Want to build a deck off the living room ... there's a drop of about knee height to the concrete slab that is the porch so it's not very usuable as it is.

Problem is ... can't dig up the concrete, can't bolt it onto the house and probably can't screw in into the concrete either. So it's got to "float" on the slab, be removable (rental house) eventually and not cause problems like mold etc to the house.

Possible?

Prolly not, it needs anchored.... If not you pretty much just have a big picnic table on a slab. As long as the planks arent "sealed" around the seams and joints, mold won't be an issue... Stability would be my main concern....

Look up wedge anchors for concrete, or "large diameter tapcons".... You drill a hole, put the bolt in,, and tighten it... the tapcons can be pulled out, but the wedge anchors will need drilled out a few mm, then just fill or cover it with some epoxy... No damage to the pad, and you can have a safe deck without touching the house... The brand of anchors I sell is called "red head"... Not sure if you can get the same brand tho... Good luck! Any questions sot me a pm!

Clear as mud right? I'm posting from my phone, so bear with me... I can shoot you a more detailed explanation with some pics when I get home!

There's 2 posts holding the patio roof up - I was just going to brace it against them :D I should probably get a picture of what I want ...

I tried that argument with the wife at the last house - "I'll just fill the holes up when we move" and she wasn't having it am thinking it'll have to be those concrete footing things and maybe accidentally spill some glue under them :D

Not a carpenter here but will vouch for the tap-cons or similar anchors. Tthe only remaining project around here is to "skin" our front step (a three stepped, block of cement that's in perfectly sound condition - just looks bad). We're gonna use some tap-cons to anchor joists onto the cement structure and build up a deck and new steps around it.

Around here if it's affixed to the house you need a permit. If it's cemented into the ground and higher than 24" you need a permit. Our 500 sq ft deck on the side of the house is a floater - just rests on piles and it'd take a hurricane to lift it. Of course you do live somewhere that a hurricane might be an issue....not me.

I've used tap-cons before and got in big trouble with the wife but it installed and finished by the time she caught me :D

Didn't think about wind :o we live in a built up area so the prevailing winds don't really touch the house ... perhaps a couple of bolts then ...

When we build temporary stages we use ratchet straps. The decks come in 3x6 slabs which lays on a scaffold frame. We strap the frames together and if its outside we sandbag or weight the the frame legs. If you don't mind building sectionals then you could strap to your posts as anchors,and strap sectionals to them so on so forth?

Sounds like a plan ...! Thanks all! Now to draw plans ...

My Dad just built a deck with the movable concrete footers that are pier blocks with adjustable brackets. Then he cross braced it and it is very stable. Someone with more construction experience would probably not like it though.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/a4/a4ace2...
http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/cf/cf7763...

I can't believe no general contractors haven't commented so far.
Well than I will...
Yes you can build the deck to just sit there. If you can bury a post or 2in the ground than that will hold it in place. Or wedge it into place between a post or the house. If the deck is of any size the weight of it will hold it in place to some degree. After you build it and it moves, tell the wife it has to be anchored down, with concrete anchors. Yo can also use the screw type dog leash anchors, they look like ice screws to tie the sides or corners down.
You will have to leave a 1/4" gap around the perimeter for drainage.
One big thing is anything higher than 32" needs to have a hand rail,(Washington State Building Code), but its only temporary right? and you surely wont have a building permit. So what the heck, go for it.
Bottom line is it can be built and not leave any trace of it after you remove it to move. Are we invited for the deck party when it's done?

That's what I'm thinking of Stetson
Building permits? Japan? I'll be like "Derp? What deck?"

Y'all welcome any time - we got one spare room - just don't turn up when the wife or I are in hospital :o

Quote:

Originally posted by Kamikuza Y'all welcome any time - we got one spare room - just don't turn up when the wife or I are in hospital :o

Whats up with that?

Last time someone was thinking of coming - the trip coincided with the wife going into hospital to get something fished out of chest, next to her heart. Turned out to be boiled egg but they told us it was a Castleman's Disease tumor thingy