Question on deck build sitting on ground

[2manyrocks]

Could you post pictures of what that area looks like now that you've removed the decks? Would like to see both the back of the house and the side where the chimney is located, please.

 

[Sigarms]

I'd just lose those stairs, they look too steep to keep and you don't seem to have another place for them. In addition they eat alot of deck space below.

You talk about a fire exit, good thinking but may I present another possibility of foster children sneaking out the deck entrance?

Sorry, those stairs were put on in 2007. Our last boy is shipping out in 2 weeks to Texas and we will be empty nesters. Fostering is no longer in the picture.

 

[Sigarms]

Could you post pictures of what that area looks like now that you've removed the decks? Would like to see both the back of the house and the side where the chimney is located, please.

Only one I have that I took coming back from mowing over the weekend.

Below however is what used to be there. The gameplan is for those stairs to come onto the concrete now. To extend it our further left would mean that one tree would go which my wife prefers to keep. We also have the added cost of lumber of trying to incorporate both upper levels off the stairs to the left.

 

[EddieWalker]

Lose the stairs to the top deck.

If you want a fire escape, I think that a shelving unit against the wall, that you could climb down, would work. Make it kind of like a ladder against the wall so it's solid, but make it nice so you can display some stuff on it.

 

[2manyrocks]

IDK, hard situation with all those doors and windows on three floors. FWIW, I think your deck to grade stairs need to stay in the same area as before in order to maximize your unobstructed second floor deck space.

As for the third floor deck, my thought is to either scale it back to a balcony or delete it entirely. If you go with a balcony, you'd likely end up with a support post that eats into your second floor deck space. Not sure what to do with the third floor door if you delete the deck/balcony. Wouldn't want someone to open the door and there be nothing there for them to step onto (no third floor deck and no balcony). If you replace the door with a window, then there goes your means of egress in the event of fire. Looks like the way your joists run there isn't any way of cantilevering the balcony without having to use any support posts?

 

[civilian]

If I am seeing your old stairs correctly, reorient them. In your picture facing the decks, from the third floor, have the stairs go towards the chimney to a landing connected to the second floor deck, then turn 180 degrees and come back away from the chimney to ground level. Basically use 2 sets of stairs from third floor to the ground with the second floor deck as the required landing. Jon

 

[2manyrocks]

If your code requires an external stairway to the third floor, it's cheaper to do it this time than to have to tear it out and redo it later.

 

[2manyrocks]

This morning's thought is to perhaps look at the stair designs on some of the beach front homes that have pretty crazy decks and stairs. You might see something you like.

Keeping all of the stairs to the chimney side will free up useable deck space and not block any of the views from the windows.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Trex. Just something simple ,landing & steps.

 

[2manyrocks]

Fireman's pole, cargo net, inflatable bouncy thingy, zip line, knotted rope, paraglider, huge box stuffed with styrofoam peanuts