How to build decking between side of house to side fence?

[HMcc]

Planning a small decking project mainly for foot traffic outside laundry door to clothes line.. Overall size  is 1.95mwidth and 3.0m length, but need to work around 600x600 hot water unit (HWU)  towards the end of the deck.

Intend to use ledger attached to side of the house (up to 2.4m length) and also along the back of the garage (1.95m width)

Having studied both the DIY video and expert advice on low lying deck; need reasurrance/advice that I am on the right track in:

1.  Need bearers across the 1.95m width attaching to the wall ledger on one side; and use 2  of 90x90posts with a span split evenly across the 1.95m (adjusted for the size of the 2 posts; and size of the wall ledger)?  I take it if it is only single span, I would need to use a much larger bearer which would create a problem with the gap from ground to bottom of bearer.  Without digging, the ground is 180 from the garage door.

2.  Run 4 sets of bearers along the 3.0m length of the deck;  First 3 bearers placed approx 0.8m apart (for the 2.4m length before adjustment for the HW unit); with the last bearer placed 0.6m.

My questions are:

What size treated pine should I use for the 1.95m bearers?  Can I use 120x70; or 120 x90 or something larger?)

What size treated pine for the ledger, and what bolts and size should I use to attach to the wall?

Can i use 90x45 for floor joists placed within the bearers using joist hangers?

Can you advise me what should be the minimum gap from the base of the bearer from the ground?

Look forward to your advice and any special tips.  Much appreciated.

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @HMcc. It's marvellous to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about creating a deck.

140 x 45mm timber would be more than sufficient for your bearers over the 1.95m span, especially if you have two midposts. You'd only require one, though. With two, you could drop the bearer size down to 90 x 45mm.

I'd suggest running five bearers over the 3m length, as that will give you a 600mm spacing, and your decking can be laid directly over it.

For the ledger, you need to be aware that it can not be attached to a single brick/brick facade wall as it is not a structural element designed to take side loads. You'll need to support your frame separately.

The small the gap under your bearer the less airflow there will be. It's always best to have as much gap as possible due to this.

You might like to check out this helpful guide: How to build a low-level deck.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell