Decks.com / Public Forum / Ask The Deck Experts

Close to Round Deck

cmf — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:43:00 GMT

Hi All.

New homeowner here with little experience. I have a contractor framing out a deck for me. Its a basic 16 x 18 shape and the elevation at the house is only about 12''.

The footers are laid out in a 3 x 3 grid, 8'' in diameter. The space between each footer is about 7'. Due to low elevation, he is not using posts. Instead, he brought the concrete out level and is running 4 x 4 PT beams over top of each footing. The beams are tied in with a bracket. He is using 2 x 8'' floor joists with hangers on the ledger board.

From a support perspective, are 4 x 4s enough to support this size deck? Given the elevation he could not use 6 x 6s, but should he have used 4 x 6s?

Thanks.

Post Footing ?

jm1389 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:41:39 GMT

Hello all,

I am going to be building a deck off my back porch here in central PA. The deck will be 16 X 16 with one end being 16" off the ground while the other end will be about 6ft off the ground. This will make the entire deck level with my existing back porch which is a 6 - 7 inch concrete slab. The issue is that the concrete slab for the porch has approx. 1 - 2 inches of overhang over the brick work of the house. So I will not be able to have a ledger board and will have a freestanding deck.

My plan was to use 9 6X6 posts .60 pressure treated and just sink them in the ground about 4ft and back fill with concrete. My beams will be doubled 2X10s (3 rows) with 2X10 joists.

Will I be able to get enough support from this or is there another way I should do it. I have been reading many things on this site and I am hesitant about the pouring of a footer and attaching a post to it with bolts. I have read that this method does not provide much support for side to side movement. I would prefer that this thing doesn't move at all in either direction.

Thanks in advance for any insight you may be able to provide.

beam size vs.joyce

dayslug24 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:49:45 GMT

Howdy - Building a 10x10' deck, 2 6x6 posts with drop beam 8' from ledger then a 2' cantilever, which will be mitered @45 for the "nipped edges" look.
I'm using 2x8 for the joyce's which attach to ledger, then will rest on beam made of 2-2x10 sandwiched.
My question is will it matter if I use 2x10 for the beam instead of 2x8 (which is the joyce size?) According to the "rules" I can use 2x8 beam for that length of run, but I want to overbuild it a little.

low grade deck without footers

michcerrie — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:08:25 GMT

is it permissible to build a deck with the framework laying on the ground?

Deck on top of retaining wall

challenged — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:38:07 GMT

We have a 12 foot high retaining wall that makes a semi circle off the back of our house (walk out basement). we built the wall so that we can access a sitting area from the first floor and this Spring I am planning to build a deck on the area enclosed by the wall. Since the fill in this area (has settled for 3 years) is 12 foot deep and likely will still continue to settle for years, digging footings does not make sense.... My current plan is to buy the square deck blocks that accept standard 2 x 10's (etc.) and run these from a header attached to house.

1) has anyone ever built a deck on top of a retaining wall ?.
2) What are some techniques for the foottings that were used ?.
3) Should the header be attached to the house permenantly ( lag screws ) or just enough to fix the deck from moving away to allow freeze thaw in winter ?.

In Chicago and looking for some advice - thanks

Tieing new deck to old deck

617sjweab — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:34:30 GMT

I have a small lot with a considerable hill in the back and I'm considering different ways to landscape that hill so the space is most usable (its beachfront) with a seawall . I will eventually have to hire an expert, but I am trying to get myself educated first. A topo is attached which shows the elevations. I have an existing deck (yr 2000 new construction) that only leaves a couple feet to walk behind because of the steep hill. I want to make more room to walk there. A wall would work, but a deck built on the hill is difficult to mate with top of the hill. So I was thinking I could build on the hill and tie it to the existing deck. The posts for the existing deck (6x6, 4 total) are as close to the edge of the hill as you can go. The picture shows the old house, new house and deck (dark lines) and proposed new deck (dotted lines) for discussion.

I would like to use the existing 6x6's to support the beam for the new deck. The beam would be at ground level (the exsting deck is about 6'). I could add 3 more posts between the existing ones to minimize the load on the existing ones, but then I might as well just not tie into the old one at all. Either way these new holes must be dug under the existing deck. I can also ask the builders opinion, he is still around.

