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?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura_lane1d 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.

nathan7751d ago

Reminds me of my buddy's patio last year.