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]

And in our internal courtyard, it had the same boring grey concrete pavers and grey colourbond fence so didnt look to good. Some bamboo panels, cheap ikea tiles and pebbles and some large square pots with a variety of plants  (a few nandinas) and we created a Japanese style garden.

[StevieB]

Looks like an incredibly relaxing space to enjoy some fresh air. Thanks for sharing @MGusto.

Stevie

[pete_brig]

Great job on both projects @MGusto . I was going to suggest doing some plantings at your daughter's but if you planted murraya (mock orange), it's just a matter of patience 😁 I liked the river pebbles idea and creates a natural link to th adjoining garden. If your daughter wants a tropical feel, maybe add a palm and/or cordyline opp th gate. I like colour so I'd look at a red/hot pink cordyline. And maybe a dwarf Bougainvillea on th fence--just string some wire to create a trellis (another small project 🤣) other plantings to consider for ground cover include Xanadu (dwarf philadendron) and/or a ground palm (Molineria capitulata, Palm Grass)

I also like the garden work & decking  at your own home... Keep up the great work.

Cheers Peter

P.s. bit late for your own home project but may be useful for others....

I have heard of fixing battens onto th tiles/concrete then finishing with the decking boards. Cheaper than th tile panels but may not last as long? However, H4 timber could be good for 10-20 years?

[MGusto]

Finally got around to putting in the sleeper border. Looks better now. That's just about it for this other than some furniture for the deck and a raised garden bed down at the "service area" of the yard.

[MitchellMc]

Love your work, @MGusto. Thanks so much for taking us through your project. It's been fantastic watching it develop. Those edgings are just the icing on the cake.

Great work.

Mitchell

[batranikhil]

Looks really good. I'm debating between the Buzon pedestals and Builder's edge from bunnings. I'm building on top of my existing concreted outside area. Total area of the deck will by around 27m2 (6m x 4.5m). @MGusto it would be great if I could have your persepctive on the following:

• Can you please share your experience with the Buzon pedestals.
• Did you bolt/glue them down on the pavers/cement - or is the weight of the joists/decking boards enough to hold them solidly in their place? 
• Also, a few months in, do these pedestals feel sturdy? We're planning to use the deck to cover our alfresco area (and then some more), and then close the alfresco with sliding glass doors. So the area will be used a bit more than a conventional outdoor space. Wondering if these pedestals are sturdy enough.   

Thanks a lot for your help

Cheers,

Nikhil

[MGusto]

Hello Nikhil. I did consider the Builders Edge pedestals, however the Buzon are a much better pedestal. The specs for the builders edge are 220kg load capacity whilst the breaking load for the Buzon are 14.6 KN (1460 kg).

According to the Buzon site there is no need to secure the pedestal to the substrate - the weight of the joist holds them in place. Also you screw the joist holder into the side of the joist for joist stability.

As far as sturdiness goes, the DPH series are designed for commercial use - they were used for a timber deck at the Sydney wharf. - https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ausdrain/buzon-pedestals-support-joists-during-re... 

My deck is holding up well. The only thing you need to consider is the distance between joists, the joist size and the spacing of the pedestals on each joist - these factors will influence the stability of your deck.

Hope this helps

Mike

[Jason]

Hi Nikhil (@batranikhil) 

Great to see you receive such a prompt and helpful reply from @MGusto.

Looking forward to seeing your project progress. Please don't hesitate to post anytime you need a hand with it.

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're rapt to have you join us. 

Jason

[batranikhil]

@MGusto 

Hi Mike. Thanks a lot for your quick response. Much appreciated. I have looked at the Sydney wharf example as well, but nothing like review from forum members. 

I'm looking to have the deck over concreted area - using 70x45 treated pine joists - centre spacing of about 450mm - and spacing pedestals about 700-800mm apart on each joist. Hope that will work Ok. Have ordered the Buzon pedestals - DHP2/DHP02 - awaiting them to be shipped. 

By the way, did you use any of their Slope Correctors? and have any experience with those. I have about 2-3% slope on one end of the concrete - thinking either I'll use the slope corrector by Buzon - or just plastic shims to compensate for the slope. 

Regards,

Nikhil

[MGusto]

@batranikhil 

Hi Nikhil, The spacing of the joists at 450 is the same as I used and appears to be standard for 19mm decking boards and the spacing of the pedestals appears to be fine  although I used 90 x 45 joists. Just a note that the pedestals are not supplied with a joist connector, so you need to order those separately. 

I did not need to use slope correctors but I am not sure  that shims are a good idea unless the shim is such that the whole of the base of the pedestal sits flush on the shim - which is essentially a slope corrector. If you put a small wedge under just part of the pedestal then you are compromising its integrity.

Regards

Mike