Building my first deck....

Building my first deck this year and I'd like to get some tips.

I created this diagram on graph paper of my back yard. Each square is 1 foot. So the drawing is to size.

I'd like my deck to come off level or only a slight step down from my back door which is about 18 inches from the ground. I won't need railings code here is 24 in for railings. I'd also would like the a 2nd level that is essentially close to ground level.

I'd like to do solid footings but since its not high off the ground I don't want a ledger board.

Where would I put my post first off and what would the spacing be?

Also I'm confused on to how I would frame it for the built in step that runs around the higher portion and how to attach the step down.

To clarify the drawing. The red is my house. The Silver (poor choice for colour) is the deck. To the left of the deck I plan to use my old patio stones, regrade it with some new gravel and create sort of a dog run that runs along the side of my house.

Thanks for the help

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vtiu4ms7df3n3h2/deck.jpg?dl=0

........click for larger view.....

 

I took your diagram from dropbox, enhanced it with color and rehosted it.
Dropbox can be hard to access at times due to hotlinking.

 

Thanks alot. Solid of you. Appreciate it.

 

Here is pretty much your bible to building a deck to code. It will give you span tables and max lengths of beams to put together drawings that will pass local permitting requirements. http://www.awc.org/pdf/codes-standar...Guide-1405.pdf

Work your elevations. If you have step downs, you can build boxes to set on each other as steps rather that using stringers and individual footings.

 

Huge issue in your area trying to build a deck almost level with a door opening.
I'd pass on the job unless you allowed me to build it at least a normal step distance of 7".
If not your going to have major issues with water getting in under the threshold.
Deck needs to be free standing!.
Attach it to the house and your opening up yourself to major moisture issues.
Could care less what the code is for railings, have someone fall backwards sitting in a chair that far off the ground and someones going to get hurt.

 

I agree with Joe about dropping the deck at least one step from the house. Once you factor that in, I think you're too close to the ground and I'd put in two more steps to a patio instead of a deck.

 

I think if you follow the guidelines in the document that Czizzi linked you will be OK. I don't see a problem building the deck just a couple of inches below the door. Concerns about moisture damage can be addressed by using flashing.

I have two decks both of which are just a couple of inches below the doors. Both are attached with a ledger bolted to the house. Thousands if not millions of decks are built that way. Neither of them have any water damage. We often get deep snow and sometimes it sits on the deck for a couple of days. Last year we had so much snow that at times it was almost half way up the door. We had no problems.

A patio might be problematic in Canada.

 

How so? Not accusing, just want to know the pitfalls you see that I don't.

 

Dropping it down one step from the back door isn't a problem. You're suggesting 7 inches or so from the door opening?

Also I was planning to not use a ledger board because then I can avoid the permit. In my area a permit is required if its attached to the house or more than .6 meters off the ground.

 

I grew up in northern VT. Patios were not common because of ground movement. People were wary of frost heaves. I would expect Canada to have the same issues.

 

Lots of patios around here without frost heave issues. Meh.

 

anyone have a guide or calculator for deck block requirements?

I think I'm just going to dig it down, pack some limestone / gravel, then build the deck on blocks. I figure its low enough that if It shifts any I can just re level it.

 

Never mind... Seems to be 1.5 meters as a general rule. If I'm resting the joist right on the blocks then every joist and if I'm using a girder it would be less blocks...

 

So I started framing the deck. Finished the lower level today. For the step up level im going to do double 2x6 beams right on the blocks then run my joist across. The joist will overlap with the lower level and ill tie the two levels together via brackets.

For the wrap around step on the step up level that runs flush to the lower level. I was planning to do a single box step. What would be the best way to attach it?