Does this make sense? Besides the obious ask a pro and dont tie into the old deck, I would be interested in your expert insights. THanks alot.
PS> There are other issues to deal with here: the hill, high winds, stairs but dealing with the top of this hill most cost effectively, functionally, and ascetically is were I am stuck. Thanks

Covering a deck

Keaster — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:27:43 GMT

I want to put a roof over a deck that is 24'x15' I want to know if a 2x6x16 would be strong enough for that span, or should I use a 2x8x16?

thanks!

static-electricity

ack — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:25:12 GMT

what can be done about a consistent shocking problem. When walking on the deck and then touching the door, or even the house siding you get a shock. This is a pvc deck.

ack

sealer problems, looks terrible

sandynoitall11 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:08:24 GMT

my husband washed our 2 year old deck with vingar and water wash in the morning and in the evening a deck sealer was put on by sprayer. the problem is that it froze at night that evening and in the morning the deck had spots on it and now that its been a week, it looks terrible with a white film on it and the white film feels sticky and spotty. what can he do now?

porch column connection to deck/structure below

ashbldr — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:49:33 GMT

Hey you all.

I'm building a deck with a covered porch above that will not allow for column post to carry through to the structure above. Our only means to attached the porch structure column is by resting it on the deck itself above the column and other framing members resting on that column below. I'm not real crazy about attaching the above column to the deck itself, and a bit concerned as to how it will look as well as the stability of the railing system attached to it. Any thoughts as to a better attachment method. Thanks

how to avoid 8' deep deck footing adjacent to foundation wall

sobe_living — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:56:27 GMT

I am building a 24" high 4" wide 7' long raised walkway from the side door of my house to the rear deck. I think I can attach one side to the concrete stoop, but how do I place foundation posts for the other side? Because of bumpouts, brick fascia, and other reasons, I can't do a ledger. Local code requires deck footers within 5" of the house to go down to the foundation footer, which is like 8 ' down. furthermore, since the walkway will hug the wall, even if I did do an 18" round footer right next to the wall, the beam span would be only like 2-1\2 feet wide. I really don't think going 8' deep right against the foundation is a good idea, even if there is no drain tile next to the foundation footer.

SInce the main deck is freestanding with an overhang, I can't attach the walkway to it. Nay ideas?

Cantalevering a porch with steel beams

MICHASII — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:47:13 GMT

Hi,
I have a little delema, my well infringes in my deck/porch layout. ( 30' from edge of well is required here) At the worst point it is 8'7" to close, My question is can I use aluminum I-beams to cantalever the base out that far, also if I can't can I go that far with laminated beams from the base if I build a return gusset at a angle.( This would add vertical support) My porch at that point is only about 18" off the ground.
Any help would be great.

Mike

Building a roof over an existing deck

Teamhair — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:02:50 GMT

About 4 years ago my husband and I built a floating deck on our house. We now want to add a roof over the deck. I know that we shouldn't build the roof directly on the deck itself but seem to have difficulty finding information on how to build "around" the deck to put a roof over it.
Our deck is 12'X30' and we only want to cover about half of it with a roof. We live in NC and do receive some snow (typically not more than 2"-4" at a time though).
Any help or suggestions on how to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated.

Looking for basic pricing!!

TP3 — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:31:45 GMT

I'm looking for a basic sqft. price on installing treated lumber or Timbertech. It seems like my prices are a little low, and I want to make sure that I'm not hosing myself to bad.

I'm roughlly at $17.00 for wood and $27.00 for Timbertech. That's installed with everything on a basic design. I'm in northeast OHIO.

Thanks Todd

I dont Understand Beam Span charts ?

Mabjr — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:09:59 GMT

The deck is 18x20, its going to connect to my brick house on the 18 and the breezeway and garage on the 20. I have been looking for information on the beam sizing and post spacing. How many beams are required ?,What size of beams ?, How far apart ?,What size of joist system I should go with ?
I want to install composite decking.
Thanks,
Mabjr

Adding a Shed Roof over front porch??

theuscfan04 — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:52:20 GMT

I just finished the platform for my new front porch (30' x 6') and am now trying to figure how to attach the roof of the porch to the roof of my house. I know I need to attach a ledger board where the fascia board is but my concern is how to attach the beams to the roof of my house and how far up do I go? Should I use 2x4's or 2x6's for the beams? I was thinking of attaching a 2x4 long ways across the roof of my house and angle cutting the 2x4 or 2x6's and attaching them to the board across the roof, does that sound right? Picture attachments below (1st house is mine (tan) and the 2nd is what the porch roof should look like when done).

pergola

fischer — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:27:02 GMT

We have an existing 12x30 deck that is blazing in the summer. There isn't any shade from trees and faces west. We considered putting on a gabled roof but feel that it is cost prohibitive. I have been looking at some pergolas and feel that this may be more cost effective and will accomplish the objective of giving us relief from the hot summer sun.

