Low-level composite deck

[oninpena]

Hi,

I am planning on putting a low level composite deck on my alfresco.  I have attached some photos of the alfresco where I plan to put the decking. 

I plan to build it on top of the concrete and apron, and part of the deck would also be on the soil at the side of the house.  Please see the last photo/drawing of where I plan the deck to be (second to last photo is a render of the alfresco area without deck)

Questions:

1. In the first photo below, there is an opening/pipe/drain on the concrete apron.  Can I build the deck over this?  Is there going to be a problem?

2. On the third photo, you can see the part that has no concrete, what can I put here to support the deck? Can I use pavers and try to level it with the concrete apron?

3. I've read a lot of discussions on raising the joists from the concrete.  The height of the internal floor from the alfresco floor is 140mm.  If I use 90x45 TP + 23mm deck (Ekodeck) that leaves me with 27mm gap.  Can I use angle brackets to raise the joists to ~27mm?

Thanks you in advance to those who will respond!

[oninpena]

thanks @MitchellMc , that's what I'll do then.

[oninpena]

Finally completed the frame today and have started laying the boards.  This is after weeks of waiting for materials and tools, measuring, digging, tamping, cutting, drilling, screwing, going back and forth to bunnings to get more materials.  Hopefully I finish this by tomorrow in time for Christmas!

 

 

 

 

[EricL]

Hello @oninpena

Thank you so much for posting the photo updates. Your timber decking frame looks excellent. I'm very keen to see what it will look like once you have all the decking panels installed. Now that you've built the frame, would there have been anything you would have done differently in hindsight? What would be your number one tip for those members thinking about building their own low-level deck?

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your deck complete and ready for use.

Happy Holidays

Eric

[oninpena]

Thanks @EricL !  I would say the one thing I was not prepared for was the fall/slope on the alfresco concrete.  I didn't think that there would be that much fall, so I had to switch to bigger angle brackets at some point and also had to use a lot more pedestal foot than anticipated.  Another one to plan for is materials availability.  With the number of pedestal feet I had to use, it was hard to find them all in one store, so had to go around different branches to find them all.

[oninpena]

Finally completed this on the 26th.  There are some minor things that I need to fix up and a couple of boards I need to screw down.  But overall for a first time diy, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

 

 

 

 

 

[MitchellMc]

Hot diggity @oninpena! What an absolute rippa of a deck you've built there!! You must be so very proud of that as it's come up looking amazing. I can really tell from your spacing that you spend the time to get things right, and it's what makes a good deck into an extraordinary deck.

I love those double breaker and end finishing boards. They look mint!

Many thanks for sharing your results. I trust your project will be of tremendous inspiration to others.

Well done.

Mitchell

[oninpena]

Thanks @MitchellMc !  I appreciate all the help and advice you and @EricL have given me throughout this process. It was a huge task for me, but am glad I got through it.

[Jason]

Congratulations @oninpena, you should be really proud of what you have achieved. I'm sure you and your family and friends will have many wonderful times on that deck. 

Looking forward to seeing what you tackle next. 

Jason

[oninpena]

thanks @Jason !

[yeahboo]

Hello @oninpena , what software did you use to make your plans?