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Hoping some of you out there can possibly help with a decision my Spouse and I need to make rather quickly.
We have purchased a new home with zero upgrades, we prefer to upgrade ourselves. Our previous home had a aggregate patio surrounding our pool and 7 years later we added a “free-floating” deck to the back side for easier access all around. Now the deck was rather easy to build and is completely removable therefore making it nicer for the new owners when we sold it.
Our quandry is now, since we’ve had the luxury of both, our current new house only has a 2X3 concrete slab/stoop (height of a driveway) directly off our kitchen. We’ve been thinking of either a deck or paverstone/hardstone patio (no more aggregate).
Our yard out from the kitchen is rather flat with a sandy loam material (no sod in that area yet). Our yard comes straight off the back of the house with no drop or increase in elevation to the landscape.
1. I like the patio idea but think I might like hardstone/concrete as opposed to pavers and sand mixtire.
2. wood deck is a nice addition as well and can be added onto or moved if we choose later. We can also add an arbor over half to provide some shade or an interesting look. The arbor idea can be integrated into the hardstone patio as well but need to plan ahead for that.
3. Spouse says we may have to a)dig out more of the existing yard to accomodate either deck or patio. If we do not then the concrete slab remains and we step up onto the patio/deck. b)remove concrete slab and possibly have to dig out area for patio/deck. Either way I want to remove the concrete slab as I think it will look hideous with a deck/patio built around it.
4) Since we do not have a “Step Down” from the back door onto the slab, would there be enough depth to build a deck, how much depth would we need in order to keep the wood off the ground and prevent possible rotting?
I do apologise for such a long post and truly hope someone/anyone has some hard fast answers to some of my questions or advice from personal experiences.
Thanks everyone,
Sandi
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You're asking for trouble/complexity putting a deck below grade.
*SandiKeep wood away from soil at least 6 to 8 inches. If you use pressure treated lumber, make sure that it is rated for "in ground use".Also, remember what looks "hideous" to you, looks great to others. No account for good taste!Good luck in your battle for good taste.