Looking for opinions on framing a deck.. bumped**

anything over 8ft should go up to 2x8s and over 12ft go with 2x10s, if you dont the deck will bounce when walked on

for the top, yes you dont want to go over 2x6s or they cup and it will be very noticeable to see and walk on

also use a pencil between boards to give you a uniform 1/4" gap

Awesome, solid info, thanks

I know about the ‘pencil’ trick, but typically will cut a little spacer out of some cutoffs

I DIY one about 4 years ago, 18' by 20' with composite on top. It varies from 8" to 16" above ground. I used 12"X12"X2" concrete pads toped with house pillars when needed located at the corners and intersections, with two more spaced evenly under the 4X4 timbers.


6"X6" framed around the outside, with 3 evenly spaced 4"X4" in the middle. used 2"X8" with hangers on 14" centers between timbers. Its solid.

One item that saved a lot of time was a palm nailer.

Pressure treated lumber may be slightly different dimensions due to their moisture content. So a tip I learned for keeping the tops of your joists nice and flush with each other is to run a power planer across them to smooth out any bumps before you lay your decking down

I actually had planned on doing that, but was wondering if it were totally necessary

Now I see that it is. I’m a perfectionist, if it isn’t level, it will bother me

Should I slope this structure slightly or build the deck level?

Up to you but I’d build level. As long as you maintain a gap between your deck boards water should drain easily

I wouldn’t put the post in the ground.I did that once for a lean to off my shed with concrete around them.They rotted at ground level in about 10 years.
Don’t know how to do links but there are some metal brackets that go into concrete and posts sit on them.

Was going to start this project Sunday, but when I sat down to order material, I was wondering about the ‘legs’ of the deck.. should I just sink 4x4’s into the ground with concrete or should I use those cinder block lookin bases for the 4x4s? Pretty sure they’d have to be 1-2 ft in the ground for it to make sense



Also, how many ‘posts’ would y’all use? Any other opinions are welcome, how would y’all support this deck? Like I said before, I’m pretty handy, and pretty decent with carpentry work, but I’ve never built a deck before and I’d like to do it right. I’d hate to build it, have it looking nice, only to have it start sagging in a year or two.

I really appreciate everyone’s input, to be honest, I’ve actually taken ‘notes’ from this thread, which is something I’ve never done before



If any of this post doesn’t make sense, I reserve the right to be laughed at.. just been piddling around in my garage all night drinking rum and decided to roll forward with this project