Deck plans?

Brent Dowell

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Reno NV
Does anyone have a good source for plans or guidelines on building a deck?

I need to build a freestanding deck that be next the new pool I put in.

The pool is next to a hill side, so it will be going from the pool right up to on ground.

In the picture below, I'll be putting the deck in on the side closest to the picture taker, with stairs going down off to the right, and a enclosure of some kind to protect the pump and filter.

new pool.jpg
 
What will the dimensions be? That is how tall will it be (at the pool side) and how far out from and around the pool will you be going?

Can you get bob up into all the areas where you'll want posts to dig some holes for the footers?

Looking forward to seeing Chuck's advice..
 
Footers would be difficult no matter what.

I can probably sink a couple of holes here and there, but not sure I really want to make it quite that permanent.

We don't really have the issue with frost heaves, as it never really gets cold enough long enough to worry about.

The pool is 15x26, so I'm thinking the deck will just go around halfway, so 20-26' long, and I'd like it to extend up on the hill side , probably 10'-15' wide.

The pool is 54" high, so that's the height on one end, and the height on the hill side would whatever it takes to be flat.
 
Basic guidelines:
http://www.awc.org/codes-standards/publications/dca6

Specifically the deck building guide
http://www.awc.org/pdf/codes-standards/publications/dca/AWC-DCA62012-DeckGuide-1405.pdf

And the inspection checklist (for a short list of things that people usually do wrong):
http://nadra.org/Deck_Evaluation_Form.pdf

I think you'll want to set the footers in some, otherwise its likely to go all skewy regardless of bracing underneath. This suggests 12" as a minimum depth, perhaps with your rock problems digging a smidge deeper and compacting in some 3/4 minus crush would make it easier to level the piers.
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/2012/03/19/top-10-deck-building-mistakes
 
I don't know how far around the pool you want to go, but I'd probably do 4 main beams on posts with cross bracing between them (if you're just putting posts on pads), then run the joist between and shape your header joists around the pool as shown, then run the decking towards the pool just under the top cap. If that make sense.

2016-07-05 10.08.55.jpg

Someone else may have a better solution though.
 
Hey, Thanks Darren. That looks like what I should probably do!

Now to put together a shopping list.
 
12" footers would probably not be that big of an issue. I could do that easily enough.

One possible "less permanent" option that meets code here in NC is a hole with two layers of solid 4x8x16 cinder blocks, two blocks in each layer, and the top layer at 90 degrees to the bottom layer. Center the post on the pad (a CMS is really helpful for getting the posts plumb) and backfill the hole with dirt to keep the post from shifting. If I remember right, 4" of backfill was sufficient for my inspector, so the holes were only 12" deep and no need to pour concrete.


--dave
 
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