Is this a stupid idea for a cheap deck?

[Bluesman]

HI ~

I recently dis-assembled a sandbox that was in my yard. It was made up of 8 solid pressure treated 8 x 8 x 8 foot pieces of lumber that the previous owner had laid down for his kid.

I was thinking of using the wood to make a ground level deck - If I space these 30 inches apart and lay them flat on the ground as joists, I could get 12 foot decking and have a pretty simple 12 x 8 deck, right?

What am I missing here? Do I need posts to keep it from shifting around? Nothing was holding the sandbox in, and it was solid as a rock.

Dig up the soil, level it, drop fabric to keep the weeks down, lay down the pressure treated sandbox wood as joists at 30 inch intervals and hammer in the decking. Done.

Will this work?

Thanks,

Bluesman

[Colbyt]

It's not to code and won't pass any inspections. That said; I did the same thing with 16" spacing between the "on ground supports", covered it with

5/4" PT deck boards 10 years ago around the fishpond and is still going strong. Actually seems to be doing as the upper level deck built by the book.

Colbyt

[jstp]

I did something very similar for a temporary deck. I rested the wood on some cement bricks I had lying around instead of directly on the ground. It hadn't moved during the 4 years I used it. One comment, if you have 8 pieces can't you put them every 18 inches instead of every 30 inches? Otherwise, you may get a lot of "bounce".

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Yes, it might but is that the best thing for you? Why not frame it out with

2 x 4s and pour a concrete patio? Done. Forever.

[Gini]

==== Were you walking on the sandbox? Pulling your grill around on it? Sliding lawn chairs over it? I think the deck will be fine as long as you don't walk on it. ==== ====

[frank-in-toronto]

i think it'll be fine. if it seems to be not so solid, just drive in some posts at each end. and i don't know where you are located, but here, if it's not attached to the house, and not a structure, you'll be ok without a permit. ...thehick