On Wed, 6 Jan 2021 10:40:27 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 1/6/2021 9:45 AM, Ethan Brown wrote:
First time poster and not a builder. Just wondering if the below is
possible:

I want to deck over our front porch (~1m x 4m). The porch is currently
tiled over a concrete slab. I was thinking of laying joists over the top
and then decking on top of that; however, I was wondering if you can lay
joists down so they aren’t as tall? I understand that this will make the
deck less stable in a normal circumstance, but will this be the same as
the concrete slab is already there? If I have the joists standing
upright then it will be too tall for our entry way.
Thoughts?


You can but you may regret your decision down the road. Sealing.
staining, whatever, wood deteriorates over time

Wood is more maintenance than tile or stone that is easily washed off.
You are going to have a couple of inches of space between decking and
the base. Rodents and insects like places like that. Of course, it you
are raising rats for research labs it is a great place for them to nest.
My deck-over is trex and is virtually totally maintenance free - and
not as slippery or "hard" as concrete, or worse yet - tile.