Look! Temporary Deck on the Sidewalk

Along Chicago Avenue, outside French/Mexican restaurant Mexique, we spotted this temporary deck constructed on top of the sidewalk from wooden deck tiles. We immediately thought it would be a great solution for anyone with an ugly paved backyard area that they're seeking to transform on a budget...

We've seen deck tiles like these for sale at Costco and other big box stores. It looks like the restaurant owners leveled the sidewalk and allowed for drainage by building a wooden "raft" underneath and laying interlocking deck tiles on top. They built a wooden lip around the edge of the deck, then used concrete blocks as anchors for wooden fence posts and a wraparound rail. Window boxes decorate the edges of the rail, holding plants and flowers.

We found a few resources for more information:
• Top 10: Wood Deck Tiles from Apartment Therapy
• Exterior Deck Tile System from DIY Network
• Building a Ground Level Deck from Home Depot

Has anyone completed a similar project at home? Share your advice and tips in the comments.

Comments (5)

The tiles look great. But I always wondered how budget friendly they really are. I mean, you figure you need atleast 20 of them for a space, depending on the size of the tile and of the space and even if they are 10$ a piece, that's 200$! Very pretty, but it always depends on what the definition of budget is.

Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net

posted by grafxnerd on July 6th 2009 at 5:46pm
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I'm with Laura.....it would really depend on the budget. This isn't a thrifty fix, but a great looking one.

posted by baileyb on July 6th 2009 at 7:13pm
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I found a box of 6 for $15 at a discount store they were 1' x 1' cedar tiles. They really add a lot to our small concrete slab, and they smell good too.

posted by KCH on July 6th 2009 at 10:53pm
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We built our own. We laid two boards as support across the bottom, then screwed boards perpendicular to the supports. You can make them any size you want then.

posted by marid22 on July 7th 2009 at 9:39am
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I've considered putting some down over my concrete slab back porch, but it's low on my list of decorating priorities. That, and I can't decide if I just want to paint it.

posted by Brandyjane on July 7th 2009 at 10:50am
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