# Forum Home Renovation Decking  The Floating Foundation Deck System in Australia????

## CADMAN-13

I saw these online today and thought they would be a good solution for a small temporary deck I have in mind.   DECKPLANS.com | Home 
Can they be purchased in Australia? 
Has anyone used them?

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## ford351

> I saw these online today and thought they would be a good solution for a small temporary deck I have in mind.   DECKPLANS.com | Home 
> Can they be purchased in Australia? 
> Has anyone used them?

   
I found a site today which has the same product .  Handi-Blocks - Evolve 
and they are in Australia

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## Bloss

If the need is to create a deck on a level area low or on the ground then nothing more special than some concrete blocks, pads or bricks are needed - or no masonry at all - simply use H4 or H5 treated timber as bearers directly on the ground. Not much gained by having the molded slots other than a little easier - levelling and squaring still has to be done and once the bearers and joists are fixed to each other it ain't gunna move far.

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## Gaza

just a bad idea,  
dig a hole fill it with redimix and bolt a bracket on then bolt your beares off this, 
total waste of money building a deck with blocks, waste of timber be better off using timber pallets

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## stevoh741

agree with Bloss on this one. Save the extra cash for beers on the finished deck, not gimmicky supports

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## johnstonfencing

I'm pretty sure that I have seen these in a recent bunnings catalogue!

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## Gaza

> I'm pretty sure that I have seen these in a recent bunnings catalogue!

  
funny u say that i throught i saw a pallet of them there today

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## westwj

> funny u say that i throught i saw a pallet of them there today

  Yes Bunnings are selling them
I was considering using them for a fairly small deck extension instead of digging concrete footings.
My existing deck is built on brick piers without concrete footings and hasn't moved in 15 years.
I rang one of the bosses at Evo-crete and he insisted they could be used instead of concrete footings.
Still, I'm feeling a little nervous. Any thoughts?

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## Bloss

> Yes Bunnings are selling them
> I was considering using them for a fairly small deck extension instead of digging concrete footings. My existing deck is built on brick piers without concrete footings and hasn't moved in 15 years.
> I rang one of the bosses at Evo-crete and he insisted they could be used instead of concrete footings.
> Still, I'm feeling a little nervous. Any thoughts?

  mmm - what is it about the other posts above that doesn't answer your questions? Or for that matter your own evidence underlined.  :Confused:  they simply don't add any real value.

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## westwj

> mmm - what is it about the other posts above that doesn't answer your questions? Or for that matter your own evidence underlined.  they simply don't add any real value.

  Sorry, I probably didn't give enough detail. I understand that if you are building a temporary deck low or on the ground you wouldn't bother with the handi blocks.
In my case I am building a permanent extension - 4.2 metres wide and 2.4 metres long - to an existing attached deck. It will be around 700mm off the ground. The existing deck has been fine with brick piers, but the old brickie who did the piers is no longer around. A local council building surveyor suggested footings with 400mm holes, but that would mean 30 bags of concrete and setting up stirrups - a big job, especially if it is unnecessary. The handi blocks are the same dimensions at the base as the existing piers - 250mm x 250mm - but the brick piers are much taller -- 500mm compared with 140mm. I thought that maybe the extra size and weight of the piers was the reason they worked so well with the existing deck and that the blocks, fitted with posts and bearers, might not be as stable.

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## Gaza

> Sorry, I probably didn't give enough detail. I understand that if you are building a temporary deck low or on the ground you wouldn't bother with the handi blocks.
> In my case I am building a permanent extension - 4.2 metres wide and 2.4 metres long - to an existing attached deck. It will be around 700mm off the ground. The existing deck has been fine with brick piers, but the old brickie who did the piers is no longer around. A local council building surveyor suggested footings with 400mm holes, but that would mean 30 bags of concrete and setting up stirrups - a big job, especially if it is unnecessary. The handi blocks are the same dimensions at the base as the existing piers - 250mm x 250mm - but the brick piers are much taller -- 500mm compared with 140mm. I thought that maybe the extra size and weight of the piers was the reason they worked so well with the existing deck and that the blocks, fitted with posts and bearers, might not be as stable.

  just how does these lego blocks stop you require a footing? 
how does it stop the deck framing from lifting off 
how does it comply with AS for up lift

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## westwj

> just how does these lego blocks stop you require a footing? 
> how does it stop the deck framing from lifting off 
> how does it comply with AS for up lift

  That sounds like a very good point. Not worth the risk. Think I'll look around for a new brickie.
Many thanks.

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