Can a deck be build on to a house if the house is on a slab? If so, how?

Question

I have a room addition that was built on a concrete slab. When walking out the back door you step down about 8" to the ground. We are wanting to build a deck but not sure how to accomplish this with it being ground level. Any suggestions or websites/photos that would help us?

Answer 1

I agree with the 'step up deck' suggestion.

You could also build a deck on the same level as your back door by using narrower joists (like 2x4s) and support blocks on the ground every couple feet.  This doesn't leave any room for ventilation or access for spraying weeds under it, so you'll have to scrape the ground bear, treat it with 2-4D, and cover it with plastic and gravel.  Remember to make the ground drain properly so you don't get a puddle under the deck.

Answer 2

Yes you can still build a deck on this. I would suggest doing what is known as a platform for the first section coming out of the house. Maybe a 9'x9' section and then build up from there to the elevation you would like the rest of the deck to be.

Maybe something along the lines of this. Link below.

Answer 3

What I did was get landscape timbers and countersink stepping stones part of the way in the ground and set the landscape timbers the opposite way the decking was going to run. You can attach a treated 2X6 to the house as a ledger board and since it's on concrete you won't need any stepping stones-just shim up the ends so that it is level.I actually started out like this for a sun room on the back of my house but there is a layer of roofing felt down as a moisture barrier, put in insullation and I used 3/4" plywood as a subfloor and also boxed all around it with 2x6's as well as 2x6's to attach the plywood to. The landscape timbers were used in another part of the yard for a platform deck.Run your boards 24" on center and you will have a very sturdy deck which you can apply railing to and flower beds or landscaping around it. It's so nice not to have to step down when going out of the french doors in the kitchen and the french door in the livingroom. I have the sunroom and 2 outside decks and enlarged the deck on my sister's mobile home with steps going down the opposite side to a boardwalk to a platform deck with a picnic table. Put a steel roof over the mobile home deck.