Now for the outdoor life - building a deck
One of the essentials of tiny house living is the need for indoor-outdoor flow. With so small a space inside the house, it’s almost essential to add outdoor living space. In the climate in which I’m located there is the possibility of warm summers extending into autumn in which I can spend a lot of time outdoors. A deck is a must!
In keeping with my ethos of adding structures that could be easily removed and transported to a new location, I needed a “mobile” solution for a deck. And I found one at the Tiny House Expo the year before I moved: a designer, Rebecca Ransley, who also lives in a tiny house had produced a prototype kitset deck that could be easily assembled and disassembled.
Rebecca and her sister Megan started a business called Ready Deck Systems supplying these novel modular deck systems. The system comprises self-levelling jacks as the foundation, a frame that slots together onto the jacks, then durable wood-plastic composite boards that fit snuggly together with locking clips to form the floor of the deck.
The design
Since I have two doors opening to the outside – french doors from the living area and bifolds in the bedroom – I opted for two decks. The main deck off the living area is 3 metres wide by 2.4 m deep, large enough for my small outdoor table and two chairs. For the bedroom I opted for a much smaller 1.8 metre wide by 600 mm deep deck. I had obtained two sets of stairs from my builder and one set now leads up onto the main deck. The other stairs allow easy access to the outside solar storage unit. I decided that stairs to the bedroom deck would be unnecessary.
After ordering my deck I had to wait a couple of months for the shipment of parts to arrive. Finally, the day came when Rebecca and Megan came to help me assemble them. The supporting jacks need a firm base, and since mine would be standing on lawn, I had already obtained large concrete pavers.
The build
We started with the smaller bedroom deck, which allowed me to experience the whole process before we embarked on the larger, more time-consuming one.
For each deck the first step is to assemble the jacks. They use a system of interlocking modules to build the approximate height for each deck. Fine adjustments are then made at the end with a screw adjustment on the neck of the jack. Next we assembled the frame in a very straightforward arrangement of criss-crossing beams.
Facia boards are tied to the frame to cover the sides of the steel frame, and finally the exciting job of laying the floor boards begins. Locking clips ensure that the boards are securely held in place, but also provide the function of spacers.
We worked steadily and well as a team of three. Originally, the time estimate the team gave me was around 2 to 3 hours, but it was nearly 5 hours later that the final board was clicked into place.
The deck boards are hardwearing in a composite wood and plastic, which ensures better weather protection and durability than wood. They come in a range of colours and I chose a warm oak colour to complement the warm woods inside the house. Unfortunately, my shipment delivered non-matching facia boards in grey. We installed those initially, but had another working bee to replace them with the correct colour a few months later.
Adding the two decks has really enhanced my experience of tiny house living. Previously, I was using the steps to enter the main entrance. However, there were times when I was juggling armfuls of bags while locking the door on my way out, and I found myself a little unsteady on the steps. Having the spacious deck means I can open and close the french doors safely, and of course, enjoy a good indoor-outdoor flow, especially for dining or relaxing with a coffee.
The deck off the bedroom ensures that when the bifold doors are open there is a safe place to step out onto. It has the added advantage of a viewing platform of the night sky in clear weather, as I love star gazing.
I’m very grateful for this innovative deck design, which looks smart and provides an excellent and affordable alternative to building a deck from scratch – something that I lack the skills for entirely!
I’m also grateful to Rebecca and Megan for their help and instruction in creating my outdoor living spaces.
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