Building a deck, some questions
Discussion
Sticking a freestanding deck at the FiL. Now I need to know a few things.
The deck will be 4.5metres by 4m, I am planing to have 9 posts (question 1. 4x4 or 6x6 ? ) one in each corner, on inbetween each corner and one in the centre of the lot.
The deck will be a inch above the ground at one end and a foot and a half at the other ( ground slopes off ). The end that slopes off will have a over hang of 50cm from the last post ( I have thought a diagonal brace from the edge of the over hand back to the post ) would this be ok ?
I have done a pic to help, hideous as it is it might help explain my ramblings
http://flic.kr/p/8KJbjg
The area at the top is the over hang and the middle strut would go all the way to the end ( I just forgot to show it ! )
The bracing is shown on the right, would that work or help at all ? also the black lines are the one attached by coachbolts to the posts, now once these are in could I run the other struts top to bottom like the red line ( they would only be attached at either end or side to side between the attach black struts and essentially attach to the edge strut and the middle on as well ?
last questions, would 6x2 wood be strong enough for the struts, and how far apart could the struts be with 6x2 ( obvisously I expect there to be alot more than the 4 I stuck in the pic )
I hope I have made sense there but happy to explain better if it readfs like tosh.
The deck will be 4.5metres by 4m, I am planing to have 9 posts (question 1. 4x4 or 6x6 ? ) one in each corner, on inbetween each corner and one in the centre of the lot.
The deck will be a inch above the ground at one end and a foot and a half at the other ( ground slopes off ). The end that slopes off will have a over hang of 50cm from the last post ( I have thought a diagonal brace from the edge of the over hand back to the post ) would this be ok ?
I have done a pic to help, hideous as it is it might help explain my ramblings
http://flic.kr/p/8KJbjg
The area at the top is the over hang and the middle strut would go all the way to the end ( I just forgot to show it ! )
The bracing is shown on the right, would that work or help at all ? also the black lines are the one attached by coachbolts to the posts, now once these are in could I run the other struts top to bottom like the red line ( they would only be attached at either end or side to side between the attach black struts and essentially attach to the edge strut and the middle on as well ?
last questions, would 6x2 wood be strong enough for the struts, and how far apart could the struts be with 6x2 ( obvisously I expect there to be alot more than the 4 I stuck in the pic )
I hope I have made sense there but happy to explain better if it readfs like tosh.
herbialfa said:
Foot and a half at the other end triggers a planning application!
Stupid I know, but check with your council first!
It is in a very quiet place in dorset and the FiL is not exactly a play it by the book fella, currently typing this in the extension he built sans planning, it is a post war prefab so chucking a extra bit here and there takes minutes and there are no neighbours to cheeky peek what he is up to.Stupid I know, but check with your council first!
I think if I mentioned planning for a deck he would spit a dummy !
Looked into it some more myself seems, I need to double up the struts on the posts, under the overhang double up on cross struts, the bracing is neither here nor there but wouldn't hurt, go 6x6 on the sections of post where there is the height ( so might as well do the lot in 6x6 ) and 6x2 would be ok for the lot 40cm spaced with noggins every metre. Do the lot in hardwood and job should be a goodun. Now all I have to do is dig 9 post holes in what is essentially a old quarry ! took me an hour with a pick axe to dig a hole for the dog we lost last year.
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