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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.
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Nathan88. It's great to have you join us and many thanks for jumping straight into the conversation.
I'm sure @Neo19 appreciates your kind feedback and hopefully, they might be able to answer some of your questions.
If you were interested in starting your own discussion, I would be more than happy to provide you with a joists and bearers layout for your own deck and also advise on the fixings you'll need. If you do start your own discussion please include as much information as possible including images of the area, overall height of the deck, the surface the deck will be built on and a diagram which shows the size of the deck.
We look forward to hearing more about your own decking project and can't wait to assist you in getting started.
Mitchell
Hi @Nathan88 Thank you for your kind words!
I have kept joists at a maximum of 450 mm intervals. I said maximum as due to the length of the deck it was impossible to have all spaced exactly the same.
Joists were 3500 long and I have used 4 brackets per joists.
Bracket type that I have used was this
Still have some bolts left from the job.
See below
All the best with your deck!
Hi @babakr,
I think you'll find not many people will pre-oil the underside of their decking boards before installing them. It will, however, extend the life of the deck, help prevent cupping and assist in keeping the moisture content of the boards stable. When coating a deck you want to liberally apply the oil so it soaks into the boards as the initial coat to the under-side won't last forever.
It seems like an added task, but considering it might help prevent additional work down the road it could be worth the effort.
Please let me know if you need further information or had questions.
Mitchell
Thanks for joining in the discussion @Suesnews.
Over the past decade, Bunnings has led the market by ensuring illegally logged timber is not for sale in our stores. We are dedicated to ensuring that the wood and the wood products we sell are sourced from legal and well-managed forest operations. It has been clear to us for some time that most Australians don’t want illegally logged timber in their homes and backyards. As part of our trading conditions with timber suppliers, Bunnings conducts annual supply chain surveys and pre-purchase assessments to ensure that the wood products supplied are from traceable, legal and responsibly sourced origins. We are confident that more than 99 per cent of our timber products are from low-risk plantations or other independently verified legal or certified sustainable forests. We continue to work closely with our suppliers and non-government organisations to ensure that customers can be confident that Bunnings timber products are legally sourced and are progressing towards the ultimate goal of achieving a certified sustainable status.
Great to see you have also posted about your extension project – I will be able to assist you with that shortly.
Mitchell
