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Anonymous09/08/26, 01:32No.3007379Floating Deck
So my brother and I have been tasked with ripping out an old deck and building a simple 8'x15' floating deck in its place. I haven't been to the house yet to see the old old deck, but the pictures make it look pretty shit.
Anyway, the point I'm driving at is that I'm retarded and I've never built a deck. I do woodworking, but construction stuff is pretty foreign to me. Are there any major things I should be worried about? The owners aren't the type to be concerned with building codes, so it's not like I have to do everything perfect. I just want to know what I should prepare for, and anything I should REALLY be on the lookout for, and what should I use for everything? Concrete footers? Piers? Shit like that...
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Anon09/08/26, 01:34No.3007381
It's a piece of shit. The owners are going to buy all the lumber and hardware necessary, so I just need to figure out how to do it...
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Anon09/08/26, 04:48No.3007392
yeah you should tell your friend to get someone who knows what they're doing to build it. you don't even know how to build a normal deck pet alone a "floating" one.
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Anon09/08/26, 04:53No.3007394
1. What are the expectations as far as quality?
Is this a paid job, or more like a favor for a family member? How fussy are they?
2. Do you get cold winters? Are you concerned about frost heaving?
3. Do you get tornados are other such windy weather? If the deck isn't tied to the earth or the building, is there any reason to be concerned that high winds might throw it?I'm going to make some guesses based on the photos, and give this advice:
Build it on concrete piers. Use 2x6 regular stick-framing style on 4x4 posts to the piers. Dig a little if you have to. It'll shift over the years -- but someone can adjust the piers as needed by digging or whatever in order to keep it somewhat level.If you and your brother are both completely new to building a deck, you really need to find someone knowledgeable to help you. If you're reasonably intelligent, you could maybe inspect thoroughly other decks and copy how they've done it.Watch some of the popular builders on youtube for construction basics. Essential Craftsman has some decent videos in this regard.