To avoid this we decided a floating deck would be the best option. Cap blocks on paver base will support the step section. Aug 12, 2019 - Explore Kim Staudinger's board "Building a floating deck", followed by 331 people on Pinterest. Step 3 … I didn’t find it. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole deck build. With a helper and all the materials ready to go first thing in the morning, you can have a completed ground level deck before sundown. So glad you enjoyed our post on DIY Floating Deck Ideas! Between each plank leave a small gap of a few millimetres as the wood will expand when very hot. So, time for a private space away from the house? For instance, a small DIY deck set away from the house might be a good area for Mom and Dad to have some quiet time and a glass of wine on summer evenings. In my spare time I like to engineer furniture for the weekend DIY'er like myself. © 2020 WOODARD BATES MEDIA LLC • All Rights Reserved • Site by SB. This floating deck is from ‘Martha Stewart’. Isn’t she beautiful? These Kitchen Plants Will Brighten Up Your Space Advertisement - Continue Reading Below . Not unless you like the constant maintenance. Position the holes slightly off-center so they won't interfere with the frame … This type of deck can only be made in areas that do not have a deep winter frost. So it does not attach to the house, for instance. Which means you must install proper concrete footing foundations that go below the frost line, so the deck doesn't move independently in relation to the home. Don’t do it! Measure out the size of your deck in your yard. Disclosure: The links provided in the “materials” and “required tools” sections are affiliate links. This screwless look is so cool! A ground-level floating deck (or detached deck) is a great way to add entertaining space to your backyard. Not that I thought it would be, but I wanted the simplest deck plans I could get my hands on. It adds a great prominent place to sit and enjoy a view of a yard. The blocks should be spaced to make a 7' x 19' rectangle, leaving about 6 inches from each block for deck boards to add another 8' x 20' rectangle. It's the hardest part of building a deck. In fact, floating decks, or decks that are set away from a structure, are a great design feature to break up a boxy or boring yard. Then the freestanding box built from 2x8s spaced 20″ apart was built for the final step. Build a Floating Deck: Here is how I built a deck in my backyard.It's a "floating deck," which means it simply rests on blocks at ground level, and is not anchored deeply in the ground. Using a string level or laser level, make sure each block is level. Here is a great tutorial on how to build a DIY floating deck, from ‘Home Depot‘. We stopped our joists 16″ short of the end of the beams to create the first step down. As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to comment below and especially don’t forget to post pictures of your finished products in the comments! By building a floating deck made with capped composite decking materials, you can swiftly transform a drab or dated concrete slab into a captivating living oasis for you and your guests. Then, we laid and leveled 4″ concrete blocks for the final step to rest on. This kind of deck serves more like a patio than a traditional deck, and because it requires no railings or stairways, and because it is free-standing and not anchored permanently to your home, it is not regarded by law as an extension of the permanent structure. How to build a floating deck by yourself. We partnered with Simpson Strong-Tie to build a floating deck and pergola for our neighbors. This way, the deck would be nice and square and the back edge would be perfectly straight. Now we screwed our two 2x10x16′ together using 2-7/8″ heavy-duty screws. We also discovered that with the 5/4 cedar deck boards, you really didn’t need to pre-drill the holes except for the ends of the boards. We ideally wanted to be slightly lower than that. Check out our deck staining post! Measure all of the 10-foot-long deck boards, and trim any as needed so they are 120 inches each. They are sometimes called “grade-level” or “freestanding” decks because they’re built … Don’t let leaves and other debris collect under the deck and don’t enclose the underside of the deck – this only makes it a better hiding spot for animals or thieves apparently…. Got some tips that will come in handy. It was more work but in the end we are so glad we did it. My concern is the opportunity for frost heaving the deck blocks over time. Building a floating deck over concrete is one of the best ways to expand your living space while enhancing your property’s aesthetic appeal. Win,win! Then, we toe nailed the 2x8x12′ joists in place with an overhang of 2′ on both sides and added end caps to the sides. Step 1 - Take Measurements The size of the space in your yard will largely determine the size of the floating deck. Placing the beams we double checked for level and made sure the beams were square to the house and spaced correctly apart. Next. Floating deck adds curb appeals to backyard. I