My neighbor just told me my DIY deck footings are a ticking time bomb

I was showing off my new deck frame last weekend when my neighbor, who's a retired contractor, asked how deep I dug the footings. I said 'about a foot and a half' and he just went pale. He said in our area, with the freeze-thaw cycle, code is 42 inches minimum or the whole thing will heave. I used 12 bags of concrete mix on posts that are basically sitting on top of the ground. Has anyone had to retrofit footings on a half-built deck before, or is this a total tear-down situation?

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3 Comments

laura_lane6mo ago

Well, at least your deck will make a great temporary ice sculpture this winter. Twelve bags of concrete for a frost heave decoration is a bold choice. Maybe you can just rent it out as a tilt-a-whirl ride come spring.

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nathan7756mo ago

Reminds me of my buddy's patio last year.

4

gibson.seth5mo ago

Wait, twelve bags of concrete? That's insane for a deck. No wonder it's gonna heave like crazy.

2