Positioning Vinyl Posts How Far From Edge On Wood Deck

In general posts should be spaced no more than 8 feet apart.

Positioning vinyl posts how far from edge on wood deck.

Some builders position them every 4 feet for a completely rigid frame. If you re installing parting boards in the middle of the deck start marking the joist spacing from the center of the beams working toward the end joists. They draw the baluster up closer to the deck edge and make a slightly firmer joint than surface mounted posts. If the balusters will run horizontally along your deck the 4 by 4 railing posts cannot be more that 6 feet apart.

There are several ways to set deck posts. The top rails extend beyond the posts to meet at the corner see detail below left. We recommend attaching the posts to concrete footers above the ground. Lay the beams on top of the posts in the beam brackets.

Starting with your perimeter mark the location of each deck post to locate the fitting position. With posts outside the joists the simplest approach is to use two posts at each corner held back far enough to line up with the second joist about 12 to 16 inches from the corner. Beams sometimes called girders should be two wood boards or steel posts of the proper thickness consult your local building code and plans. Attach them to the posts following the ground contour.

Posts on the outside set back from corner. The maximum distance between footings is determined by the size of your joist material. The type of post you use can also affect the spacing between posts. If your deck has wood support posts and a ledger board that is bolted to the house the deck posts holds up approximately 50 percent of the total weight.

Affix the boards together and use a waterproofing membrane for wood along the top edge to keep water from between the boards. Typically this is 16 inches on center measured from the center of one joist to the center of the next. Be sure to alternate joints on different posts and not have any joints on the gate posts. Typically you ll need one for each 2 feet of post height.

Deck railings must be a minimum of 36 inches high from the deck floor to the cap rail. Set footers a minimum of 6 below the frost line for your area to prevent movement during freezing temperatures. In this situation the soil under each deck footing may be called upon to support 3 000 plus pounds. As with any deck remember that any deck that is 2 feet or more above the ground must have a railing system.

Longer stringers can span two or more posts. This helps to prevent wooden posts from rotting. Use a joist scrap to be exact.