Deck around a fibreglass pool.

Hi All,

I will do my best to try and explain this without it becoming to complicated !:?

We have installed an inground fiberglass pool which has copping pavers around the perimeter except for a 3m curved/arch section (the curve, curves in towards the pool, not away from it... if this make sense ?) The copping pavers overhang the pool edge about 50mm. The rest of the area around the pool is paved.

So basically I have a 3m x 3m area in the middle of the paved area that I am wanting to put the deck. The deck will finish the same level as the pavers and will overhang the edge of the pool, inline with the copping pavers (the decking boards will be cut along the same curve line as the pool).

I am trying to figure out how to attach a support for the decking boards which will sit on this fiberglass (curved) edge of the pool. The support need to be 25mm thick so that the decking board will sit on it and finsih flush with the pavers. This will also act (as the copping pavers do) to prevent the 'splash over' the edge and under the deck.

There is about 150mm fiberglass pool edge and about 450mm concrete bond beam arounnd the edge of the pool. Then it drops off into the cut out area of the pavers which I've already installed the bearers and joists.

My thoughts were to use 25mm Marine Ply cut at the same curve and silicon it on the fiberglass/concrete and then the decking boards could be attached to that ?

Just after any other suggestions or thoughts. Anything would be much appreciated.

My apologies for such a drawn out question !!! Thanks for your time !!!:)

Are we any chance for a photo?

Dr - 307.

Here's a couple of photo's. I hope this might help explain it a little better.

Note: I haven't cut down the post yet !

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Originally Posted by jay-man

My thoughts were to use 25mm Marine Ply cut at the same curve and silicon it on the fiberglass/concrete and then the decking boards could be attached to that ?

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I would have thought the same way except that you could potentially be trapping water behind your "dummy joist"

I would probably go Treated pine with a castellated type finish on the bottom to prevent water build up. You would really want to seal the timber also maybe paint it with an epoxy paint - black perhaps so you don't notice it.

You can fasten a wide piece of marine ply into the 450mm concrete surround. It covers up to the pools edge minus the thickness of the decking board - 19 or 22mm. It doesn't need dynabolting. You can use those green plugs with 8-10g SS decking screws. You'll need to trim it so the ply follows around with the curve. Do this by positioning it to the surface and running a pencil from underneath and along the curve. When you've cut it position it 19 / 22mm back from the edge of the pool.

Then to finish it off rip down a decking board to the thickness / height of the deck at the pools edge and cut 8mm deep slots / grooves every 100mm intervals to help it bend around the curve and fasten it to the end grain of the TP battens with stainless decking screws. That way you'll hide the ply and get a border like finish.

With the ply you can use plastic packers to keep it slightly off the ground.

Another thing, what about drainage in that area. Not worried about heavy rains and the soil underneath. Maybe you have thought about it, I just can't see it.

Cheers,
Dr - 307.

Would have been neater with the coping tile right through.. What ever you putr there on the pool edge i wouldn't think would see 10 years

cheers utemad

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Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

I would have thought the same way except that you could potentially be trapping water behind your "dummy joist"

I would probably go Treated pine with a castellated type finish

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Thanks for your thoughts....

Do you mean a sheet of treated pine (is this avaviable ??) instead of marine ply ? And sorry to sound stupid :- ... "Castellated type finish"... what is that ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dr - 307;

You can fasten a wide piece of marine ply into the 450mm concrete surround. It covers up to the pools edge minus the thickness of the decking board - 19 or 22mm. It doesn't need dynabolting. You can use those green plugs with 8-10g SS decking screws. You'll need to trim it so the ply follows around with the curve. Do this by positioning it to the surface and running a pencil from underneath and along the curve. When you've cut it position it 19 / 22mm back from the edge of the pool.

Then to finish it off rip down a decking board to the thickness / height of the deck at the pools edge and cut 8mm deep slots / grooves every 100mm intervals to help it bend around the curve and fasten it to the end grain of the TP battens with stainless decking screws. That way you'll hide the ply and get a border like finish.

