Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
Water and dirt are going to get under there anyway, so do the 2) 2 x 6's or 2 x 8's. Less warp and cupping not to mention better traction.
And you can use concrete or masonry if you place a barrier against the band board. One of the best I've seen is a thin piece of copper backed with bituthane.
I agree that the use of Trex or other composites is the better way to go if you use wood like construction.
Furthermore, Webb is right, something on the order of 24" would be a lot more comfortable for users. If you watch people enter and exit a doorway that has a track or high threshold, they tend to step over it.
At least that's been my observation in over 25 years of installing doors.
About the code: sliders are exempt, but any swinging door must have a step or landing no more than 1" below the finish inside floor. For sliders it is permissible to have the step down as much as 8" providing the stepping distance is equal from the step to grade. So, if it's 15" from the inside floor to grade, your step shall be 7 1/2". This is according to the UBC, the western US code.
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I would like to make it 24" but it's not possible. 15 is about the most I can get away with. I'll probably go with 2 2x6s and a 2x4 and leave some space near the concrete deck for air circulation so it can dry out. It should be OK if I use pressure treated wood. I don't want it to look like a deck, but it looks like I don't have a lot of choice.
The county engineer already said an emphatic no to pouring a concrete step against the wood.
If I understand you about the 1" step, every exterior door in my house and a couple of interior doors violate the code. Two new doors installed this summer (7" and 4" steps) passed inspection in August.