I think I mentioned earlier that my son has drafted me to help build a fair ly large deck at his cabin. The cabin is a manufactured home elevated abou t two feet over a concrete slab. There is skirting running around the peri meter of the structure. The skirting is framed in 2x4s with verticle studs 16 inches on center.
So ... here's the question: can we attach the ledger board to the skirting framework? Or is a better approach a free-standing deck?
Thanks,
Larry
Well, you *could* attach the ledger to that "knee wall" and it might hold up for decades, but you're taking a big chance.
Is there a foundation under that slab, directly beneath that skirting, or is the home being supported somewhere else, like a trailer frame? If there are footings under that slab that act as the foundation of this home, then you're good.
If the slab is just a 4" floater, then it could easily crack and fail from the weight of the deck, depending on how large it is. I would recommend a separate deck foundation-- post and beam. Set the piers 2 to 3 feet away from the home and cantilever the deck joists towards the home, leaving a decent gap for water to pass between the decking and the home without getting trapped.
I wouldn'r even think about it twice. Free standing, all the way. Even the front porch on my house is built free-standing - no ledger board attached to the house. Same for my 12X12 rear deck.
why bother with a 2 ft. high deck is there a big slope
i would build some low pitch stairs and make a brick patio with plants around it
" Free-Standing " means ... on-ground deck blocks ? .. or concrete piers going down 3 - 4 feet deep .. ?
Timely post - I'm needing to re-build my 12 x 20 deck - after it failed last summer - the "anchors" started to fail - where they were connected into the house . . < might have been just nails ? dunno yet > ... what a pain-in-the-butt ! I've added a small dog-run around half the deck .. I'm thinking of pressure-treated framework - with, perhaps - synthetic decking ? Any helpful advice / experience - is appreciated. I'm in S. Ontario Canada < near Clair :-) > John T.
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Sonotubes 3-4 feet down with saddles for the front porch. The rear deck just had 8 inch postholes dug, 4x4 cedat posts stuck in, framing set into the posts and nailed, holes back-filled with fast setting sacrete, tamped and watered. The holes are about 2 1/2 feet deep in sandy gravel base - very well drained. The deck framing was done before I bought the house 33 years ago, and when I rebuilt the deck about 20 years ago I was able to pull the old cedar posts out of the concrete and drive new ones back in on all but one of the 10 holes. I had to remove the broken concrete from one hole and re-fill it. I used pressure treated SYP instead of cedar when I rebuilt it.
I used Trex Transcend for the front porch when I rebuilt it about 6 years ago. Not cheap, but worth it.
Neither. Free standing means not attached to another structure.
The skirting framing is built specifically to hold the skirting. Not a tough job for the framing.
In so much that it was not designed to hold a heavy deck too I think I would go free standing and cantilever over to close the gap.
My town had no problem approving my plans to attach my deck to my house via the rim joist, and my town is not known for being lenient.
The city of Hopkins, MN thinks it's fine too:
Re read his description. The skirting framing is not structural nor a part of the house.
Hi Larry,
I vote for a free standing deck.
Manufactured/mobile homes are typically supported by a steel frame running down the middle of the home. They do not have the structural rim joists around the perimeter like a traditional home.
When we had our mobile home I built two free standing decks. I just used deck blocks sitting on the ground, and framed the deck structure so there was about a one inch gap between the deck and mobile. This allowed each to move independently, as well as letting water/snow run off without causing rot. When we sold the mobile and moved it out, I simply tore down the decks leaving no damage to the mobile itself. Both decks lasted 13 years in use, then I recycled the redwood to build a bookcase and a variety of shelves.
Remember to add diagonal bracing to your deck structure. Since it won't be secured to the house, you need to prevent it from wracking side to side.
Good luck,
Anthony Watson
You are correct...my misreading of the term "skirting".
Free-standing with a cantilever towards the house is probably the way to go.
Apples and oranges. The rim joist on you house is sitting directly over a foundation that is engineered to hold the weight of an entire house.
Already addressed...3 hours ago.
Apples and oranges. The rim joist on you house is sitting directly over
I would think you could assume I was reading through the replies one by one and replied before I saw Leon address that.
I would think you could assume that not reading the entire thread before responding causes members to post redundant responses. :-)
The last thing we need on the ole interweb is redundant information. It would start to get really messy. ;-)
This, from the guy who didn't even read the original post. :-p
LOL
"Mis-reading" is not the same thing as "not even reading".
As I said to Leon:
"...my misreading of the term "skirting"."
A brain fart is all that it was.
Thanks, guys. Free-standing it is. Now ... if anyone is in the neighborho od of Wausaukee, WI, next month we've got a lot of cold ones in the fridge in exchange for a little deck building.
irly large deck at his cabin. The cabin is a manufactured home elevated ab out two feet over a concrete slab. There is skirting running around the pe rimeter of the structure. The skirting is framed in 2x4s with verticle stu ds 16 inches on center.
g framework? Or is a better approach a free-standing deck?
Surprised in the use of lag screws, not bolts.
Mart> >>> I think I mentioned earlier that my son has drafted me to help build a
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