With the ply you can use plastic packers to keep it slightly off the ground.

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Yes, that's the way I was thinking. I was going to screw the ply to the concrete and then run silicon along the fiberglass edge to help seal it from water going under neither the ply. I was also considering sealing the ply with a sealer, like the type used in 'wet areas' before tiling. Would this be better than plastic packers ?

Good idea about the trim piece of decking around the edge !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dr - 307;

Another thing, what about drainage in that area. Not worried about heavy rains and the soil underneath. Maybe you have thought about it, I just can't see it.

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Yes, that's been taken care of... in the back corner (top coner in the first pic, can't really see it though) I have a drain which runs the excess water away under the pavers and into a 'runoff' pipe. I will be installing a overflow pipe from the pool under this deck to the drain also. With the soil... I'll be covering it with a 1/4 minus and cement dry mix.


Another question.... Should I use Stainless Steel screws to attach the decking boards ?

I'll try and do some progess pictures also.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by utemad;

Would have been neater with the coping tile right through.. What ever you putr there on the pool edge i wouldn't think would see 10 years

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Yeh probably ! I've still got that as a backup plan though. I've got plenty of copping paver left over to run around the edge, so I could then butt the deck up against copping. We just preferred the look of the deck over hanging the pool edge.

Thanks

hi - ya, if you can stand the crap new age site, patio has done a deck over and then into a pool with lightboxes (lightboxes might be the name of the job - in sydney somewhere).

Anyway, what i'd do is raise your decking up above the paving one step high (say 170mm) to delineate it from a design perspective, then cantilever over the pool by a foot or so, and even consider squaring it up, so its more like a platform, and different from the surrounding materials - obviously face the end of the joists as well with decking

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Originally Posted by pharmaboy2

Anyway, what i'd do is raise your decking up above the paving one step high (say 170mm) to delineate it from a design perspective, then cantilever over the pool by a foot or so, and even consider squaring it up, so its more like a platform, and different from the surrounding materials - obviously face the end of the joists as well with decking

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Yes, I had considered that, however we wanted to keep the area at one level due to kids running around the area.... Yes yes i know, I remember being told not to run around the pool too... didn't stop me though !!!! :)

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Originally Posted by pharmboy2;

hiya, if you can stand the crap new age site

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Mmmm, I see waht you mean... Nice deck though !

I'd use stainless. Especially with bare feet and all 'cause nails as we know can lift and if you need to get underneath you can remove some boards.
Be careful, they can be soft and you will snap / break some. Just re-drill another pilot hole next to the 'broken' one.

I reckon it will look awesome as a 'fitted in' feature.

Please explain - hiya?

Dr - 307.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dr - 307

I'd use stainless. Especially with bare feet and all 'cause nails as we know can lift and if you need to get underneath you can remove some boards.

I reckon it will look awesome as a 'fitted in' feature.

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Stainless it is !!! Yeh, I thought the same about being able to get underneath.

As mentioned, I'll try and keep progess pics posted.

Look forward to it.

Good luck,
Dr - 307.

P.S. Be careful with the length of decking screw you use. You'll need to use 50mm not 63mm. And don't rely on Bunnings or the majors to get them. You can get 10g x 50mm square drive Type 17 and get one pice driver bits, not the magnetic extensions. When your screwing :B you'll know why. The bit can bite inito the square drive of the head and then the extension bit gets caught so you are forever taking out the bit to replace it into the extension. Believe me, find one (or seven) one piece square drive bits.

dr - 307: Thanks for the tip !!!

As promised, here's some photos of the finshed deck.

Looks good



cheers utemad

Looks good. You would've had fun cutting the arc over the pools edge. Explain to the masses how you did it.
What are you coating it with?

Dr - 307.

