How to Build a Deck Foundation
Decks are a tremendous boon to your recreational lifestyle. Instead of heading out to the park to watch the sunset, just step out onto your deck and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer. A deck is one of the easiest home improvement additions you can implement because you can do the work yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wooden stakes
- 4-inch lag Bolts
- Sakrete
- Four-by-four treated deck posts
- Six-foot-two-by-sixes (enough to go between all of your porch posts)
Instructions
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Prepare the Deck Foundation Site
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1
Check with your city or county building department to see if you need any permits for this job. Different areas have dissimilar laws relating to building additions. Unless you are pouring a permanent foundation, most likely there will be no permit needed.
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2
Identify where you will build the deck. Stake out the perimeter. Most decks are made of wood built over a wooden foundation (with concrete footings in block form). Buy the footings pre-cast from a home improvements store.
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3
Level the ground with a square foot shovel or pick so the footing is on level ground. Use a straight edged board to level it off then check with your hand level.
Finish the Deck Foundation
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4
Place a six-foot-two-by-six between two porch posts toward the bottom of the post (where the top of the ground meets the post). Put another one level with the top of the deck.
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5
Attach the deck to the house by using four-inch lag bolts with washers. Drill a small pilot hole into the house wall to start the lag bolt. Use a ratchet wrench or an electric impact wrench to attach the deck to the house.
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6
Buy pre=cast concrete post footings at your home improvement store. Place them at four-foot intervals around the perimeter of the staked-out deck. On a three-by-four that will mean two posts, one at each outside corner. If you are building a larger deck, say eight-by-eight, place them at four-foot intervals inside and out.
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Place the pre=cast concrete footings in a small hole that will be under each post. Dig out a small space (level to the ground) to put them in. Fill around the concrete footings with sand. The footings will sit level to the top of the ground in order to keep the wood from touching the dirt. Make certain the concrete footing does not rock. The post you will be attaching will be plumb if this is true.
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Assume the top of the deck will be one step below where the doorway begins to enter the house. Attach the two-by-six between the porch posts as shown in Step 3. Go to the other side of the post and attach another two-by-six parallel to the first one. This action will insure stability of the foundation posts. Repeat this process between all of the porch posts until you have completed the perimeter. You are now ready to put on the top.
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Tips & Warnings
Always build a deck from the ground up. This means that you must build your foundation first.
Pest control companies that deal with termite infestations insist that the wood not touch the ground.
