decking

[lynnlmwelsh]

can i please ask some advice from the members of this forum i am going to build some raised decking but the ground is not level (but i can level it if needed). i am a very reluctant to and would rather not fit a ledger as i have heard horror stories about splitting bricks etc, and as for digging down and concreting posts in well the water mains and soil pipes run somewhere around where i would need to dig so this is not a preferred option also the foundations of the old demolished houses in my street are evident once i dig down about 6 inches. the area where most of my support posts need to go has solid paving slabs laid
1) can i use post feet on paving slabs and what type of bolts should i use
2) it is a 5 m long by 3 m wide deck and i would have 12 4x4 posts supporting it 4 of these posts would be dug into the ground and concreted (where my grass is )and the other 8 would be bolted onto slabs (if this is ok) ??? basically the major question is is it ok to bolt post feet to levelled slabs and how do i do this/ what post feet are best/ what kind of bolts should i use

 

[Thermo]

yes they can stand on the slabs and they dont need bolting down. Try lifting the pile of materials before its put in place and then ask yourself, how will this lot move, even if its not bolted down?

 

[lynnlmwelsh]

thanks for the reply and i realise the weght will keep it down when its built but it would make things a lot easiear when building the rest of the decking onto the posts if they stayed put. i really would rather secure them to the ground.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

i really would rather secure them to the ground.

Complete waste of time, effort and money.

 

[lynnlmwelsh]

i really would rather secure them to the ground.

Complete waste of time, effort and money.

fair enough but as i said as i see it surely it would make things a lot easier if the posts were secure and didnt move when i was building the rest of the decking on top of them (even just one bolt or something per post foot to hold them in place)

 

[Thermo]

it wont move

 

[WabbitPoo]

i really would rather secure them to the ground.

Complete waste of time, effort and money.

fair enough but as i said as i see it surely it would make things a lot easier if the posts were secure and didnt move when i was building the rest of the decking on top of them (even just one bolt or something per post foot to hold them in place)

LOL with respect, no point in aking for advice then arguing against it a if you knew it all along.....

 

[lynnlmwelsh]

well with respect i didnt know it all along thats why i asked ! I have taken the guys points on board i was merely trying to explain my take on it. its a raised deck and until i have the 4x2 joists on top of the 6x2 bearers to link them all up (in which case i agree totally that they wont move) i basically just have a 6x2 beam supported on a post at each end all standing independantly of each other (6 of them). I am not concerned about the deck moving once its down i was concerned about these moving while i was fitting the rest of the structure and messing up the corners/ measurements/ angles.

I certainly did not mean to cause offence to those that helped me

 

[WabbitPoo]

...and I doubt you did.