Dave Poehlman

Patio/Deck combo ideas

I am on the verge of buying a newly constructed home. After we close (if we close) we're planning on keeping some equity from our original home out to put a driveway, sidewalk, and patio in.

Here's what I'd like to do: The patio will be connected to a walk-out basement. Above a portion of it, I plan on putting in a deck that will be connected to the first floor kitchen with some stairs going down to the patio below. Sounds pretty nice, eh? Wait, it gets better... ultimately, I would like to screen-in the area under the deck to make it sort of a sun-porch type space.

Here are my problems:

[*]I need some sort of "roof" under the deck to keep rain and bugs from infiltrating from the deck above. How might I accomplish this? [*]I would like the patio poured when I get my driveway done to save $$. I realize it would be easier to have the deck built before the patio, but It's not within my means to do so. Should I wait on the patio and build the deck first or perhaps I could just pour the footings for the deck and do the patio?[*]What would the best way be to attach screen to the area under the deck?[*]Does anyone have examples or plans for this type of setup?[/list]

ChadM

As for the roof under the deck www.americandrydeck.com has a nice product it seems.

Question - Is the builder not taking care of the drive for you?

As for your patio - make sure you have a little bit of "fall" away from the house. This will help with clean up. I have to power wash ours a couple of times a year and I wish I had more runoff toward the yard. Just enough so the water runs away - not anything you will notice by standing on it.

I would think that the deck would be secured into the patio concrete so it makes sense to me to put the patio in first.

Do you have a door from your kitchen to the outside or will this have to be put in?

Dave Poehlman

That drydeck stuff looks exactly like what I need.

Builders up here generally don't include driveways (or yards for that matter).

I have to double check with my local building inspector, but I believe I'll need some footings poured for the deck that go below the frostline. I'm thinking I can at least pour the footings for the deck and then add the patio around them. So, I'd have to have a pretty detailed plan of my deck before I pour my patio.

I found a pretty cool java-based deck design website at DIYonline.com(you have to subscribe).

It doesn't go into great detail but it's giving me a rough idea of what I'm looking at as far as footings go... and it's free.

There is a door there. And the builder did include a tiny porch-like deck off of that.. which is pretty useless. I don't think my grill will fit out there.