Can a 12x30 pergola be built on the deck or do we need to run our support beams down into the ground. The deck is off the second story and is supported by 4-4x4's and 2-2x10's running between the 4x4's on one side and is attached to the house on the house side.

Lastly, what kind of spacing is recommended for the 2x6's that support the upper slats.

Thanks for the help

T&G decking

brianm — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:12:04 GMT

I am in the process of designing a deck for my house and would like to use 2X6 T&G treated decking. Is this a good idea?

deck bounce repair

gcan — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:23:41 GMT

the deck on my house is 14'x30' and has 2x6 joist running with the back of the house with 4x6 post spaced 6'-6" between the first two and the other two spaced at 8', and has 5/4 decking. This winter we also had a roof put on to block the sun. It appears they built the deck in sections.

My problem is the two sections with the post spaced 8' has a bad bounce. I am going to add a double 2x10 girder to cut the spacing to 4' where it is currently spaced 8'.
Sound okay?

by the way how in the world do I get the new double 2x10's on top of the new 6x6 post under the existing deck that is 30" off the ground?

I am a avid DIY'er but now sure I am expert enough to notch the 6x6's tight enough to actually have the impact I am looking for, is there a better way?

Advice?

Thanks in advance
Greg

Rehabbing an old deck

DennisC — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:35:50 GMT

We're rehabbing a 20+ year old deck on a house in Northern Arizona. Very hot in summer; often subfreezing in winter. The original deck was nailed doug fir and a constant headache with popping nails and splitting planks. We hope the original substructure can be redecked; its very heavily built but the 4x8 joists are on 24" ctrs. The original deck was 25 x 40 feet, we're reducing it's size to about 10 x 40 ft.

We'd appreciate help with following questions:
1. Are there any composite plank systems that will stand up to the AZ sun better than wood, not make the deck a hot griddle, and can be installed on 24" ctr joists?
2. Are concealed fasteners practical when much of the deck has limited access from beneath?
3. If we stick with douglas fir, is "select" the proper grade?
4. Though rot isn't an issue, is there any advantage to treated wood regarding checking or spliiting?
5. If we stick with 2x6 fir and conventional top-screwing, what's the most effective screw type and material?

Thanks

Frost heave problems using precast deck blocks.

JJDionne — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:32:59 GMT

I had a new house built last summer with an attached two level deck and the deck has heaved a bit over the winter causing the rails to push up against the siding. Both levels of the deck are 10' x 20' with 3 support posts for each level. The deck is attached to the house on a ledger, however the support post were built on precast deck blocks that were sunk just below ground level. I live in New Brunswick, Canada (just across the border from Maine) which is a Zone 5 for cold/frost, so, I assume that my contractor should have dug holes and poured concrete footings, correct? But I guess we're a little too late for that now.

I've attached a picture of our deck for viewing purposes.

Therefore, what can I do to correct this problem so that repeated heaving doesn't happen every year and cause damage to my deck and house? Is there anything I can do to improve the existing footings (digging around/under and pouring concrete around it), or will I have to insert new ones?

Thanks!!!!

Joist and Girders

Toby_Munk — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:20:59 GMT

Beginners question:
I am planing to build a deck this spring. For code reasons I am looking to build it as close to the ground as possible as we have 30" max heights before one needs a building permit.
My site is sloped so I will need to build 3 steps.

To keep the height as low as possible I am planing to use double 2x10 girders and hang the 2x6 joists between them instead of having the joist sitting on top of the girders.

Is that a viable strategy or am I overlooking something?
This would save me 6" in height.

Florida builder question

TP3 — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:48:32 GMT

What is the basic pricing right now in Florida for rebuilding a dock and other decks on a job sight. I have a friend getting quotes down there and he wants to make sure he's not getting hosed. I told him with the timbertech XLM product it would be about 35.00 a sqft. He said all together it's about 5000 sqft of area.

