Advice on deck over concrete patio

[Kerry]

Hi, I'm new and completely out of my depth - don't even know the vocabulary to use. I'll try to muddle through the story and would welcome any and all advice.

Long story short: my elderly mom with serious mobility/balance issues moved into a new house with me. There is a 17 inch drop from the back door to a concrete patio. This distance is currently served by 3 steps. Untenable situation for my mom: She would live outdoors if possible, but the worrying is killing me.

Is it fesible to put a raised deck over the concrete slab (and I would actually extend it out into the yard where the level of the ground comes up t0 the house's level.)? Would we have to remove the patio in order to get the supports for the deck in the ground? See, I told you I haven't any clue what I am talking about . . .

I'm assuming going the route of a raised deck would be the cheapest option but the bottom line is we want her to be able to walk out the back door onto a level deck or patio or whatever. Not particularly attached to the idea of a deck over other options.


Thanks for any advice and/or pointing me to sites where I can read up on this.

[Mr T]

Do you expect her to be confined to a wheelchair or permenant use of a walker in the future? If theres no other wheelchair access to the house already, I would consider installing a handicap/wheelchair ramp to your existing porch if it has access to your driveway. You may be able to get financial assistance in building this since it eventually will be required for her to be able to live there.

If they wont pay for it till it's actually needed (the american way), make sure your plans for a deck will accomidate it in the future.

If you still want to buld a deck please provide the dimensions of the current slab and the desired deck size.

[suemarkp]

You can most likely leave the concrete patio in place, especially if the ends of the deck are supported by the house and by concrete filled holes with posts at the other end. The concrete deck will help as a structural element to keep the mid span of the deck joists from sagging or bouncing.

Does the ground away from the house actually rise up to match the house level? Usually, the house is above the dirt perimeter around the house unless it was built in a hole. But however it is, you should be able to build a ramp or flush out the deck to the dirt, whichever its elevation is. The only issue will be how long this has to go to get flush, as a ramp can't be too steep.

I'm thinking about doing the same thing at my house, but only because the concrete patio is cracked and ugly. We can walk out the steps just fine, but it would be easier for the dog who has a ramp out its doggie door down to the patio. Hopefully you have an inch and a half or so between the top concrete step and the door sill. You'll most likely want to lay the decking directly on the top concrete step and this will set the level of the whole deck.