Deck, but no footers allowed!

[CharW971]

I wanted to find out if anyone has built, or had built, a deck with no footers? The MH park I live in does not allow any "digging" for footers, gardens, etc. There are many small decks, decks with steps, around the park.

My husband and I have a small business and have designed and built several decks over the years, but all have and require at least 30" footer to support it. I cannot grab the concept of building a deck without a solid footer. I was thinking of just using patio blocks under the posts for support, but that doesn't seem enough to carry the weight of the deck. I have a small deck (approximately 5' x 5') with steps to my front door, and another (3' x 3') with steps at the back door. They are both "floating" on the ground (posts are resting directly in the dirt). I'm very surprised these have not sunk in the ground, or collapsed. It may be because there is not a lot of weight on them for periods of time, or at one time.

Has anyone built a deck with no footers? I'm looking to build a deck off my front deck (no room around back) for cookouts, etc.

ANY suggestions would be great, especially from people who have a deck with no footers!

Thanks everyone!

[Yanita]

Hi,

The name of these blocks elude me at the moment, buy they can by bought at home improvements stores. They are designed for a 4x4 post to sit in them.

Many parks do not allow digging, if you where to move your home and decks the footer would probably not line up with a different home.

The home we are in now there were no footers or blocks under the legs of the deck, there was alot of weight on this deck, but no damage except for a little rot on the ends of post. We jacked it up and and added these deck blocks!

Remember that decks/porches are/should be free standing from your mobile home.

~Yanita~

[CharW971]

Thanks! I totally forgot about those! I cannot think of what they are called either. Concrete post supports, maybe? But I know exactly what you are talking about.

About a year ago we looked for them at our local hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowes, 84 Lumber, etc) to no avail. I think because MD requires a solid (8") footer at least 30" below grade, many stores do not carry them. If anyone knows where I can get them, that would be great!

[Harry]

Hi

They are called Dek-Block. Around here Lowes and HD sells them.

Harry

[Yanita]

DUH!!!

Must of been on my first cup of coffee.

Thanks Harry!

Char this dek blocks work great, we had a 2 level front deck and a deck that went around our pool, every leg of the decks were sitting on these!

Since you are in the N.E. just allow a couple inches from the deck to the home, if you get alot of frost heaves you don't want the deck pushing into the side of the home.

Take care,

~Yanita~

[Greg]

Char, If you cannot find the ones at lowes or the depot, you can buy a bag of concrete and cast your own. I made some for our deck 15 years ago. All I did was form up a 12"x12" square with 2x4 and fill the form with concrete. It has held up well so far. Greg

[Manitoba Bill]

When I needed to level an old deck with 4x4 on the ground all I used was 12x12x1" blocks.

This site has plans and how-to for many decks.

http://www.freedeckplans.com/howtobuild ... eck01.html

Just make sure the deck is not attached to your mobile.

Many diff. plans on the site, this one is for rect. and after you enter the size it calculates the blocks needed
http://www.freedeckplans.com/plans/size ... .type.id=1

[JD]

I have built many decks and have never used footers or even concreted posts when the deck was on a mobile home. We use the steel mobile home piers with pressure treated pads. We use skirting or lattice to hide the piers.

In mobile home parks we often build the plywood decks with indoor/outdoor carpet, but I really enjoy building redwood and Choice Dek decks.

A good point with the steel piers is that it is very easy to relevel the deck when needed.

JD

[Maureen]

Yep, we used the dek blocks on our back deck.

Nothing is easier!!! I almost love our back deck, it's basically a porch into the back door. The only place that we went wrong was going with a certain home improvement store's wood. The frame is very solid, but I've got to get out there and change 4 pieces of decking that warped horribly!

Our deck has survived 2 Winters with frost heave, the frame and the blocks are perfect!

Maureen

[Robert]

Dek-Blocks rule !! They could start a new commercial for them.

"So easy a caveman can do it !!" Best thing for DIY decks since sliced bread.

Take care and best wishes,
Robert

[kashton]

Up in the sticks here, we can go in and ask for post supports, and they know what we mean. That is what i'm using since I am going to build a free standing deck. I had a verbal agreement with the previous park owner about the size off addition and deck he would allow me to have, but since the park changed owners, that deal is out the window. Since it will be freestanding, and not attached to our trailer, I can still build it to the size, without him b*~chin about it.

[Greg]

Oh boy Robert, You may have opened a can of worms!! I can see that comercial now with the caveman saying "so easy a mobilehome redneck can do it!!"

[Maureen]

LOL Greg!

I now have a visual of bubba and the cave man in therapy. Thanks! But yeah, even bubba would have a hard time messing up a dek block deck!

I love it because it moves with frost heave perfectly! It's always level and solid!

Maureen

[Robert]

Oh Lord Greg, I pictured that and laughed til I hurt !!

I'll say this, if Bubba or the Caveman had trouble with a Dek Block, they would be waaaayyyyy past therapy help, LOL.

Take care and best wishes,
Robert

[adajh1]

When we built our first deck we make it free standing and the weight of my sons wheelchair pushed the deck back a couple of feet and it looked like it could fall over any minute. So when we rebuilt we had to bury the post.


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