So I'm building a deck next week and i'm laying out the deck plan in SolidWorks. The deck is rough 22" x 16'. The issue I have is that I'm using 2 x 8's for the beam and the longest they come in is 16', so I'll need to make a butt joint. The posts are 6x6. I'm notching the posts and attaching the beams to the posts with 1/2" hardware stack up. I'm going the notching method so I can use shorter bolts. I haven't been able to find any info on how to make this joint so I uploaded a pic to show you want I'm talking about. What is the best way to make this joint and meet code?

12/19/2011 9:30:42 PM

lounge, old school

12/19/2011 9:38:12 PM

yes it will pass code. if you look at the beam over columns a long porch you will see this how it is done everyday. by code a 4x4 would pass also. 6x6 is a even better. i would lag the girder into the post.

if you are using a 2x8 for your band and girder are you using 2x8 for the joist? are they 16'?

12/19/2011 9:41:52 PM

yes i'm using 2x8x16' for the band, girders and joists. I think I'm just going to fab up a plate made from 10GA steel and paint it like this...



it's overkill but it's solid.

12/19/2011 10:06:39 PM

2x8 at that span on the joist is going to be very spongie. I tried it at my house because all the the span tables said it was fine and less than a year later I changed it out to 2x10. I would not run a 2x8 longer that 12' unless you bring the spacing down to 12" on center. Double up some 2x8 and make a girder every 12' across it and change the direction of the singles. Are you using hangers or doing a ledger? If it is a ledger I would definitely shorten the spans. What is you decking? 5/4 or 2x?

[Edited on December 20, 2011 at 9:48 AM. Reason : ledger]

12/20/2011 9:44:27 AM

Yes the plate for the joint is over kill but it will be just fine. With the plate there if it is over 18" you could even do a 4x4. Looks like you have this planned out pretty well. Are you attaching to the house or is it all free standing?

12/20/2011 9:45:46 AM

i'm doing a ledger so it's attached to the house. I do have the joists 16" on center so I may take it to 12" on center. like you said, all the tables say this is fine so thanks for the heads up. Here is an iso of the whole deck not including the decking, handrails and stairs. haven't got that far yet in the design.

12/20/2011 5:39:47 PM

your 2x8's will be fine with the girders 8' out from the house. no need to change after seeing the whole layout. just keep in mind when you a ledger you are taking out 1.5" to notch it along the house. So your really working with a 2x6 on that run. but it is ok the way you have it regardless.

12/20/2011 7:24:09 PM

I shouldn't have t0 notch it. The is enough room under the back door for the full 8". I don't have all the detail in yet but will be adding it.

12/20/2011 8:01:33 PM

could you stagger the joints on the girder?

12/20/2011 10:38:49 PM

actually staggering is a good solution but sicne I've already made the plates I'm going that route. I may stagger the joints and use the plate just so its that much more overkill

12/21/2011 9:26:04 AM

lol@ sparkles designing his deck in cad.

12/21/2011 4:17:08 PM

I thought that was kinda funny, too.

12/22/2011 12:22:06 PM

yeah it's like using an 20lb sledge to tap in a tack..

i mean it'll do it. but...

12/22/2011 2:07:20 PM

well this was my first attempt at building a deck so i wanted to do it virtually to work out all the kinks. it actually worked out pretty well.

1/3/2012 1:42:23 PM

Nice, where does the slip n slide go??

1/3/2012 3:01:32 PM

doesn't lowe's offer this service? (designing decks in cad?)

1/3/2012 3:11:05 PM

Yeah I used the Lowes service but that was just to get an estimate of the material cost. Plus what you get from them isn't very detailed. It doesn't even show post spacing, much less joints. Also, the material list uses premium material and the most expensive hardware. I was going for robust, up to code but frugal. Lowe's estimated $2800 for material. I beat that by almost $800 by creating my own material list and getting the bulk of the lumber from Capital City Lumber and hardware from McMaster-Carr.

1/3/2012 3:58:29 PM

nice.

1/3/2012 4:29:36 PM

hey bro i dont mean to bust balls but i see some things that are not going to be good in the future.

1. Did you put any kind of peel and stick/bitchathane/ice and water shield behind the flashing? currently water will seep behind the flashing and let into you either rim board or bottom plate. It looks like your bolts are drilled very high into the foundation. You would have been better off flashing with a roll of rubber behind the ledger and then a z flashing for over the ledger to keep all water off the same plane as the house. Good pic here http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/information-sheets/integrating-deck-ledger-board-with-drainage-plane I can not tell from the pics how you have the flashing on the door pans. It looks like the water from the deck can now roll under the doors? It is hard to tell, did you roll the new flashing into the door pans?

2. Your bolt pattern would not pass code. They require carriage bolts or lags to be staggered high and low to keep the ledger board from cracking in a straight line. I believe they require them to be no less than every 24". Regardless the way have it will be fine. next time stagger them and keep it tighter on the distance.

3. I can not tell but you need 1/4" min for hardy siding to decking to keep water from pooling and then saturating the siding. If you have wood siding you should leave even more and expose more of the metal flashing. It also looks like left of the sliding door that the house does not have any house wrap or felt? If one doesn't it is smart to make your flashing 6" taller than the height of the band board.

Aesthetically it looks good. I am sure it will be solid. The only thing I would be worried about is water.

One random thing, why is the casing on the sliding door on top of the siding?

1/3/2012 10:06:04 PM

what ^he forgot to ask is "did you get a permit for this?"

reason he is asking is... when you sell and it isn't shown on the plot plan a real estate agent may ask if it was inspected.

1/3/2012 10:15:50 PM

I imagine that was the only reason he asked about meeting code.

But yeah, it'll cost more in the long run if that is what happens.

1/5/2012 9:21:30 PM

^^ i followed code regarding spacing of the bolts to the house on the ledger board. i like the idea of staggering them high and low so I may go back and had some extra bolts. concerning the flashing, the existing masonite was rotten so i'm replacing with hardy plank. i will be overlapping the hardy plank on top of the flashing so no possibility for water intrusion.

1/6/2012 9:25:07 AM