Low level deck

[dazezy]

 

 Hi everyone. New to the website. Looking to build a deck at the girlfriends house. Any advice on ticking all the boxes would be really appreciated.

First issue I face is the lack of clearance under the deck, is this something I can resolve using H4 timber. I’ll will have to dig out and remove some sand. Is there a minimum gap that is required underneath the frame?
This is what I’ve got planned so far.

Size of deck 4.8x2.6m
Bearers 140x45mm @ 1300mm centres (should I go double bearers?)
Flush joists 140x45mm @ 400mm centres using joist hangers.
Thinking of using stirrups though unsure on the spacing.
At this stage thinking of building and installing the frame in two modular section of 2300x1400mm.

Pretty new on the DIY game so any advice would be great.
Cheers

Community manager's note: Check out How to build a low-level deck for expert advice.

[dazezy]

Great thanks. Actually did a bit of googling after you mentioned it. I’ll give it a go 

[ProjectPete]

Sounds good. Feel free to reach out with any other questions and remember that when you have your materials list I'm happy to order it for you so you get my trade pricing 👍

[dazezy]

Thanks Pete. Hey just a quick question about the clearance. Would you go about clearing the whole 2.8x4.6m area 200-250mm or only certain sections. Just a large amount of dirt to remove. 
Thanks 

[ProjectPete]

It really is the whole area mate although you can have less clearance against the H4 timber for the outside of the frame if you go down that path @dazezy . It's worth the extra effort up front to avoid issues with the timber frame (and timber decking) down the track.

Are you going with the raised deck suggestion? It looks better in my opinion and will reduce the amount of sand you need to remove. A common height is 140mm (common width of composite decking for example) which means you'll only need to clear 60-110mm.

[dazezy]

Thanks for the reply. Yeah we removed about half of the sand today, hopefully the rest tomorrow. We are planning to step off the liquid limestone onto the deck. 140 seems like a decent step
Hey a question about the posts, just so my maths is correct. 
Atleast 300mm in ground + clearance (say approx 200mm) + 140mm bearer. 
So my post will be approx 640mm with 300mm in ground?

[ProjectPete]

@dazezy Base it on those measurements and you won't run short when ordering materials. Measure/cut once the hole is dug though to confirm.

[dazezy]

@ProjectPete 

Thanks mate. Away at work at the moment. Hoping to start the deck in 2 weeks time. A couple of questions if you have the time.
Based on the previous question about the posts, that would mean less than 50% of the post is in the ground. Just wanted to make sure in your opinion that isn’t a concern.
Also in regards to securing the boards to the frame. What’s your preference.
* Hidden clip system like the screwfix from Ekodeck
* Decking Screws
* Camo/Kreg fastener system.

Thanks again for your time replying 👍🏻