Attaching 6x6's to an established deck for sun shade

Toe-mas — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:45:35 GMT

Hi Everyone.
I have a deck laready on my house. I was interested in attaching a sun shade (see link below which will show the pictures of the shades).
http://www.backyardcity.com/Shade-Sails-Coolaroo.htm
I have 3 extra 6x6 posts which I was planning on using. My deck already has 3 6x6 cedar posts to hold up the deck.
Is there any way I can attack the extra posts to the deck and have the new posts be sturdy enough to hold up the shade.
Thank you. Please keep in mind I am a DIY'er and have limited knowledge of the lingo.
Thom

Newbie Homeowner needs help

Novakim — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:03:52 GMT

Hello,
Great resource here and I've enjoyed the posts so far.
I am hoping to add an elevated deck similar to plan # 1L002 to my house. There is no existing deck where this would go and the ground level will be my current concrete patio. Will I be able to put footings into the concrete patio or does this project require a much more involved process of tearing up the patio? I live in Glendale California and was hoping to get an idea of what I could expect to pay to have this project completed from A-Z. Also, how detailed are the designs available for sale on this site and are they suitable to use as a master plan for the builders? thanks in advance for any help!!!

john

angled deck stairway

tartoes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:26:42 GMT

hi, I am building a stair way with a 20 deg angle to conform with the side of the house. I am trying to determine the method of support needed at the angle. I am using a rise of 7" and a run of 11". How much wider will be step be at the angle? should I make a small landing at the angle? Any ideas??
Thanks
Tartoes

Replacing rim joist and sill plate behind ledger board

Tommyt — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:28:53 GMT

I have a 36 foot by 12 foot deck attached to my house by a ledger board 2x8. The ledger is 36 feet long (in sections). When it was installed they did not install flashing and now the house rim joist and sill plate are rotting. They need replacing. Below is my tentative plan for replacement. I'm looking for comments and I have a few questions. I have access to the rim joist /floor joist area inside the house since it is in the basement.

I plan on replacing the rotted stuff in sections by supporting the deck joists and the house floor joists with floor jacks. Then after removing some decking and deck joist hangers I plan on trimming 1 1/2 inches off of the deck joists where they would attach to the ledger board so I can get the ledger board, rim joist and sill plate out. Then we can replace the sill plate and rim joist. After that I was planning on making up a ledger out of two 2x8 s. Assuming I can do what I have said so far I have a few questions.

1) How many 1/2 inch lags do I need to bolt on the ledger? In addition, do the lags have to be lined up so they go through the rim joist and into the floor joists of the house or do they only have to go into the rim joist? Do I have to use the deck lok brackets?
2) I am going to use Grace deck protector for flashing. Is this good stuff?
3) So far I'm planning on using all stainless steel fasteners and hangers when I put things back together.
4) I'm planning on using all pressure treated lumber.
5) The current ledger is positioned such that the bottom 1 1/2 inch overlaps directly with the sill plate. When I reattach the new lumber can I lag bolt through the ledger into the sill plate or is this bad?

Deck repair/ Rotted sill plate and rim joist

Tommyt — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:03:54 GMT

I have a deck that is approx. 36 feet long by 12 feet deep. It is elevated 2-3 feet off the ground. The 36 foot span is attached to the house rim joist with a ledger board 2x8. When the deck was installed years ago (I only recently bought the house) no flashing was installed. Now large sections of the sill plate and the house rim joist (behind the ledger) are rotted right through. The rest of the deck is in pretty good shape. Only the house rim joist and sill plate are shot.

I was hoping to replace the rotting sections by first supporting the floor joists of the house and the deck joists appropriately. Then I was planning on taking out the rotted components. In order to do this I was planning on removing some of the decking, cutting the deck joists back 1 1/2 inch so I can pry out the old ledger board the house rim joist and then the sill plate. I am planning on doing it in sections and not all at once. After all that is removed we will put a new sill plate in and then put in the new rim joist. Then I was thinking of using two 2x8 to make the new ledger (double ledger?) since I have to trim 1 1/2 inch of the deck joists. After that we will replace the joist hangers and replace some decking. Assuming this is OK I have some questions.
1) When I attach the new ledger to the rim joist I was planning on using 1/2 inch lags. Do the lags have to go through the rim joist and into the house floor joists that are located behind the rim joist? Do I have to do anything else to guard against rim joist pull out like deck lok brackets? How many lags do I have to put in?
2) I'm planning on using Grace deck protector to flash. I assume this is good stuff.

3) the way the ledger board is set up, the bottom portion (1 1/2 inch) of the ledger overlaps exactly with the sill plate. Can I anchor into the sill plate with lags?

I have access to the interior house area behind the deck since it is in the basement

If anyone has any comment please post back.