like the way they used container plants to anchor the deck visually. We started by marking where we wanted the deck blocks and dug down about 6″ and tamped it down to make sure we were placing our deck blocks on solid ground. The landscape, or lack there of, provided a blank slate to create a backyard oasis to relax on. Floating Deck Plan and Layout The plan for this deck is to use paver base and concrete deck blocks for the foundation. ENJOY! Your email address will not be published. decking? Since we went with 5/4 cedar decking (actual thickness = 1″) we are good to go. From ‘Apartment Therapy‘, learn how to build a freestanding deck from repurposed pallet wood. First and foremost, always check your local codes and pull permits if required. Kent. In c… Note: The following post is by no means the only way to build a deck, or even the best way. The main reason we moved to Michigan was to be closer to family. If you add a step to your ground level deck and use hidden deck fasteners as we did, you might need a few more hours to finish the job. With our deck being freestanding, the frost may heave it up slightly but once it thaws it will settle back into place. We built a floating deck! Create a level line to lay your floating deck’s foundation along. Digging about 6 inches into the ground, create holes for the blocks so you can adjust (raise or lower) to make them even. To conceal the fasteners we used the Kreg deck jig. We designed this deck to be a freestanding deck, we did this because in the county he lives in a deck attached to the building becomes taxable. Then, we headed over to the saw and cut them all down to size making sure to place them back in their correct block. Build the main deck frame by using the 2x6 lumber for the outside, and 2x4 lumber for the interior supports. Since this is not connected to the house the deck blocks were sufficient for us and saved us a lot of time. It is the way that we choose based on our needs. This is the very first post of this series, but you will be able to catch the whole thing, start to finish, right here. Then we repeated the same process for the steps and the deck was done! In any case, we found some great tutorials on how to build a DIY floating deck, that are sometimes called island or freestanding decks as well. It measures about 14 feet x 16 feet. It ended up being a little higher than I would have liked but I think we will eventually add a row of pavers or something if the last step proved to be too high. Now we attached the BSC post cap bracket to the post using 1-1/2″ connector screws. We did this for the front end of the deck as well. Animals won’t like bedding on the gravel or digging through the plastic plus it helps reduce ground moisture so prolongs deck frame timbers. How to Build a Floating Deck Frame The driveway or other flat space will make a good area to build your floating deck frame. I'm building a floating deck in my back yard! Creative gardening tips, ideas, & DIY projects. I'm a Christian, father, husband and former aerospace engineer. From ‘Instructables‘, this simple DIY floating deck tutorial is one of my favorites, because it’s so basic I think even beginning DIY’ers could do it. Are there concerns with floating decks that critters might view the part underneath as a great home? 9 DIY Cool & Creative Patio Flooring Ideas. First and foremost, always check your local codes and pull permits if required. It is best to place these supports so that they meet and are level with the top part of the mainframe. Now that the deck is done, the next step is to build the pergola. They are also a great idea for larger yards that have room for an additional seating space. Using a circular saw, you’ll cut seven 2 x 6 boards to 93 inches for your joists. We used 16′ beams so with a maximum span of 6′ and 2′ of overhang on both sides we only needed 3 posts per beam. To do so, dig your holes with a rented auger or post hole digger and pour the cement into the hole to create a footing. Any ideas? Use 16d nails, deck screws, or bolts. This is by no mean a new Instructable, it was done before by TimBTodd. From ‘Instructables‘, this simple DIY floating deck tutorial is one of my favorites, because it’s so basic I think even beginning DIY’ers could do it. Pass the Pomegranate martini! This post (or post series, rather) has been a long time coming. Pure coincidence, or maybe not. After all the deck boards are secured we dropped a chalk line and cut it with a circular saw. Enlist a helper. Step 2 . Holy moly, you guys. This allows us to connect the 4×4 post to the beam which will be two 2x10s screwed together. I am adding a deck to my back yard this summer. There should be a stringing support every 16 inches in the frame, as this will keep the boards on top from sinking when weight is placed on them. Below are eight reasons to build a floating deck. This ground level deck ( or floating deck, from ‘ home Depot ‘ the 2x6 lumber the... Husband and former aerospace engineer marked where the edge of our upcoming projects be sure to follow on... 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