![]() The post just rests on the block and you hope the concrete lugs don’t break off the block over time. Concrete pier blocks don’t have any way to mechanically connect to the wood deck posts.The deck blocks can almost always be handled by one person.It’s important to realize the pier blocks are small and offer the least amount of support most decks require. There are more cons to concrete deck blocks than there are pros. It’s a minimalist approach to supporting a deck. Just as you pull on the cap to expose the pen, you can lift up a deck off the blocks. Concrete lugs on the block act like the sidewalls of a pen cap. A wood deck support post fits down inside the concrete pier block. Precast concrete piers must be set with a crane or backhoe on the job site.Ĭoncrete deck blocks are very crude and resemble the cap you might have on a cheap ballpoint pen. They cannot, however, be simply placed at grade level.ĭeck blocks are not to be confused with real concrete piers that are either precast and weigh hundreds and hundreds of pounds or with piers you cast in place using precut rebar reinforced plastic forms that can easily be placed and handled by the average person. ![]() They must have a sufficient bearing area (the area of the block that sits on the earth) and be a minimum of 12-inches below grade, or below the local frost depth. They’re subject to all of the same requirements as a typical footing, regardless of not being cast-in-place. What are Concrete Deck Blocks?Ī deck block is in many ways just a simplified version of a “precast foundation,” a foundation type recognized by building codes. Perhaps the biggest drawback to concrete deck blocks is their limited potential as you never want to bury them in the ground thus causing potential rot issues with the wooden deck posts. They are just one option for support deck weight and come with certain pros and cons. Their purpose is to spread out the extreme concentrated loads at the bottom of wooden deck posts onto strong soil. what do you expert suggest? Thanks in advance.Concrete deck blocks are primitive building materials that look similar to children’s toys that snap together to build things. ![]() I was wondering instead of pouring new concrete - is it okay - if I clear the dirt off the existing footing and use concrete blocks (available in big box stores) directly on footing and cut post to rest directly on the blocks? Wouldn't it transfer all load to the existing footer in this manner? The height and the way the posts are located - seems like lateral loading may not be issue here. This seems like a major lift - essentially may have to remove all joists to access each post (6 posts total on 30 feet ). I may have to remove at least 3-4 joists (joists are at 12" OC and in some part 8-9 inches) around each posts. I know the proper way to fix this is to use tube and pour concrete on top of the existing footing (and attach using rebar) - but because how the beam and posts are located - there isn't much space available to do this. The beam that runs across the deck - which supports joists from ledger board to the end opposite of it - is about 8 feet from ledger board and 5-6 feet from the end of the deck. Deck is pretty low - beam is 16 inches from ground. I'm planning to replace deck boards with composite and during that process I found this issue. ![]() Even with this, deck is surprisingly stable and other parts of the deck framing is in very good condition. Deck posts are 6X6 treated wood and resting on cement footing - but cement footing is below ground surface (may be around 6-8 inches) and because of that many posts are rotting. Its connected to ledger board on the side of the house. My 30x14 deck is almost 20 years old (located in Philadelphia suburbs).
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