That youtube video on joist spacing saved my deck build

I was planning out a 12x16 deck in my backyard and kept second guessing myself on how far apart to put the joists. I watched some random dude's video who builds decks for a living in Florida and he broke it down real simple like. He said overbuilding is always cheaper than fixing a saggy deck later. So I went with 12 inch centers instead of 16 even though it cost me about 80 bucks more in lumber. Took me 3 weekends to frame it all up but man that thing is solid. I can jump on it and nothing moves. Makes me wonder how many decks out there are just barely passing code. Anyone else go overboard on a build just for peace of mind?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannah2404d ago

80 bucks extra seems like nothing when you're building it, but that kind of thinking adds up. People act like their deck is gonna collapse if they don't use 12 inch centers. The guy in Florida probably sells lumber on the side or something. Code exists for a reason and 16 inch spacing is fine for a residential deck. You're not hosting a concert on it. I've seen decks with 24 inch centers that lasted decades because the guy used good wood and proper joist hangers. Overbuilding just means you spent more money and added weight for no real benefit. Let's be real, most people are just gonna put a table and a few chairs out there. Not a hot tub.

walker.andrew4d ago

Are you really going to be jumping on that deck every day though? I mean sure it's nice to have it solid, but 12 inch centers on a 12 foot span is a lot of extra wood and weight for something that's probably just gonna hold a grill and a few chairs. I've seen plenty of decks built to 16 inch spacing that have held up just fine for 20 years without a single sag. Not saying you did it wrong, but your mileage may vary on whether that extra 80 bucks was actually necessary.