glacial till every time I build anything like a deck, I won't even address your concerns about scratching a sandy surface to a depth of 3 1/2 inches!
The comment about 4x4s being treated to a higher concentration is a good one. The little tags stapled to the ends should indicate if it's rated for ground contact. If you can find a 2x8 that's .40 (or whatever the equivalent ACQ treatment is), I imagine a 2x8 continuously supported by sand would be OK.
The weed issue is also good point. Maybe you could put down some filter fabric to discourage plant growth.
Rather than PT decking, you might want to look at composite decking. It costs more up front, but will require much less care in the years to come.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
Thanks for the responses.
Where do I get pressure treated (ground contact) pallets?
Maybe I should be more concerned about the wind. "Ground contact" PT in about all dimensions is (was 2 months ago) locally available by special order, at very small premium. The customer has all ready said they don't want to spend the extra for composite decking.
I lived in ME, NH, & MA for many years so I know how easy I've got it digging wise. Folks laugh at me because I use a round pointed shovel.
Patio actually sounds better to me but we have fire ants around here and the main use for the deck will be a play area for toddler. Darn-now I envision the kid rolling off the edge with her tricycle-I wasn't planning on a railing. Maybe I'll have to make it even lower than I planned or keep it up level with the existing "stairless" platform at the back door. Or maybe a fence like railing that could be removed when the kid(s) get older.
The house must be 10 years old but never had any back stairs, just a paltform. It's about 22" above the ground. (There are 3 other exits.) New owner. Wants a small deck at higher level for BBQ, and steps down to low level.
I must be missing something here. How will a 6" - 8" deck protect a toddler from fire ants?
Now that you've brought that up, what about termites?
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Additional to my previous post:
Part of my deck is on 4x4 stringers set on a 3" 57 stone base and another part is on 4x4's set directly on the raw dirt. In both cases the 4x4's are intact (no bugs, termites, ants, rot) after 10 years. Can't say the same for portions of the decking. Take that back - see next paragraph - the tops of a couple of the 4x4's are a bit spongy at the nail holes because of the constant moisture.
I have a lot of shade so the deck area can stay wet/damp for a long time. Weeds, etc., started coming up after about 5 years because of all the junk slipping between the cracks. It takes some effort to keep the spacings free of trapped material and in a section I pulled up a few months ago the dirt accumulation had reach the bottom of the deck boards.
That is why I would recommend not building such a low deck, even though it's a doable idea. A few years down the road your customer may want you to repair/replace because the deck did not last as long as he thought it should. And, he'll want you to pay for it. You probably already know that maintenance is not in a customer's vocabulary.
The low, ground-hugging deck is something I would only do for myself and recommend an off the ground to my customers.
Just a few inches (and he was talking about 6" or so) will be more than enough to send a toddler tumbling.
Fire ants are a treatable and preventable pest and the idea of a pavered or even poured patio would be better. The customer could still have a raised area for adults and stuff as well as have a flush to the ground pavered section for the child.
How about stamped and/or colored concrete? Lots of variations available. Could even make it look like a deck.
As for the fire ants: Can't you have the ground treated for them before laying the patio, similar to how you prepare against termites for a home? Additionally, if you lay landscape fabric beneath the patio I'd think that would make it unattractive for the little suckers. If instead you pour a concrete patio then the ants would also have a hard time of it.
My guess is your clients won't go for this because of expense, rather than because of the ants.
There are some concrete pyramid kind of things that are sold for "footings" for this use. They look like those old-fashioned concrete pyramids that folks used on corner lots to "discourage" drivers from cutting too close, only there's an X-shaped notch in the top that you can lay 2x joists in. These will keep the wood off the ground and allow air to circulate underneath, helping to prevent rot.
But being in hurricane country, it probably would be wise to use a couple of small mobile home anchors to tie the whole thing down.
I thought of another reason this low deck is a bad idea: snakes. You are giving them grade-a accomodations with that kind of deck. Having a nest of vipers under where my toddler is playing, with some of them bound to come up for a little sun, is something I would not want. And, if a toddler is playing on it, a patio is superior because it won't give splinters when the homeowner fails to maintain it. And no nail pops to abuse tender bare feet. And you eliminate the problem of falling off. And with a little sidewalk chalk said toddler can set up a great tricycle track.