How to Build a Floating Deck

Hi, I'm Jay, I'm a home contractor. Today we are going to

build

a small

floating

platform around this tree to make it a great place to entertain your friends and family this summer. It's a smaller platform, so it's perfect for doing so. -you guys I'm here to show you how to do it right now a

floating

deck

means it's not attached to the house our

deck

will be a low deck and will be about 12 inches off the ground when we get done now because our deck is less than 200 square feet and won't be attached to the house, we don't have to go below the frost line for our foundation, which will be good for us because we're definitely going to If you run into a lot of tree roots, you'll want to check with your local

build

ing department to See if a permit is required for this type of platform.

They will give you the size limitations and where you can cite it in your garden. the deck only needs to be 18 inches from the property line, okay, let's do some digging for this project. Every time you dig, you want to call 811 so they can mark underground utilities before starting the plan for our deck. is to use a paver base and concrete deck blocks as a base, then we will install two-by-six beams right on top of the blocks, use a paver base and cap blocks to support the step, then we will add the deck and finish it.

Out with fascia boards on this type of project, I like to design them ahead of time to see what it will look like. Our deck will measure 14 feet by 14 feet, so I've laid them out using the tape measure I made. some dough boards, I'm going to place them right outside of where the deck is going to be, I hit them to make sure it's tight, then I take my rope and I tie it around the dough board and then I'm going to take it down to my batter board down here . I'm going to measure the depth of our step on the sidewalk and make a mark on the batting board.

I'm going to continue placing the strings now that I have my batting boards and my strings set up and I have my layout and all my dimensions I'm going to check and make sure it's square. This is easy to do using the three four five method. Measure three feet along one rope and make a mark, then mark four feet along the adjacent rope. Adjust the strings. until the diagonal is equal to five feet now your corner is square you can mark the corners with small stakes. I'm going to do one last check to make sure it's perfectly square with the help of the mark.

I'm going to measure the diagonals. The diagonals must be equal for a square design. I will also mark the lines for the platform blocks, they will be in three rows, the first row will be about a foot from the front edge, there will be a row in the middle and a row near the back edge now that the platform is in place we can begin to remove the grass. This is an optional step, but it is a good idea to prevent weeds from growing through the deck. One way to do this is with the shovel, but it will take us quite a while or you can use a rented side cutter to use it.

Adjust the blade. Turn it on. Engage the wheels and press the accelerator. Now that we have the grass removed, we are going to start laying down our concrete blocks for the deck. These are an excellent alternative. to concrete foundations, they still support your deck off the ground, they can support the structural members horizontally or, if you have a post for a higher deck, you can support it vertically this way, but always check your local building codes before starting our platform. We will use blocks near the end of each beam and some to support our center beam.

You can also skip the center beam and use more blocks under each beam for more support. Our platform will be approximately 12 inches off the ground. I'm going to reference that outside of this patio we're going to have a step here, so I'm going to measure the level, measure the height of my patio and then I'll know what height I need to place these blocks so that my frame is at the correct height , I can tell that I need to lift the block a little with the base of the paver. Now I'm going to start digging a trench so I can lay the paver base and place my blocks.

You don't need to go. too deep, I will use some of the leftover soil to fill in the low spots, then install some spiked landscape fabric, the roots will still be able to get water and air, I will use a few inches of paver base on the bottom of the trench and tamp it with a base of tamping pavers for each row of blocks. Now that I have the paver base in place, I want to check and make sure that all three rows are level with each other, so I use these two long by six and my level to check them and they are completely level and this is the level, okay , we're ready and I can start placing my concrete pad blocks, put them in place, we're going to take this two by six put it in place and we're going to check the level it looks pretty good if one block is too low , we can put a small cobblestone base underneath, if it is too high, you can take out a little bit, we will do the same.

In the back, now that we have the four outer corner blocks placed and level, we're going to place the inner ones and check them out. I cut a board here that fits in the middle, we'll put it on top. There we go, okay, now I can see right away that the one in the center is a little bit high, so I'm going to take this out. Mark will hold it for me. I'm going to move it. We are going to try it. I'll check it out with my. let's level now we're going to check the other side okay that looks good we've got our perimeter blocks set up and leveled tomorrow we'll come back and start framing we're going to start working on our frame today I'm going to use pressure treated lumber, powder coated hardware zinc and galvanized nails, pressure treated wood will resist decay and coated hardware will resist rust for our frame.

We will have a long beam on each side supported on blocks to which the edge beams will be attached. boards, we will also have a center beam supported by some deck blocks, our floor joists will sit on blocks near the edge and be attached to the center with joist brackets on the outside, we will secure double-ended joists to the edges and use sleepers to along each side now I'm going to start laying out my edge beams it's going to be 13 feet 3 inches come down here I'm going to make a mark take my speed practice square the light line there I always check my factory end to make Make sure it's square before you start, take my circular saw and I measure from the edge here to the edge of the shoe and I see it's five inches.

Take the line I already drew. Go back five inches. Put my square velocity on that mark over there. I'm going to use my speed square to keep my saw straight while I make the cut now that we have our frame cut to size. I'm going to start designing the beams. The first thing I do is hold them so they don't move while we do our layout, make sure everything is precise, our first beam is going to be in the center so I'm going to measure. I know I'm 159 inches. I'm going to measure here 79 and a half this way. my dimension take my speed square design for the first beam which is right in the center.

