Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Deck designs for homes with walkout basements

We're in the process of building a house that will need a deck off the kitchen which is directly above the walkout basement. We would like to design the deck so that the basement is shadowed as little as possible by the deck structure.

I was thinking there may be some translucent or light-permeable decking material or design techniques that allow for maximum light penetration to the underdeck area.

Another option may be to design the deck away from the house and bridge it back creating a light entry or to build large opennings in the deck for light to pass through.

If anyone has seen a good solution for allowing natural light through a second story deck to the area below please forward it on to me.

Thx

Charlie,
This question has come up in here before, with a lot of discussion about the subject.
Basically, the consensus was that there doesn't seem to be any translucent decking material available as you described, and the only way to deal with it is with design features such as you mentioned, and also possibly with under-deck lighting.
Maybe someone in here now can come up with more than we were all able to last year.
Good Luck!
Mike

Thanks Mike. I'm not too surprised that this is an ongoing problem.

Do you remember any URLs from previous discussions that displayed any designs or photos of decks that tried to address this issue? Anything that leads me to a workable design would be appreciated.

Also, I'm thinking of incorporating a spiral staircase kit into the deck design. If you or anyone else has seen this done or has experience with installing or specing metal spirals on decks please talk to me so I can avoid making first timer mistakes.

Thx

Sorry, Charlie.
I can't help you with either one.
Spiral staircase manufacturers should be able to help you with installation instructions, however.
Take a look at http://www.stairwaysinc.com or call 1-800-231-0793.
This isn't an endorsement, because I am not personally familier with that company or their products. Just an info source.
It's from an ad in Reader's Digest "The Family Handyman" magazine.
Good luck!
Mike

Thanks again. I'll take a look and if I learn anything I'll share it.

We had the same issue on our home. When I first built the deck I desinged a hole in the center of the deck, surrounded by a bench. Looked cool on paper, but really ended up being a large eyesore.

After a few years I removed the benches and framed the hole for 16"x16"x1/2" polycarbonate "windows". This looks great, and lets light down below.

There are two drawbacks:
1) 1/2" polycarbonate is very expensive.
2) Polycarbonate is slippery when wet, don't do this near any stairs, etc.

I never checked building codes to see if this was legal, but an inspector has been by for other work since, and was impressed with the idea.

Thx Mike.

Is Polycarbon another name for very thick plastic, like that used in banks to protect tellers (bullet proof)?

Aslo, where did you buy from and what did you pay per/sq.ft.
Is the material easily tooled with conventional woodworking tools or was each piece cut to size by the dealer?

Does the material scratch easily? How long have you had it in place and how does it look?

Chuck

You can use carbide tipped saw blades and normal drill bits to work it. It is like the bullet proof plastic. Much stronger than acrylic. The last time I bought a 4x8x1/4" sheet it was around 100.00. We use it to protect window glass in the facility I work. Check your yellow pages for plastics suppliers. Half inch may be a special order item, I have never had to purchase that thickness before. It will scratch very easily if there is anything sharp or abrasives are used to clean it.

Thx. I'll see what I can find in the Detroit area for plastics. I'm familiar with AIN and Cadillac plastics if anyone knows others that deal directly with the public please fwd.

I live in the Detroit area as well. I bought the Polycarbonate ("bullet proof glass") at Soltis Plastics in White Lake Township, but I'm sure it is widely available. Polycarbonate is much harder than standard acrylic, and less likely to scratch. Be careful, most of the plexiglass you see in stores is acrylic, not polycarbonate. When pricing make sure you are getting figures for the right material.

I've had the polycarbonate installed for about 2 years now. It gets lots of traffic, including my 2 boys (11 and 12) and their friends who enjoy jumping on it (oh, the thrill). They skateboard on the deck as well, and the polycarbonate is holding up well. It does scratch, but all in all, a nice effect. I wish I had done it in the first place.

Thx Mike.

Soltis Plastics ghave me a quaoted price of $385.28/4' x 8' x 1/2". This is definitely not cheap. I'm having them send me the engineering specs so I can determine span strengths of the material.

If there's any engineers out there that can give me some pointers on how to calculate span strength or what spec to look at in determining span integrity/capability of a sheet material I'm all ears.

Thx Mike.

Soltis Plastics ghave me a quaoted price of $385.28/4' x 8' x 1/2". This is definitely not cheap. I'm having them send me the engineering specs so I can determine span strengths of the material.

If there's any engineers out there that can give me some pointers on how to calculate span strength or what spec to look at in determining span integrity/capability of a sheet material I'm all ears.

Charlie,
The folks at Soltis can answer your engineering questions. I deal with them often, and they manufacture at the facility as well. Just get past the clerk answering the phone and I'm sure someone can help you out.

FYI, I'm certain I could have used 3/8" rather than the 1/2", but I have a tendency to "over build". I'm sure using the 3/8" would save some cash.

Have fun!

Hi Mike,

I forgot to ask you for the material you installed, what the largest piece of polycarbonate. How did you decide on the size.

I'd like to use the largest piece with the least amount of structure supporting/obstructing while still being safe.

By the way, did you consider tempered glass for this application? It's about half the price/ft @ 1/2" thick and it doesn't scatch as easily. Of course you have to order it to size and it can't be tooled, and it's heavy. But otherwise... :)

Thx,
Charlie