Thread: Advice (to make sure im on the right track)

I will watch this thread with great interest. Anyone here want to spend two hours going over the list with no plans posted and then take a silly guess?

Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

I will watch this thread with great interest. Anyone here want to spend two hours going over the list with no plans posted and then take a silly guess?

I think what HB is driving at is, even a hand-drawn sketch would give us an idea of your needs.

As for the stumps, I'd normally put 1/3 of them in the ground (but if it is a two storey deck then that changes things). An experienced deck builder I'm not, I've only done about four smallish ones, although they are some tradies on the forum who may help here.

Hi
I am looking at doing a similar deck 6m X 4m
so will also be interested in this post

Is it better to use concrete stumps oo
use timber with metal brackets in concrete
cost difference/effectiveness??


Thank you

Looks to me like you've done your homework, a fair bit more than some anyway.

How about either a pic of the site or a sketch of what your looking at. I think some of the punters here are using the free Sketch Up? software for mockups

I think you've miscalculated the number of stumps, possibly should be 16 and the spans your looking at are dependant on the sizes of the timbers being used. You may need to refer to some span tables to be right on the money, failing that your supplier can give you a heads up.

Oh lordy!

My bad guys, i could have sworn i typed in its only 500mm from the ground.

Sarcasm is not needed fella's.. We were all novices at this at one stage..

Originally Posted by namtrak

Looks to me like you've done your homework, a fair bit more than some anyway.

How about either a pic of the site or a sketch of what your looking at. I think some of the punters here are using the free Sketch Up? software for mockups

I think you've miscalculated the number of stumps, possibly should be 16 and the spans your looking at are dependant on the sizes of the timbers being used. You may need to refer to some span tables to be right on the money, failing that your supplier can give you a heads up.

There is a ledger on the house, if it were off the house that would make the 16 stumps.

Im downloading Sketchpro 6 now and will try my hand at drawing it up.

Ill also take a pic of the area it will be built in.

You might wanna include double joists for the ends depending on how you wish to finish the decking, what about the beam that picks up the pergola rafters ? is pergola unroofed ? what about battens ?

Originally Posted by Bain

Sarcasm is not needed fella's.. We were all novices at this at one stage..

You're right. We were all novices at one stage. But, sarcasm is one of god's gifts to humanity. No ill will intended, only a bit of welcome to the forums. Don't get yer knickers in a knot.

Anyway, you've got some good advice (apart from mine), so go for it. And no worries, I am just a curmudgeon. Ask anybody.

Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

You're right. We were all novices at one stage. But, sarcasm is one of god's gifts to humanity. No ill will intended, only a bit of welcome to the forums. Don't get yer knickers in a knot.

Anyway, you've got some good advice (apart from mine), so go for it. And no worries, I am just a curmudgeon. Ask anybody.

Its all good

I have whipped up a Sketchup drawing.. Its quite a good little product once you get used to it.

Does this help in any way to confirm what im spending/need?

Joist spacing is 450 and bearer/stumps are 1500

Great sketchup model.

One thing though, your joists are lying on their sides!

Originally Posted by zathras

Great sketchup model.

One thing though, your joists are lying on their sides!

lol yeah i know, i was doing it at work and realised i had done that after making the components.. i just went with it.

It looks like you've done your homework, and your prices look right. Ask for a discount since you're getting a bit of quantity there. An order worth a couple of grand should get you about 5% off. Shop around.
One thing, I'd only allow about 5% wastage (offcuts) on the decking, but you may have to pick up an extra stick if you're unlucky and end up with big offcuts. 10% wastage would be heaps, and then you could toss the odd rough bit that you may get.
A bit of decking left over comes in handy for all sorts of things, but unless you've got something in mind, I wouldn't get an extra five square metres.

Originally Posted by pawnhead

It looks like you've done your homework, and your prices look right. Ask for a discount since you're getting a bit of quantity there. An order worth a couple of grand should get you about 5% off. Shop around.
One thing, I'd only allow about 5% wastage (offcuts) on the decking, but you may have to pick up an extra stick if you're unlucky and end up with big offcuts. 10% wastage would be heaps, and then you could toss the odd rough bit that you may get.
A bit of decking left over comes in handy for all sorts of things, but unless you've got something in mind, I wouldn't get an extra five square metres.

Thanks for the info pawnhead!

I went a bit overboard with the decking as we are still deciding whether to use the extra for steps or plantaboxs around the yard.. And figuring ive never done something like this, im sure my wastage will exceed 5% (hoping it wont though)

Couple of observations:

1. You might want to check the span of that pergola beam. I presume there's no roof going on it, but the widest span in my tables for a verandah plate under a sheet roof is 3600 and it is about a 240x70 member.

2. How are you planning to fix the end joists to the back of the posts? If I was doing it, I would carry the bearer past the post and have the joist come all the way through on the outside of the post. The joists would also carry on past the bearer. I would also have a joist against the inside of the post. When I put the decking down, I would run a board along the outside joist, parallel to the joist and mitre it into the first board across the front, which would also be outside the post.

Originally Posted by silentC

How are you planning to fix the end joists to the back of the posts? If I was doing it, I would carry the bearer past the post and have the joist come all the way through on the outside of the post. The joists would also carry on past the bearer. I would also have a joist against the inside of the post. When I put the decking down, I would run a board along the outside joist, parallel to the joist and mitre it into the first board across the front, which would also be outside the post.

That would look neat if you don't want to see the ends of your decking.
You could also lift the end bearer up flush with the joists (and attach the joists with joist hangars), and mitre the perimeter joists to it. Then you won't see the ends of your joists.