Steel Decks

Chris G

I have someone who needs a quote for an all steel, 2 storey deck. Who do I call for something like that? All metal, decking, stairs, rails joists, posts, beams, the whole 9 yards. They have my quote for a wooden deck, but they want to compare it to a metal one. Bugger me if I have any idea of the costs.

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Stone Mountain

Nobody does it Chris. You'd have to go to an engineering company to have one designed, then to a metal fabricating company for a price. There is no way to get a permit for one without a professional design.
At Deck Expo, I saw a new steel system made of galvanized, schedule 40 rectangular pipe, but it is NOT available in Canada, and has not been approved by the OBC. There was also some perforated, powder coated steel decking, which looked very....industrial to me, and a couple of companies making stainless steel rails. Aluminum rails are readily avaialbe here, but steel, see above about fabrication.

I'd pass, after telling the customer at least triple or quadruple the price for wood.

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genecarp

the price will probably bring them back to wood

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John Hyatt

I have two steel Co over here quite willing to do work like that. One on the S side for your basic stuf, delivered on site with one coat of primer is around $165 a sq ft. Now the other guy is really good and knows it, he actually uses a jb weld kind of stuff on every welided joint and sands it down untill the whole thing looks like one piece not delivered,one coat black primer, 4' x 6' made to sit on two protuding I beams 14' in the air,no stairway, $8, 600. John

Chris G

Thanks guys. That confirm my thoughts about price. Thanks for the info Steve, didn't know about that other stuff. Here is what is being rebuilt from the ground up, with stairs, no enclosure. It's a beut if you haven't seen my post about it awhile ago! $$$$? I am searching out the steel as a favour to my client, (the property manager of this building) because the new owners of the building asked her to look at steel as an option, and she hasn't found anyone to give her a quote in over two months of searching. So yeah...that kind of says something there.

Attached Images

 

__________________
"Neek...Neek...yoo-a-moronna Neek. Getta-da-fookin-a-jacka-ham!"

http://www.vicporch.ca
Deck Fence Porch Builder Toronto

Stone Mountain

You really like working on those old wrecks downtown, don't you?

Now that is daylight and I've had some sleep, I've re-thought it. You CAN use steel posts set on top of concrete (Greenpark Homes does it on all their decks), with a steel H-beam as a beam to support your joists. You could also utilize a steel "L" beam as a ledger. You can go to "Metal Supermarkets" on 14th Ave in Markham.
From there, I would guess you could make joists out of metal boxed beams, have steel posts welded into the frame, and then have a custom wrought Iron company make up the railing. (I use Dennis at Dufferin Iron and Rail).
For the floor, as I said earlier, there was a company at Deck Expo selling some metal flooring, but I didn't like it so I didn't take the brochure. Deck Expo.com may be able to tell you who it was.

So, yes, now that I'm thinking about it I suppose it could be done. VERY expensive, and don't even think about not getting it professionally`designed and permitted.
Frankly, I wouldn't waste my time sourcing everything unless I was going to make a very good dollar. This is one estimate I would charge for.

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Chris G

I agree, I'm not going to throw much time at it. Really, all they need to hear is the price and the issue will be settled. It's a rental property. There is no reason for steel. They could rebuild with wood every 20 years from scratch and still be ahead of the game. Unfortunately I don't have access to the owners of the property, only the property manager, and she doesn't have the knowledge base to convince them steel is not going work for the budget. I can't ask someone to spend a day doing an estimate knowing it's a lost cause. Heck, I'm willing to pay a fabricator $100 just to get on the phone with them and say "Oh about $50,000".

Hmmm...maybe I should push for a meeting with the owners. The property manager said they wanted to know if I am using nails or screws, and some other innocent questions. So yeah...maybe I need to assert more control here. Just don't want to step on toes.

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"Neek...Neek...yoo-a-moronna Neek. Getta-da-fookin-a-jacka-ham!"

http://www.vicporch.ca
Deck Fence Porch Builder Toronto

John Hyatt

O Man!! the picture dident come up before I remember that Job....Chris I am thinking a Steel frame on that thing woudent be a bad idea

Two steel I beams set on top of the needed pier,bolted down with comerical stuff,steel ledgers, steel going from the beams to the ledgers on two sides of all three levals. From that point bolt pt lumber.Same thing with the rail system after you had the little girl in the air it would be basic Carpenter Stuff.

The bad assss Mac has gone up that far with pt posts so it can be done but I am thinking for a place like that steel might just be about the same money even if you had to get the union involved for the metal work. A Crain would probley have to be used anyway and the Permit store would love the steel stuff.
J.

mmike032

i dont see anything wrong w/ that deck. just needs a little paint

BuiltByMAC

Chris, I've got no personal experience with this company but check out their website. http://xccentdecking.com/

Might even be a bid you can work up yourself and still keep the job, no matter whether they choose metal or wood.

Definitely keep posting progress pics if you get this job! Now that's what I'm talking about - one tall sumbitch! Demo's gonna be interesting if you've got a small crash site!

Mac