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Hi Everyone
I have been going through these discussion boards for a while and finally mustered to courage to post a question here 
This would be my first deck. Have done some landscaping for myself in the past including a raised garden bed, however nothing major. As far as tools, I've a drill kit including hammer drill, a cordked circular saw and a random orbital sander.
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My proposed deck would be 350 x 370 with height from the slab between 17 - 18 cm so it stays flush with the brick and same level as my internal floor.
I've been advised that i could use H3 structural timber (140 x 45) as joists and lay decking boards on top that.
My questions,
1. How do I attach joists to the concrete? Use galvanized angle brackets like this?
2. How can I adjust the height so the finished decking board stays flush? If i used 140 board + .5 bracket + 19 mm board = it would be around 165 cm height. Which is around 1.5 cm lower than bricks. Can I use plastic wedges / window packers to compensate for around 1.5 to 2 cm?
3. This deck would be under alfresco cover and under eaves. In terms for water drainage, what would be helpful. Would the packers / wedges mentioned in Q. 2 help with the same?
On the last image, pillar is on the corner of the alfresco slab and the decking to the south of it would be on top of soil (this would 370 x 45 cm). Not much height difference from alfresco slab. What do I need to provide here under joist for support? Not enough height for a stirrup.
Thank you very much for reading through.
Community manager's note: Check out How to build a low-level deck for expert advice.
Hi @babakr,
I see you have already received a helpful response from @Neo19 which is fantastic.
We have decking screws in 40mm, 50mm and 65mm available instore. You might like to consider using 65mm decking screws which provide extra holding power to combat the forces of expansion, shrinkage and warping in a deck. Shorter decking screws like the 8-10 x 50mm would be more than adequate, but for the small additional cost, I personally would go with the longer option.
I was very impressed with the Zenith 12g x 65mm Stainless Steel Self-drilling Decking Screws-50 Pack when I used them last. I would have gone through well over 200 of them into Merbau with no split boards or snapped screws and it was a breeze not having to pre-drill.
Any decking screws 50mm or over and at least 8-10 gauge would be a great choice for your deck.
Please let me know if you need further information or had additional questions.
Mitchell
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @rahi_xyz. We look forward to seeing your decking project come together.
Let me tag some of the contributors to this popular discussion to see if they might like to assist you with your questions: @Adam_W, @Neo19, @Brendon_B, @Brad, @devin
I'm sure @MitchellMc would also be happy to assist when he is back on the site tomorrow.
Please let me know if you ever need a hand getting the most from the Workshop site.
Jason
Many decks around Australia have been constructed purely with a circular saw and no drop saw in sight. Drop saws assist in making square or angular cuts, they are great to have but are by no means a necessity.
If you were thinking of cutting the decking boards to length on a drop saw before laying them I would advise against that. The best method is to fix all your boards onto the deck and then come back, mark a straight line and cut all the boards at the edge of the deck with a circular saw. The finish will be much more aesthetically pleasing if you do it that way.
Most cuts involved in creating a deck are cutting timbers to length and a circular is a perfect tool for that.
Mitchell
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