Deck Post To Beam Connection

Notching a post does not weaken the structural integrity of the wood support post because the load for the deck is transferred down through the post to the footings.

Deck post to beam connection.

Because of this you may need to either diagonally brace the bottom of the beam or top of the post to the deck joists or screw or bolt a splice block alongside one face of the beam and extending down an equal amount down the side of the post. Our deck code guide can be a helpful reference to an engineer who is just getting acquainted with decks. Deck railing posts are the foundation of a deck railing system. Locate and mark the crown for the beam.

Although this joint may not get the respect it deserves it is a critical load path connection that needs to keep the post and beam aligned while properly transferring deck loads to the footing. The best post beam connection involves notching a cavity into the tops of support posts to set the beams using carriage bolt fasteners see below. Don t lag bolt a deck railing post to the outer band board that s nailed to the ends of the floor joists. It is smart to build a beam that is a bit longer than needed.

Find the framing lumber crown. Post beam connector hardware are especially useful in situations where notching a post is not practical such as at the intersection of an angled corner of the deck. Additionally it goes detail by detail ledger connection joist to beam connection beam to post connection etc through a typical deck and identifies the relevant building code requirements 2012 and 2015 irc ibc and connection options. You can usually spot the crown by.

An alternative to using steel framing connectors to tie a post to a beam is shown in our photo just above. Using a scab to tie deck posts to girders. Assemble the deck beam. Since we focused on hardware connections the video doesn t profile a connection illustrated in the.

The most under appreciated connection on a deck frame is probably the one between a post and the beam it supports. Deck framing page 16 beam to post page 12 post to concrete page 11 joist to beam page 14 a system of key connections throughout the deck framing also known as a continuous load path is essential to building a safe code compliant deck. Don t cut the notch out of the center of the 6x6 post for a double 3x beam the remaining lumber on the post top will be too thin and risks splitting and failure. They must be strong.

Using a notched post and beam connection will lock the beam in place secure it from rotating and resist wind uplift. The upright notched section of the post acts stabilizes the beam. 4 steps to build install the deck support beam step 1.