Decking without a frame?

[confused-one]

Hi,

I want to replace the paving in my garden with decking.

The problem is that there is a very, very thick concrete base underneath the slabs that are currently there, and I can't go any higher than the slabs are at present.

The slabs are about 5cm thick, so once removed that is all I have to play with.

Trying to remove the existing concrete base is a non-starter.

Can I secure decking boards directly onto the existing base without a frame?

 

[Thermo]

Firts things first, why can you not go higher?

 

[confused-one]

because it runs up against a back door and an 8ft wide patio door and is already essentially flush with these.

If I came higher the decking would be sticking up above the entrances and would be one hell of a trip hazard

 

[breezer]

dig down then.

decking needs a frame to be fixed to, even them horrible deckimg tiles

 

[confused-one]

easier said than done - concrete base appears to be over a foot deep.

 

[Thermo]

in that case build the deck with a normal frame over the main area, and then do a lower area around the doorway, with a step down or a ramp. If your decking is 32mm then use some 20 x 100 timber as the framing and plug and screw it to the concrete. that will be sufficent to support the deck over that small area. Ive just done one recently for a job, ill post a pic to give you an idea what i mean when i have a moment.

like this

 

[Old Perennial]

Hi Thermo, Some years ago I built a vary large patio comprising block pave and some expensive granite flags. Then I added a bit of sunbathing decking and a raised deck from the patio doors. Now because it looks a bit too fussy I was thinking about doing just as you say. It looks a very god job.
If I lay the 100 x 20 rails at 400 mm cts then lay the deck boards at 90 degrees do you think the 'lattice' will bounce or kick up if I dont plug it to the existing surface? Looking at 120 sq.m.

I have seen gaps between existing decking and cant decide if the boards had been laid 'touching' and had shrunk or was the gap purposly introduced on construction?

 

[oddballodd]

Wow, that deck looks amazing.... hope mine turns out just a nice. One thing is, is there not a problem in having the deck higher than the house's DPM ? I was advised that if this is done there can be problems with damp due to splashback from rain..... ?

 

[Thermo]

old perenial, in answer to your question, yes it will ounce. plug it and screw it in. it wall take 30 minutes to do it. It ill take 3 times as long to take it up and redo if it bounces!

Oddballodd

Dpc is not really a problem with timber. The decking allows the water somewhere to run through anyway, but I always use shims to space the framing away frm the wall, and usually have the decking running away from the house at a slight fall.

 

[WabbitPoo]

Wow, that deck looks amazing.... hope mine turns out just a nice. One thing is, is there not a problem in having the deck higher than the house's DPM ? I was advised that if this is done there can be problems with damp due to splashback from rain..... ?

I've never understood that splashback issue, although it gets referred to a lot, especially surveyors - so it splashes back from the surface for the duration of say, a 1 hour rain shower: thats the same as raining on the wall for 2 hours without splashback, and that's perfectly OK. Why worry about splashback? By all means, worry about standing water next to a DPC.