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I have a rough plan for a ground level deck. The deck will not be attached to anything though it will sit under and extend a bit from a free standing pergola.

My plan is to bury most of a cinder block underground as a base. The hole will be filled with a little gravel to level, the block placed on top and then filled with dirt.

On top of the blocks I plan to run AC2 2x4's. The outer most (the picture is off) 2x4's will be two screwed together and then a single 2x4 for the inner joists.

So the joists would look like this:

|||-----||-----||-----||-----||-----|||
  • Is this a sufficient base for decking?
  • How far should the joists be spaced?

enter image description here

isherwood
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James
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1 Answers1

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A plain old cinder block will deteriorate within a matter of years. Use blocks designed for the purpose, or pour footings like you're supposed to, following code to the letter.

Concrete Deck Block:

enter image description here

Other than as being part of the railings, 2x4s don't belong anywhere in the construction of a deck.

I've never used these, but a key rule to follow would be placing them on undisturbed soil (don't add dirt back into the hole to make it level). Remove the sod and dig your hole as perfectly as possible.

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Mazura
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