I need to build a 3’x6′ wooden landing pad to replace some pieces of slate and earth at the bottom of an exterior stair. What’s the best way of anchoring this pad to the ground? Can I put pt 4×4’s into the ground at each corner? Or do I have to pour some kind of concrete footing? If so, how deep? This is NH.
Thanks
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Where we live it's not a code issue since it's so close to the ground -- you can anchor it any way you choose. I'm guessing the same is true in NH.
If you don't put in a frost-level foundation (probably 3-4 feet deep in your area) it'll heave in winter, but presumably no more than the old landing did. You should design it so that heaving will not damage the staircase. Try to position it height-wise to produce the same step rise (when not heaved) as other steps in the stair, within a half-inch or so.