Built two decks this weekend

[George2615]

I see the rear deck does not have stairs to the ground. Did your old deck and if not,why not?

Nice job though. I'm the same way, once I start something I like to finish it ASAP.

 

[LD1]

I see the rear deck does not have stairs to the ground. Did your old deck and if not,why not?

Nice job though. I'm the same way, once I start something I like to finish it ASAP.

Old deck didnt have stairs either.

There are already three ways in/out of the house....front door, in thru the garage, or basement. Dont need/want a 4th entry point to track in directly to the dining room.

 

[s219]

And that I dont understand. Perhaps if hanging a ledger, and support beam away from the house, the logical direction for joists to run is perpendicular...thus making deck boards horizontal?

Wrap around porches, will have boards on one side being horizontal, and perpendicular on the other...unless you go on a 45 degree.

Yeah, a lot of the old porches did 45 or cross hatched 45 at the corners. A neat way to do it is put a board down the 45 and butt up on each side of that, instead of having all the boards butted directly together.

I think the typical tendency with decks is to have a ledger on the house and then a beam supported by posts away from the house, so the joists run perpendicular. Almost all the decks I see are built this way. But the two porches we put on our new house are framed just like your decks.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Thanks for the compliments.

Yes, both are free standing. Just don't like a ledger board on the house.

FWIW, my father now passed on, is a world famous big building architect. He did few homes in his lifetime, but on the homes that he did do, he refused to attach a formal leger board citing that leger boards interrupted the siding and were a source of leaking and mold. Instead he buttressed the framing, and shimmed decks off of that sistered framing through the siding using lager bolts.

As I understand it from a professor of architecture I ran into, my father's method is increasing taught within architecture as the best practice.

My father also introduced the now common-place idea of spec drawing to the industry. I have no idea how anything built before 1952 is still standing.

 

[LD1]

FWIW, my father now passed on, is a world famous big building architect. He did few homes in his lifetime, but on the homes that he did do, he refused to attach a formal leger board citing that leger boards interrupted the siding and were a source of leaking and mold. Instead he buttressed the framing, and shimmed decks off of that sistered framing through the siding using lager bolts.

Actually sounds like how my old decks were attached, if I am understanding you correct.

the "ledger" board was attached OUTSIDE the siding. there were thin...maybe 1/2", spacer boards in the valleys of the siding so the ledger didnt"crush" the siding. After the spacer boards were nailed on, the ledgers were lagged to the house.

Still didnt like that method. Bunch of holes in the siding where the lags go through, moisture can lay between the house and ledger, all kinds of bugs and critters build nests back in thee, etc.

I like free standing. Both work. Both work well. Just have my preferences is all.

 

[ajmaxham]

Deck ledger board attached to house rim joist. Poor flashing details = water damage and rot to the house rim joist. Not much fun to repair. I like the free standing deck method.

 

[dstig1]

I understand the reason some of you folks like free-standing, but the gain in lateral stability by attaching to the house is significant, especially on higher decks. It certainly can be done correctly. You just need someone with the right knowledge and attitude to do it right. If you are going free-standing, then you also need the knowledge and attitude to make sure it is sufficiently braced. No free lunch either way...

 

[Ford850]

LD1, how did you attach the deck boards? Nails, screws, special fasteners? It's getting difficult to find regular treated deck boards.

 

[LD1]

LD1, how did you attach the deck boards? Nails, screws, special fasteners? It's getting difficult to find regular treated deck boards.

Screws.

Not sure what you mean by getting difficult to find regular treated deck boards?? 5/4" x 6" x whatever length you want. Menards has plenty.

Screws were these: http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...screw-25-lb-bucket/p-1444450188628-c-8929.htm

 

[Ford850]

I meant the old sized boards. Menards carries the thicker 1 1/8" boards now, so you can't make repairs with those if your deck has the 1" boards. This new treated lumber doesn't last like it used to. I replaced my deck after 5 or 6 years I think. It's been on there about 5 years again, and several boards are rotted or split.