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pressure washing marks

Jtru — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:03:27 GMT

What do I do? Should I just sand or use the pressure washer again?

old deck restoration

dasisme — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:34:15 GMT

Help!! We have an eighteen year old wolmanized deck in desperate need of an update. The wood is solid but gray and cracked on horizontal surfaces. We are planning to stain it using opaque stain - do we use oil or water based?? What steps do we take to get the longest life of the new finish?? The deck is 94 feet long and nine feet up in the air (walkout basement). The entire deck has railing with wolmanized ballusters and a six inch top rail. There is one set of stairs. It has an eastern exposure, and we live in Michigan.

Thanks, Deb

can I build a deck on top of a concrete patio???

tiger9919 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:23:30 GMT

I have a concrete patio in the back of my house that runs along the foundation and extends about 6 feet out from the house. Can a deck be built on top of this concrete or would I need to remove it for the footings? I am trying to avoid tearing up all this concrete. I did so on the other side of my house and it was very labor intensive. Thanks for any help.

How do I attach a ledger for a second floor deck

dmaclaren — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:20:13 GMT

I am going to build a small deck off the second floor. It will not extend more than 10' from the house. How do I attach the ledger to the house since I can't get behind the house band?

Thanks
Don

Joist to beam connection question

foltzy — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:21:27 GMT

I have purchased Simpson Strong Tie stainless steel hurricane ties that are U shaped that accept a 2X member that attach also to the beam. My question is - Do I install the hurricane ties on the face of the beam away from the house or the face toward the house? Thank you in advance for your reply. - - - Don

Missing Ledger Flashing

mnelson — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:06:06 GMT

Hello,

I would sure appreciate some expert opinion on the following...

We've had water leaking down one of our basement walls. The leaks seem to occur in heavy rain only, and appear as basically a dribble down the wall in a few places, and occasionally make it the floor. The leaky wall is the same wall to which the main floor deck is attached, above the basement. I discovered that the deck ledger was attached to the house directly over top of the vinyl siding, with no flashing whatsoever.

1) How likely is it that the leaks are caused by the missing flashing?
2) If this is something I need to fix, any ideas on how to go about doing that?

Thanks!

Mike

Baluster Spacing

firesurfer75 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:49:32 GMT

Thanks for the great forum! Question for you.. It's after 5 on Friday, so am unable to call the inspector with my question and hope someone can help me here. What is the maximum baluster spacing allowed on deck railings? I bought a deck from someone and the 2x2 balusters are 5" apart.. I remember hearing that they must be max 4" apart.. I want to avoid rebuilding the rails if at all possible. I live in York County, South Carolina. Any help is much appreciated!

low elevation deck plan 1L016

emtp99 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:02:52 GMT

I would like to build this particular deck on the front of my house. I like the curved corners and shape of the deck. however I have never made any attempts to complete any "kerf" cuts, or any wood bending whatsoever. Any suggestions? and how detailed are the plans that are available on this website? I am a moderate builder,I have built garages, and my current residence. Just looking for a little direction.

thanks in advance

Pricing Help Please

Naceshandyman — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:25:17 GMT

Hello,
I am new to the forms but have been using the site for awhile now. I have started my own Handyman business here in Harrisburg PA. I recently had a condo developer contact me about doing all there deck work on all new condos. I am very interested in this but am not sure how to price it out for them. It will be quite a few decks but they are not very big. They will all measure 10'x12' or 120sgft. Some of them will be on grade and others will be about 9' in the air. I have been looking around and see that people charge different amounts, but looks like most charge an amount by sgft. What I am looking for is the best way to price this out for them. I don't want to be to high that they don't go with me but I also don't want to be to low that I don't make anything either. This is a great opportunity for my business and would appreciate any help you could give me on working up a price for them. Oh also they will be supplying all the material for each deck.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Mike

ceiling/roof under deck?

sibabe64 — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:48:50 GMT

Is there a way to make a ceiling or roof under deck to use the space underneath without having it rot from the rain coming down through the deck? I don't really want to have the ceiling attached to the floor above. Is there a way to pitch a roof and what materials are recommended. I am also thinking of eventually screening it in.

carport deck

Slow Joe — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:05:01 GMT

I am in the process of planning a new deck that will serve as a carport also. The area of the deck surface will be 17' wide x 35' long. I am looking to have a 12' wide section of driveway space under it. This will be connected to my house and an existing deck also. In the future this will also be the foundation for a window room. It needs no stairs. Any ideas that anyone could throw in to help with this. Thanks.