Low profile deck with screening and steps

[MGusto]

Hi all, I thought I would share my latest project - a deck ay my daughter's unit. I gained some inspiration reading other people's ideas on how to build a low profile deck and it helped me greatly. My take on this was a little different  from other posts because I decided to use a screw pedestal system as the "bearers" for the joists. There were a number of reasons, the main being that the concrete paths and brick paving had moved over time and there was a lot of variation in the base height. It would have been a real pain using brackets bolted in the concrete path and achieving a constant level for the joists. Another is that the pedestal system is very easy to work with and can be screwed up or down to achieve the desired height. I ended up using a Buzon DPH-2 from Pascoe Constructions along with with a DPH-KIT5 joist holder. The cost was very reasonable at $5.18 +gst  for the pedestal and $1.65 + gst for the joist holder. This pedestal has a height range of 35 - 53 mm. There are other sizes to choose from. They are incredibly strong  each having a breaking load of 1460kg. The difficulty I had was finding an answer to was how many per joist would I need. The most acceptable answer was that based on a 90 x 45 H3 MGP10 joist the maximum spacing for a bearer would be 1.2m . My deck is 2.1m wide and 2.7m wide so there are 3 pedestals on the 2.1 joists and 4 pedestals on the 2.7 joists. Joists are 450mm apart and the decking is Merbau 90 x 19.

I miscalculated the actual variations in the path level and in some cases I needed to raise the pedestals by using a brick paver underneath or some villaboard sandwiched between two layers or damp course. 

I intend to seal the deck with Intergrain Ultra Deck Natural.

One thing to note is that you can see the pedestals poking out at each end. I will build a step to cover these. The other way is to have a double joist at each end about 8cm apart and use the innermost joist for the pedestal supports so the endmost joist hides the pedestal - like a small overhang.

Some photos....

[MGusto]

@Bev2 

I am glad you like the colour, Bev2.

I used Intergrain Ultradeck and the colour is "Natural". This is not a clear finish but has a brown tint to it. However before I applied the waterbased oil, I prepared the deck with Diggers Rust and Stain Cleaner which is Oxalyic Acid and is a mild bleach. This is a much cheaper option than using a proprietary deck cleaner such as Intergrain Deck Prep - it basically is the same thing. Because Merbau has a high tannin content it is important to scrub the deck with the cleaner to remove excessive tannins which then result in a good finish.

[RDBuild]

Hi MGusto,

what a great solution for a tight space which is the issue we have as well.  Your updated pics really make it look amazing with the screens and the coats of Intergrain Ultra Deck.  Would love to see the final finished product particularly with resolving the last issue.

[MGusto]

So I have installed the second panel - sunk a pole in the middle of the panel rather than the fence end so it is nice and secure.

The final step is the other end - the path looks pretty ugly there but I decided extending the deck further was a waste of money. Instead I will buy 3 brown coloured treated sleepers 200 x 50 x 3m and get bunnings to cut them into 1m lengths and create a series of steps from the front gate to the steps of the deck and then infill with river pebbles. Noice!

[MitchellMc]

That's looking great, @MGusto! I really like the Merbau screening panel you've added, as it really defines the area well. It's starting to look like the perfect area for a BBQ and a relax.

Many thanks for the update, and I can't wait to see what you do next.

Well done.

Mitchell

[MGusto]

OK so I bought the sleepers from Bunnings and the local landscape supply store let me fill a dozen or so buckets with river pebbles (cheaper than buying by the bag or delivered) and the rest was pretty easy. Had to raise the gate to clear the sleepers but that and the front fence  is destined to be replaced with Woodland Grey colourbond to match the new fence installed by the builders who are building townhouses next door.

[StevieB]

It's been fantastic to follow along with your project and the space looks brilliant @MGusto. 

Your post has been really popular with almost 12,000 views already, so thanks for sharing your updates.

Are there any final touches to add and what's the next project you're moving on to?

Stevie

[diy_hausdesigns]

Great work ! 

[redracer01]

Hellol @MGusto 

What a transformation! What an ingenious idea of covering the concrete! It all looks so much more organic and friendly. Gone is the harsh boring finish of the concrete. I love the fact that you didn't have to break the concrete floor up. I'm glad the post worked out for you. Thank you so much for sharing your diy journey on workshop, we look forward to your future projects.

Cheers,

Red 

[MGusto]

I need to create a border between the garden bed and the pebbles a) because it is visually pleasing and b) it will keep the pebbles in and the mulch away from the pebbles. I will use a long sleeper embedded in the soil on its end. Will take a photo when its done (too cold outside to work!)

In the meantime I thought I would post some pictures of my own backyard and show you an even lower profile deck for those who do not have much to work with between the base and the step to the door which was my case. 

These are Australian hardwood recycled timber tiles 500 x 500 purchased from Northernriverstimber.com.au. They are not cheap but they look good. Along the fence you can see plants called Marayah which are a great screening plant with lovely honeysuckle type flowers which exude a lovely perfume. This is what we used to landscape my daughters unit before the deck went down. I will include a phot of what her yard looked like when she purchased the unit some 15 months ago.

[MitchellMc]

That's a sensational transformation @MGusto! I love what you've done with the space and the use of the decking tiles was very innovative. As you've mentioned, the height at which the deck has to be built within can be a limiting factor for many.

Many thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing your garden border installed.

Mitchell