12x16 freestanding deck/patio
I'm in the initial phase of planning a 16x12 freestanding (not attached to house) deck and patio raised 18 off the ground. I'm planning on running 4x4s every four feet for support and along the outside edges of the deck 4x4x16 to allow to put up a patio cover. Is this advisable or should I use larger lumber than 4x4s? any other ideas or suggestions? THANKS! -Tucker No higher than you will be making it, the 4x4's will be fine. I am assuming you will be running them from your footing support through the framing forming your hand rail newel posts. Support 4' or so apart is possibly overkill, however. What are your plans on the size of rim board? What type patio cover are you planning and what role will the 4x4 play in its support? Please excuse my lack of understanding, what do you mean by rim board? I plan on using 2x12s for the beams of the deck and 2x10s for the patio cover beams. I am undecided on type of patio cover. I'm thinking doing the latice type but the wife wants it covered. The 4x4s will be supporting the patio cover directly. Do I need to build a footer at the bottom or can I just do piers? I live in an area where the coldest it'll get is ~35 degrees in the winter and that is not for a prolonged period of time at all. SoCal is great like that so I dont think I need to worry about frost heave. Thanks for your input Chandler. -Tucker The rim joist is the 2x lumber that goes around the perimeter of the deck and to which the joisting is attached via joist hangers. I'll trade with you....what is a patio cover beam? How are you placing the 2x12's as beams. Could you not use a 4x6 for this? You will need to pour footers for proper support. Install Simpson Strong Tie post bases and then your vertical supports. Chandler, I think he means 2x12 for floor joist supported by 4x4 beams every 4 foot and 2x10 for rafters that will be directly supported by the 16 foot long 4x4's along the outside edge of the deck, but does not say what spacing. The 2x10s will be either decked and shingled or maybe metal roof if his wife has her way(Wink, Wink) and he wants 1x material in a lattice pattern or maybe just lattace panels on top of the 2x10s. The question on bigger than 4x4's for support is for the beams to put the 2x12 floor joists. Also he wants to know if he needs full length footers or if piers will be enough to hold the 4x4 beams that hold the 2x12 floor joists. At least that is what I am understanding. I am not sure why 16 foot long for the roof supports, Sounds pretty tall for a roof! BadEyeBen has kind of got the idea. 16' wide x 12' deep deck 18 above ground. with attached patio cover @ 12' high This will be freestanding in the middle of the yard not next to the house. here's a (sloppy) diagram to hopefully help. [IMG]http://i41.************/2natbps.jpg[/IMG] So basically 4x10s for joists @ 18 inches. Probably run 2x10s for rafters. What spacing should I run them, every 12 inches? And also will the weight of the deck + patio cover + people/grill/furniture/railing be too much for the 4x4s to support? You'll need to copy/paste the HTML code directly from your server to your post for us to be able to open it. I really think you are going for overkill on the support. 4x10's would be prohibitively expensive for joisting, and totally unnecessary. Certainly you could use 2x10's instead on 16 oc. Run your rafters, likewise at 16 oc. I'll wait on the picture/drawing to see what type roof you are planning before I comment on the rafter sizing. At 18 off the ground you will not have a problem with the 4x4's, but 6x6 would make a stouter support system since you are planning on the roof system as well to be contiguous to the deck support. One of the main reasons the larger lumber is used for vertical supports where we are is the height. You get a deck 20' in the air, you don't want it swaying or bending. Lower to the ground we don't have such a problem. Tucker43, Before you do ANYTHING, you need to check with your local bldg. dept. The fact that the deck will be covered means that you're going to need a permit to do this. That means that you'll have to construct it in a manner that the bldg. dept. will approve. They won't allow you to build a free-standing cover that is only supported by pier blocks. You need footings, and you'll have to embed stand off post bases or column bases in the concrete to attach the posts to. Your use of 4X4's to support the beams of the deck is fine. They MAY require 4X6's for support posts for the cover. I'm not sure why you are saying 4X4X16's to support the cover. How high above the deck are you planning on this cover being?? Granted, you don't have frost to deal with, but you do have wind load and earthquakes to take into consideration. Your joist size and spacing for the cover will be determined by the span of the joists. For the deck, 2X12 joists are fine, but you can't use a 2X for the beams. they'll have to be a minumum 4X6, supported by a post every 6'. The larger 4X that you use for a beam, the farther you can space the posts. (Fewer footings needed.) What you use for the joists (2X6, 2X8, 2X10, or 2X12's) and how far apart on center that they are set will determine the spacing between the beams. What you are using for the decking will determine the maximum joist spacing. Composites (for the most part) need to be supported every 16 or less. Wood 2X6's need 24 or less.
Related Posts:
10 x 10 deck frame
10 x 10 deck frame?im building a 10x10x 2 foot off the ground freestanding (not attached to anything)deck..what size framming lumber would yous suggest...i have a bunch of pt 2x6s at no cost to me...
Build pergola on existing deck
Build pergola on existing deckHi all, Now, I have found quite a lot of examples of building a pergola on an existing deck. Some designs require digging proper footings and filling with concrete wh...
Carport
carportif you have time to visualize or instruct me where i should research more , i will be in depth of gratitude Lets assume. Gravel bed 4 '' thick Six 4x4 PT posts 2' deep in ground 3 posts 9'...
2nd story deckbalcony
2nd Story Deck/BalconyI have a two story home, and I want to add a small deck/balcony to the back wall where my master bedroom is. I have a window in place now, that I would remove and enlarge the...
Composite 4x4 covers
Composite 4X4 coversWho makes the composite covers that slide over an existing 4X4. I saw it in a magazine and can't find it. I know it slides over and then you put the decorative foot and cap on....
