If You Were Building a Deck......

Cantilevering a deck is perfectly acceptable practice - in fact, it's probably even preferred because you are hiding posts underneath the deck.

Placement of those posts doesn't have to be precise so long as the rules of 2 feet support for every one foot of cantilever are followed. Your beam doesn't need 3 posts so I'm confused by that.

It sounds to me like he's slightly lazy because he'll have all his equipment out to dig a 3rd piling so how much more effort would be required to dig the TWO required pilings with precise placement? That part confuses me based on your description but it's kinda hard to critique a man's work without the following:
1. Seeing the site or at least a drawing.
2. Hearing the rationale of the other contractor.

I don't like to second guess another contractor unless his work is very clearly shoddy and he's giving the rest of the us a bad name. He may have perfectly legitimate reasons that are not being adequately conveyed to you.

But if he's doing it wrong you should NOT be required to pay him to take it out and do it correctly. He should do that at his cost. However, if his support is adequate according to code and you're asking him to redo it simply because you don't like it then you should have to pay him.

It's hard to say without seeing the site.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Cantilevering a deck is perfectly acceptable practice - in fact, it's probably even preferred because you are hiding posts underneath the deck.

Placement of those posts doesn't have to be precise so long as the rules of 2 feet support for every one foot of cantilever are followed. Your beam doesn't need 3 posts so I'm confused by that.

It sounds to me like he's slightly lazy because he'll have all his equipment out to dig a 3rd piling so how much more effort would be required to dig the TWO required pilings with precise placement? That part confuses me based on your description but it's kinda hard to critique a man's work without the following:
1. Seeing the site or at least a drawing.
2. Hearing the rationale of the other contractor.

I don't like to second guess another contractor unless his work is very clearly shoddy and he's giving the rest of the us a bad name. He may have perfectly legitimate reasons that are not being adequately conveyed to you.

But if he's doing it wrong you should NOT be required to pay him to take it out and do it correctly. He should do that at his cost. However, if his support is adequate according to code and you're asking him to redo it simply because you don't like it then you should have to pay him.

It's hard to say without seeing the site.

Well if I knew how to upload pics here I would show you some. And I agree I don't need 3 and he is trying to squeeze in 4. Nevertheless I have 2 posts 1+ foot closer together than 2 others. That seems to just be not right to me.

And what about these 8 inch concrete blocks? That seems to be a little excessive as well.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Well if I knew how to upload pics here I would show you some. And I agree I don't need 3 and he is trying to squeeze in 4. Nevertheless I have 2 posts 1+ foot closer together than 2 others. That seems to just be not right to me.

And what about these 8 inch concrete blocks? That seems to be a little excessive as well.

My dad built a 3-level deck on the back of his house more than 25 years ago. I helped quite a bit. For the footers, he dug a hole about 12" in diameter and about 12" deep. He poured concrete several inches deep in the hole and let it dry. Then, he poured concrete into KFC buckets and imbedded the post anchors in that. Once those had dried, he sat them on top of the concrete in the holes, then he back filled around the part that came out of the bucket until about 4" were sticking from the ground. The deck is still standing. Overall, I'd prefer a footing that goes into the ground and has a mechanical attachement to the wood, rather than a block sitting on the gound with the post sitting on it.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by cdcox

My dad built a 3-level deck on the back of his house more than 25 years ago. I helped quite a bit. For the footers, he dug a hole about 12" in diameter and about 12" deep. He poured concrete several inches deep in the hole and let it dry. Then, he poured concrete into KFC buckets and imbedded the post anchors in that. Once those had dried, he sat them on top of the concrete in the holes, then he back filled around the part that came out of the bucket until about 4" were sticking from the ground. The deck is still standing. Overall, I'd prefer a footing that goes into the ground and has a mechanical attachement to the wood, rather than a block sitting on the gound with the post sitting on it.

Ok I should clarify. I have 4 holes with 36 inches of concrete in them with an 8 inch block on top of that.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Ok I should clarify. I have 4 holes with 36 inches of concrete in them with an 8 inch block on top of that.

What's the block for?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Brock

What's the block for?

The post will sit in a footing on top of the block.

Originally Posted by petegz28

The post will sit in a footing on top of the block.

Except.... Heh - look at this picture. If he doesn't hit the circle in this concrete everything else is going to crack away....

Here's the picture of what Pete is describing.

Does anybody else feel confident this deck is going to be done correctly?

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Here's the picture of what Pete is describing.

Does anybody else feel confident this deck is going to be done correctly?

Am I a meth user or not?? Need more info on how drugged out I am...

[stlchiefs]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Here's the picture of what Pete is describing.

Does anybody else feel confident this deck is going to be done correctly?

From the looks of it this guy can't even build a good Washers box or space the boxes correctly. I would not trust him with your deck.

[go bo]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Here's the picture of what Pete is describing.

Does anybody else feel confident this deck is going to be done correctly?

heh, helen keller could do better work than this...

if you're local and you plan on keeping the house a very long time, you should fire the idjit and hire phil to build you a proper deck that will probably last longer than the house...

and i can vouch for phobe's work...

remember, you get what you pay for, mostly...

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Phobia

Here's the picture of what Pete is describing.

Does anybody else feel confident this deck is going to be done correctly?

What. The. ****.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Brock

What's the block for?

Looks something like this where the concrete block is serving as #2 in the picture. My complaints would be 1) I'd rather have a solid peir (stronger than a concrete block and 2) does the post base attach to the concrete block?

I'm also guessing that the holes dad dug were wider and deeper than I described them. It's been a loooong time.

Originally Posted by petegz28

Ok I should clarify. I have 4 holes with 36 inches of concrete in them with an 8 inch block on top of that.

We think you have 36" of concrete in them but they were existing - so if the last guy short cut it, by trusting his work you're putting your faith in somebody else's hands - somebody you've never met and who probably was the lowest bid for some builder.

This whole situation is bunk. If it were me, I'd bring my sledge and start with a blank slate.

For the record, Pete emailed me pictures. My reluctance to second guess somebody else is now gone.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Well if I knew how to upload pics here I would show you some. And I agree I don't need 3 and he is trying to squeeze in 4. Nevertheless I have 2 posts 1+ foot closer together than 2 others. That seems to just be not right to me.

And what about these 8 inch concrete blocks? That seems to be a little excessive as well.

There is an attachment file that looks like a paperclip.. Took me months to find it..

Your welcome..