Ghettoriffic floating deck - need material help

Hey yall...

So I had this great idea* for a floating deck to put my grilling stuff and table on out back.
I'd drop some concrete blocks down some holes and level to just above ground, string some plastic pallets across, and then put on some Ikea deck tiles.  

*Made sense to me, but clearly I'm dumb.

*Made sense to me, but clearly I'm dumb.

The pallets are strong enough to support the weight and don't flex.  However, the bottoms of the deck tiles have some texture to them, to allow water to migrate down a slope I suppose, but that causes issues there being some flex in the tile where some of the gaps are.

What would yall suggest to lay on tops of the pallets that just gives me a more ore less smooth surface?  Less expensive is better here.

This will all be covered, but in a storm with lots of wind will get wet.    

Would coroplast work?
Asphalt Fiberboard?
Painted/sealed plywood/OSB?

Anything else?

I know, ghetto isn't the way to go.  But I need to get this project done ASAP.

How about 1/4" Hardie plank?

You can buy it in 4x8 sheets (siding), or 3x5 sheets (tile backer board)

Its very resistant to water, not too expensive, and you've got plenty of support in the pallets.

I don't like your other suggestions. Plywood will rot, fiberboard turns to mush when it gets wet, and coroplast is for making signs

...and cardboard-like aero components for race cars. 

SV reX said:

I don't like your other suggestions. .... and coroplast is for making signs

 

...and cardboard-like aero components for race cars. 

That's the only reason I thought of it.

I actually came across some Hardiboard on CL and thought it would work and meant to include it in the list.   After telling me it was availible, the seller stopped responding.

Sounds like you just need Wonderboard.

Agreed with the hardiboard.  Great stuff.  Over time it might start to show wear.  It's very hard stuff, but it is a fiber product.  It won't wick water, but it's also designed to be fully adhered to a pretty rigid substrate.  I think after many years of stepping on the parts of the pallet with holes, it might flex in those spots and get spongy and you'll be back to square one.  Go look at the stack of Hardie at the store.  There will always be one with a whacked corner and you can see what it does when it's compromised.

It won't last forever, but engineered floor panels (looks like OSB for subflooring) will repel water every bit as long as PT lumber, but it's not perfect.  It will eventually let water in and rot.

The super-expensive idea is to use PVC sheet.  Comes in 4x8 or smaller.  Expensive as heck, but it will last forever.  Get yourself some 1/2" sheets of 4x8 and cut to fit.

1/2" Advantech sheathing available at most box stores.  AdvanTech® Sheathing | Huber Engineered Woods (huberwood.com)

PVC sheet.  Royal Building Products 0.5-in x 48-in x 8-ft PVC Trim Board in the PVC Trim Boards department at Lowes.com

Consensus is 1/4 Hardie Plank should be good?  I can find 12' x 7 1/4" for $8ea

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

That pvc is spendy.   I like the idea though.

In reply to m4ff3w :

I'm not a big fan of the 7 1/4".  Too many joints is too much opportunity for flexing, absorbing water into the edges, etc.  How would you attach it to the pallets?

That 7 1/4" siding is about $1.14 per SF. A 4x8 sheet of the same stuff is $26- $0.81 per SF. 

I was thinking construction adhesive.  I know there isn't a ton of surface area with the gaps though.

Ideally I find the panels, but there is also 5/4" 9.5" for $12ea

In reply to m4ff3w :

Gluing is probably the best you are gonna do, but you've got part of the problem solved if it is a large sheet, instead of a lot of small planks. More joints mean more attachment necessary. 
 

5/4"??  That's a full inch thick. Will that work?

What is the advantage of the pallets?

SV reX said:

In reply to m4ff3w :

Gluing is probably the best you are gonna do, but you've got part of the problem solved if it is a large sheet, instead of a lot of small planks. More joints mean more attachment necessary. 
 

5/4"??  That's a full inch thick. Will that work?

What is the advantage of the pallets?

Yes, the 1" would work.

Well... I guess being penny wise and pound/$ foolish.   I thought I could just drop the deck tiles straight on it, and come out ahead of buying appropriate sized lumber for joists and deck blocks.   But now I'm fully committed to being an idiot.

Just how big of a deck are we talking about?

In reply to VolvoHeretic :

About 250sqft

Craigslist/Market place for someone replacing their wood deck?    Usually free.

In reply to m4ff3w :

I wasn't criticizing, or trying to get you to question yourself or your ideas.  I was asking so I could understand your goals a little better.

If the goal is cheap, Grtechguy is right- found materials are cheapest.

But if the goal is to try to utilize the pallets in a unique way, that would be different.  

For the record, I don't think the pallets define you as being an idiot.  The pallets may offer some value by their nature of being rot proof.  Or other.
 

Help us understand your goals.  I'm sure we can assist exceedingly in the idiocy.

SV reX said:

In reply to m4ff3w :

Gluing is probably the best you are gonna do, but you've got part of the problem solved if it is a large sheet, instead of a lot of small planks. More joints mean more attachment necessary. 
 

5/4"??  That's a full inch thick. Will that work?

What is the advantage of the pallets?

The problem with large sheets is that it won't drain and will pool water. 

In reply to VolvoHeretic :

Depends on how you build it.

In reply to SV reX :

True enough.  How big are the pallets?

I got to thinking about what VH said, and I realized we are going about this all wrong.

The correct answer is that if you want to use Ikea deck tiles, you should check with the manufacturer and see what their recommendations are for the substrate beneath their product.  While I am certain they say nothing about pallets, I wanted to see what they DID say.  Recommended drainage, material of construction, levelness, etc.  Unfortunately, a web search for the installation recommendations led me to very little information, and much of it was conflicting.

Turns out these tiles are really quite expensive.  It reinforces for me that they should be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations so they last.

Most of the info I found was a BUNCH of YouTube videos.  I'm not going to spend several hours watching these videos to try to figure out the recommendations for the substrate, and a large percentage of them were DIY applications over existing finished floors (like concrete or ceramic tile).

I found one place that said they can be installed on dirt, but sand or gravel is better for good drainage.  That was encouraging- maybe you don't need a flat floor at all (which would save money).  Then I found another place that said you can't install them like that, and that a flat floor was necessary.

The product is plastic and interlocks.  That should mean it is rot proof (but might have issues with UV).  

Some places said it shouldn't be installed over plywood.  Others conflicted.

So basically, the only info I found was DIYer opinions.

The right answer is to do a little homework.  Find the actual product you want to install, and read the manufacturer's guides on the substrate.  It might need a sand base, or concrete.  It might need a flat wood floor.  Not sure exactly what is required, but the right answer is to review the recommendations first.  The product is too expensive to risk a crappy substrate and a failed floor.

Part of me thinks the pallets should work.  Do the deck tiles you are using have interlocking edges?  It seems they should bridge over the small gaps in the pallets if they do.

If the deck tiles don't have interlocking edges, maybe the right idea is to look for a different product that does.

What size deck are you going for? 4x8, 8x8, 8x12. I would level off the ground and put the pallets directly on the ground. Screw the pallets together. Fill the pallets with sand to stabilize it. It might be good enough to use like that. 

In reply to clownkiller :

O.P. said 250sf, so about 16'x16'?