I'm going to measure 16 both ways once I have my stud locations marked. take my velocity square and transfer those lines across the three members of the structure now that I have it laid out. ready to start putting it together, grab our center beam, slide it into place, okay, I've got it ready to start screwing it in, but first I want to check and make sure we're the right distance from our property line, here we go, 20 inches, perfect, okay. Now we are ready to start putting it together. I'm going to transfer my line from the top of the board to the face of the board.

This will be the center of my beams. Now these screws are weather resistant, very good. We are self-drillers, but what I like to do is pre-drill it to make it easier for you in the future. I like to stay about an inch from each edge. Okay, now Mark will help me hold this in place. I put this line. right in the center of my joist take my coated deck screw make sure the top is flush put my screws in now I'm ready to go to the other side now I want to mark the location of my center joist on the joists from the front edge and come. back 83 and a half inches I can see my blocks a little bit out slide it back until it lines up then we'll put the other blocks under the center beam make sure everything is level and secure it with screws now that we have our entire perimeter. frame in place we are going to make sure it is square using the diagonal method remember the diagonals must be equal 206 and a half inches 206 and a half inches we know our frame is square now we will lock it with two by four braces and some screws and check that the frame is level now that we have the frame in place we will begin to place the suspension beams.

I'm going to take my center line that I marked earlier and move three quarters. inch both ways this will make it easier for me to align the joist supports later grab my speed square extend these lines down we can start installing our joist hangers these are joist screws make sure your hangers are flush with the part Now, according to local codes, each hole in the beam support must have a fastener. Another convenient thing is a small block I made to help align the beam support as you work, it will make sure you line up the bottom every time.

You can also use cloves. Another great tool that will speed up the process is this pneumatic palm nailer. Simply place the nail on the magnetic tip, press into the hole, and the tool drives the nail into the wood. We have removed the corner supports. I'm going to place the concrete block. I have all the middle beams cut to size. Let's test the fit here. Let's see the blocks a little high, so we'll adjust them a little bit. We're going to move this beam flush, go down and check the rest a little bit. Okay, all our blocks are in place.

We are ready to start placing the intermediate beams on the supports. We want to check each board, the wood. It has a bit of an arc, you want to look down the board and see which side crowns up, that's the side you want to keep. It looks like it has a little bit of crown, so I'm going to set it up. in place like this it fits like a glove we planned our frame to go around the tree now I'm going to add a frame to each side to support our deck boards that we will install later. hold them a few inches from the tree to allow for growth place my frame square here make a mark that will be the outside of my frame the same on this side you can mark here and here for my frame around the tree I made the bottom a little bit using a jigsaw, this will allow the tree to grow.

I'm going to double up on this one and use a double beam hanger to install on larger trees or longer lengths of beams, I'll double the frame all the way around the tree, you can even use special hangers to hold the frame in the corners. Now let's install our final beams. Mark ready. I'm doubling the end beam for a stronger frame and then will add sleepers for additional support. then I will place corner supports inside the frame. The steps for this project are very simple. I built some boxes out of pressure treated wood. This wood is rated for direct contact with the ground.

Our deck fabricator has recommended a narrower spacing to get more support for the steps I'm going to put it in place check that the level looks good now that I have everything level and square I'm going to put a clamp on here grab my coated deck screws I left the frame a little high on the inside to allow air flow, some local codes require a floating platform to be anchored down. This is a shed anchor. It is easy to install. It is bolted to the ground and mounted to the structural member which will resist any uplift during a wind storm if the joists are a little high use a power planer to level them.

This is a technique that is popular for terrace installations. We added some waterproof tape to the top of the framing members, this will help protect the wood and against ice or water getting between the deck boards to prevent animals from getting underneath, let's Cut some wire mesh and we'll install it along the edge of the deck. I will install small blocks on my frame to staple the screen and then cut the mesh to height and install the mesh with staples. I'm ready to start laying down our deck. We are using Trex composite decking. It is a very durable product.

It comes with a groove along the edge. I can use these hidden retaining clips to hold it in place before placing it. the deck in place, I will measure and cut the deck boards in advance using a circular saw tothe first deck board, I will place start and stop clips along the edge joists and on each floor joist, then slide the board into position on the other side of the board place the hidden fasteners inside the slot and pass the screw through the hole in the joist place a fastener on each joist slide the next board over the fastener tap it with a rubber mallet to make sure it is tight and locks into the fasteners then install the hidden fasteners along that table.

Continue installing the platform in this way. When I make the cut around this tree, I'm going to make sure my boards are lined up here and to finish I'm going to take about a quarter of an inch. beyond the frame, make a mark on my board right here and then I'll transfer this line on this side. I'll transfer my line from here to this side. I'm going to take the jigsaw and I'm going to cut this out and install it. the rest of the platform with hidden fasteners. I'm going to rip the last deck board to give it width.

I'll take my slot cutter and put a new slot in the edge and then have a place to put my stop clips. To fix it after the entire deck is in place, install fascia boards over the exposed structure and deck boards with composite screws and that's it, our new floating deck is complete. We've added a large swivel table and chairs to create a comfortable and welcoming place to gather. You can add plants and flowers to bring. I chose color and texture for the space between the deck and the fence. I have built a short frame to hold the planters.

We've added lights and lanterns to provide a soft glow for nighttime entertainment. This is a great project to do. -you and now you know how to do it well.