Replies

1. 
   Mike_Maines_ | Jan 24, 2002 03:58pm | #1

   *
   Eric, sure it's possible, but you'll need help from an experience builder or structural engineer to design it. Decks have to be designed for more weight than the inside of the house, and 8 or 9 feet is pretty high. You don't want to have a deck-warming party and watch 20 of your closest friends ride your deck as it corkscrews to the ground, do you?

1. 
   Eric_Buller | Jan 24, 2002 05:37pm | #2

   *Mike: assuming I have close friends, you are correct in that fear. I am certain that due to our juristiction's code requirements, we will need permits and inspections, so design will need to be right the first time. I am looking for advice about structural design, so that I can minimize reworking plans. I am certainly not wed to a freestanding design - actually I am a bit suspect.

1. 
   Mike_Smith | Jan 24, 2002 08:40pm | #3

   *eric.. if it's 8'-9' off the ground it sounds like it will be over a walk-out portion of the foundation...which puts a lot of posts alongside the found....can they be located conveniently to any openings ?will your deck surface be flush with the first floor or dropped 6" or so ?

1. 
   Pro-Dek | Jan 25, 2002 10:19am | #4

   *Eric- Unless you like looking at alot of posts and diagonal bracing,I would attach the deck to the house.Either way it will require two beam runs and at least 6 posts.4x12 beams and 2x12 joists.I'm curious- how do you decline a second story deck for money and quality purposes on a new home?Isn't the builder required to to have that structure built before you take occupancy of the home?Doesn't the building inspector have to pass some outdoor structure from your back door so you don't get killed taking that first step?Just curious?Bob

1. 
   Schelling_McKinley | Jan 25, 2002 01:48pm | #5

   *If you are otherwise happy with the builder, do it the way he wants. A free standing deck is certainly possible. Though most of us don't usually do it that way, he may have found a system which works for him. We all have found ways to reach a final goal, often through long trial and error. It could be that this builder has seen a lot of water penetration problems in the past and uses the free standing deck because of this. A lot of construction techniques are habit and this is not a bad thing. It allows for crew efficiency and lets us concentrate on the tricky parts of the job. Each builder has his own set of habits which work for him. Of course, if your builder is simply no good, you are screwed, free standing or not.

2. 
   Eric_Buller | Jan 26, 2002 02:59am | #6

   *I am assuming that as long as they attach a barricade, it will pass inspection. In the contract negotiation phase, we identified features that could be eliminated (for me to complete at a later date) that didn't interfere with critical path construction. I am also assuming that most after-market deck work will be superior to that of a house builder. The standard deck from this builder was 10x14 - much too small for what we were wanting to do. The more I think about it, this design alternative just isn't sounding too good. Too many concessions, plus it sounds like I will have a "post farm" underneath. Eric

3. 
   Pro-Dek | Jan 26, 2002 04:28am | #7

   *Eric- I would let the buider go ahead and build the deck. The quality or size may not be what you want right now but you can always step down to a lower,larger, and nicer deck later. The credit for the builders deck couldn't be that much and you would at least have a place to put your BBQ till your future expansion.Bob

4. 
   Dustin_ | Jan 26, 2002 09:45am | #8

   *Judging by Pro-Dek's posts in the gallery, I suggest having the buider put the ledger on w/ proper flashing, make sure he does that right and cover Pro-Dek's airfare. In the long run I believe the free standing deck will be a problem and or be the post farm you described. The TJI's aren't even an issue.