I have to ask .... what is the point of that deck? I don't mean to be rude but from a design point of view it breaks a couple of simple rules and doesn't seem to add anything aesthetically or functionally to the space?:?

I'm curious BT. How do you mean 'breaks some rules'? Once he coats it it will act as a feature just like different coloured pavers or borders and the like. Aesthetically it's a matter of opinion but I'm curious to find out what design rules have been broken. Once again not rude just curious.

Cheers,
Dr - 307.

Well I'm not bagging Jaymans design..I'm questioning its rational.

The design rules I was thinking of are well not rules, more guides for instance:

Uniformity of materials
Form Vs Function
KISS.

When I see a design element I usually ask myself (as I have of Jay man) what is its use? does it have a function or does it add to the overall aesthetics.

In this case - unless there is a function of the deck - for example Jaymans family didn't want to lay on paving - I would say that the aesthetic appeal didn't warrant the effort of installing the deck.

But please let me point out.

1. Dr 307 is correct that it is all personal taste.
2. Often I have designed elements within a landscape that don't quite work or do not translate from the plan that well - that's how you learn.

In retrospect I have to say that pharmaboy 2's comment about having the deck raised would have seen it look better... Just my rambling thoughts though.

I took another look at the finished pics and I still like it. I would coat it in a dark color to also hide the screws a little. There probably could've been a little more planning there and maybe used more 'dummy' joists to support the board and had the screw lines match the paver joins so that if the paver joins were every 300mm then you could screw the boards down at every 600mm along every second paver join and span wouldn't matter cause you'd have the intermediate 'dummy' joist still supporting the board at the 300mm span of the decking board.

But I still wanna hear as I'm sure others do also about how he went about cutting the arc and the fun he had there.

Cheers,
Dr - 307.

P.S. BT - I'm gonna go with the Paslode Gas Framer. Thanks for your input....Cheers.

Thanks for the comments everyone !

Quote:

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Looks good. You would've had fun cutting the arc over the pools edge. Explain to the masses how you did it.
What are you coating it with?

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It was that difficult... I had already made a cardboard template which I used to cut the marine ply to shape. So once the decking was down I laid the template in place, drew a chalk line and then used a jig saw to cut the shape. One hand held the jigsaw and the other grabbed the offcut and put it behind me. When all boards where cuts I then lightly filed the cut edge to smooth it out and finally sanded and rounded the edges, so it was more user friendly.

Quote:

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I have to ask .... what is the point of that deck? I don't mean to be rude but from a design point of view it breaks a couple of simple rules and doesn't seem to add anything aesthetically or functionally to the space?:?

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I understand your question... really the only point of the deck was to break up the paving and we liked the look of the decking edge over hanging the water. It's really just a feature... We a have a large deck off the house which leads to the pool, so it helps tie the two areas together....As DR - 307 has said we'll probably finish it in a darker colour. The only practical reason for it (not the really the purpose for it) and it doesn't justify the work put into the deck... I have installed an over flow channel that runs under the deck and into a drain. This stop the pool over flowing in heavy rain.

As for the rules... well... I like to go outside the box and do things a little different and as you mentioned rules are just a guide. I hope this helps explain my reasoning behind it. I do agree though, that there was alot of work involved for something that has no practical reason. I am happy with the finished product though.

Thanks again for your all comments !!!

For anyone out there wanting to cut similar curves to jayman.....
Keeping a couple of bits of yellow tongue strip is handy or a long piece of small section dowel (?) would do the trick.

Jay-man, good to see you got the crayons out on that piece of cardboard :D .

Cheers,
Dr - 307.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

I have to ask .... what is the point of that deck? I don't mean to be rude but from a design point of view it breaks a couple of simple rules and doesn't seem to add anything aesthetically or functionally to the space?:?

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I edited my previous post cause i was feeling negative on the day but second your line of thinking... I would have found some other feature other than decking cause now you have given yourself a maintenance job and all for pine decking....