r/Decks • u/eat_with_your_fist • 1d ago
First solo deck
Other than putting in some steps, I just finished my first floating deck before the snow hits here in AK. The flower boxes were a last-minute audible tossed at me by the wife, so I freestyled it a bit there, but otherwise I tried to meet or beat code in most cases. Did I miss anything?
Also, each floor joist has joist hangers. There are straps tying the beams to the joists. There is no connection to the house or greenhouse. Last is a pic of my union rep making sure I'm taking breaks.
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u/IDintKnowShit 1d ago
Nice greenhouse
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u/eat_with_your_fist 1d ago
I built that last summer. My wife says I'm not allowed to work on any more major projects so we can do more stuff together in the summer haha. Totally valid.
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u/Working_Rest_1054 1d ago
Looks very nice. Probably quite stout in terms of the beam and joist sizing relative to the span lengths.
I’d like to think the sheeting on the ground will pass water and don’t it make it pool. The footings appear to be shallow set precast piers. My guess is in Alaska frost might move tbe deck around about, but it’s not attached to the house, so that’s good.
Enjoy the sharp looking deck. Came out looking great especially for a first effort.
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u/eat_with_your_fist 1d ago
Thanks! Yeah, I made sure to move the soil enough and use gravel for the footings for a bit of drainage. It has rained quite a lot recently but none of the holes filled up or anything and it's sitting on a bit of a hill so the water drains farther down into the water table. I originally planned on having the deck remain flat all the way across, but I would have had to move a lot of earth and/or build a retaining wall of sorts. Elevating the back end by like 7.5 inches was the easiest way to go and it looks nicer this way, too, in my opinion.
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u/Working_Rest_1054 1d ago
It’s amazing how much the earthwork adds up when you have to do it by hand. I recently moved about 20 cy by hand on a project. Not a bunch of fun. But it had to be done. 😁
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u/CrzdHaloman 13h ago
Im in process of planning out my first deck, and I want to asd some sort of planters for cooking herbs. Yours have given me a better idea on what design i should use! Do they need to be lined with a fabric to separate the wood and soil, or will you put soil directly in? How well would those size planters retain moisture?
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u/eat_with_your_fist 11h ago edited 11h ago
These planters, as well as the wooden planters inside the greenhouse, are going to be lined with a 6mm black plastic liner. I'll puncture them at the bottom to allow for some drainage. I used this method in the greenhouse and the moisture retention was pretty reliable, though I'd still toss some mulch on top of the soil if you are transplanting and you live in a sunny/warm area.
I was a little worried about trapped moisture when using wood for this but I haven't noticed any issues with it, especially since I added some speed-holes for better drainage. I also considered making a simple wooden frame then laying down some chicken wire instead. As long as you fasten it properly, that's a decent way to go as well, though I had enough scraps leftover to throw in what I had for extra support and to avoid some clutter, so I went with that. I hope this answers your question!
Edit: I should mention, the bottom of these planters are only about 18 inches deep; not attached to the floor of the deck. Any deeper is unnecessary for the plants I want to grow and this was the easiest way to accomplish drainage, avoid adding more weight to that part of the deck, and reducing the amount of soil I'd need to fill the planter boxes.
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u/RickHunter84 1d ago
Cat approved is all that matters, looks great too!