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 Mobile ViewEXTERIORS of buildings AGE of a BUILDING - how to determine BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE BUILDING SETTLEMENT CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS Cracks, Checking or Splitting Beams & Log Homes CRAWL SPACES DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION Deck Construction Best Practices BARK SIDE DOWN on DECKS, TRIM, STEPS Deck Beams & Girders Deck Piers & Posts Deck & Porch Connections: Ledger Boards Deck Framing Tables, Spans Deck Flashing at Building DECK FLOOR & STEP CUPPING Deck Board Gaps, Spacing Guide Deck Nails, Screws, Hidden Fasteners Deck & Porch Steps or Stairs Deck & Porch Railings Deck & Porch Products, Manufacturers FRAMING CONNECTORS & JOIST HANGERS FRAMING FASTENERS, NAILS, SCREWS, & HIDDEN Finishes, Coatings, Stains for Decks Porch Construction & Porch Screening Preservative-Treated Framing Lumber Rooftop Deck Construction Rot-Resistant Deck Lumber & Flooring Synthetic Deck Lumber: Composite, Plastic, Vinyl DECK COLLAPSE Case Study DECK FINISHES COATINGS PRESERVATIVES DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study DECKS, ROOFTOP CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS STAINING on ROOFS DEFINITIONS of Mobile Home, Doublewide, Modular, Panelized DEFINITIONS of ENGINEERED WOOD OSB LVL etc DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE DISASTER BUILDING INSPECTION & REPAIR SAFEY EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED FOUNDATIONS ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings ENGINEERED WOOD Flooring ENGINEERED WOOD Products FIRE DAMAGE vs MOLD DAMAGE FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS FOOTING & FOUNDATION DRAINS FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE FOUNDATION WATERPROOFING FRAMING DAMAGE, INSPECTION, REPAIR FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES FRAMING CONNECTORS & JOIST HANGERS FRAMING FASTENERS, NAILS, SCREWS, & HIDDEN FRAMING & SUBFLOOR for TILE FRAMING MATERIALS, Age, Types FRAMING METAL STUD PERFORMANCE FRAMING METHODS, Age, Types FRAMING SIZE & Spacing, Age, Types FRAMING TABLES, SPANS for DECKS FRENCH DRAINS FROST HEAVES, FOUNDATION, SLAB FRT PLYWOOD I-JOISTS, Wood Roof Floor LOG HOME GUIDE MODULAR HOME CONSTRUCTION MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE PORCH CONSTRUCTION & SCREENING PRE-CUT & KIT HOMES Preservative-Treated Framing Lumber RAILINGS, DECK & PORCH RAILINGS, STAIRWAY RETAINING WALL DESIGNS, TYPES, DAMAGE RETAINING WALL GUARD RAILINGS ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES ROT, TIMBER FRAME SEARS KIT HOUSES SHEATHING, Gypsum board SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board SHEATHING, OSB SHEATHING, Plywood SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS STONE CLEANING METHODS STUCCO WAll FAILURES DUE TO WEATHER STUCCO WALL METHODS & INSTALLATION STUCCO OVER FOAM INSULATION STUCCO PAINT FAILURES SURFACE GRADING, SITE DRAINAGE TERMITES, ROT THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS THERMAL MASS in buildings TRIM, EXTERIOR CHOICES, INSTALLATION TRIM, INTERIOR INSTALLATION TRUSS UPLIFT, ROOF TRUSSES, Floor & Roof VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VENTILATION in buildings VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WALL SIDING TRIM & FINISHES WALL FINISHES INTERIOR WATER BARRIERS, EXTERIOR BUILDING WATER ENTRY in buildings WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING WINDOWS & DOORS WINTERIZE A BUILDING WOOD Burning Heaters Fireplaces Stoves More Information |
This article explains typical spans for deck joists, deck beams, and deck flooring, giving both standard span tables and a quick "rule of thumb" that works pretty well. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Also see our review of that book. Our page top photo shows a hybrid deck structure that encompasses a boat. No fasteners were found securing the boat to the deck however. This article explains deck framing. Basic building framing information is found at FRAMING SIZE & Spacing, Age, Types. Also see Deck Nails, Screws, Hidden Fasteners and Deck & Porch Connections: Ledger Boards. And see Preservative-Treated Framing Lumber. See Rot-Resistant Deck Lumber & Flooring for a discussion of lumber and flooring alternatives to preservative-treated wood. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Deck Joist & Beam Sizing Tables & A Quick Rule of Thumb for Sizing JoistsAs explained in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Chapter Four, Best Construction Guide for Building Decks and Porches: Spans, sizes and spacings for deck joists and deck beams are shown in Table 4-7 and Table 4-8 (shown below in this article) as well as in most carpentry texts and framing guides. Here we give a rough "rule of thumb" that will provide a reasonable guess at allowable deck joist spans for most lumber species and grades: Rule of Thumb for Inspecting Deck Joist Spans: While it is by no means a substitute for a proper table of spans and sizes of framing lumber, home inspectors often use a quick and dirty "rule of thumb" to guess whether or not deck floor framing has been over-spanned when joists are spaced 16" on center. [(Depth of the Framing Member) - 2 ] x 2 = rough deck joist span limit for Southern Yellow Pine. Example: If you see a deck framed with 2x8 pressure treated lumber (typically Southern Yellow Pine or SYP), spaced 16" o.c., (8" -2) x 2 = 12' = maximum allowable span for a generic "deck floor joist" A look at an actual span table will show that depending on the wood species, the allowable spans for a 2x8 floor joists with 40 pound live load with deflection limit of span/360, ranges from 10'5" (Western red cedar) to 12'9"
[Click any image or table to see an enlarged, more detailed version.]
-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction. Details about selecting the proper fasteners for constructing decks and porches and how they are installed can be read at Deck Nails, Screws, Hidden Fasteners. Also see DECK COLLAPSE Case Study (collapse of a new code-approved deck) and DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study for an example of an older deck with rot and collapse due to improper construction and missing building flashing. Questions & Answers regarding this article. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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