Next, we placed the deck blocks and assured they were where they needed to be. Next, we added about 6″ of stone dust (aka paver base or slag) and tamped it down. Either way we needed 11 holes for the deck blocks. This meant we would need three beams however, there was a bump out in the house that would require another small beam. We used 16′ beams so with a maximum span of 6′ and 2′ of overhang on both sides we only needed 3 posts per beam. Our deck was 20′ wide so the spacing between beams is 8′ with 2′ of overhang on both sides. We started by marking where we wanted the deck blocks and dug down about 6″ and tamped it down to make sure we were placing our deck blocks on solid ground. With our deck being freestanding, the frost may heave it up slightly but once it thaws it will settle back into place. To do so, dig your holes with a rented auger or post hole digger and pour the cement into the hole to create a footing. The required depth of your footing is determined by your local code. If you are connecting the deck to the house you will more than likely need to pour concrete footings that will extend beyond the frost line to prevent the deck from heaving up with a frost. Since this is not connected to the house the deck blocks were sufficient for us and saved us a lot of time. Since this is a free standing deck and less than 36″ off the ground our local code did not require a permit.

First and foremost, always check your local codes and pull permits if required.

Floating foundation deck system canada