If your beam is nailed or screwed together If you’re making your composite beam by nailing or screwing the 2 x 12’s together, I would absolutely expect you to need a post under each staggered joint.

How do you build a long deck beam?


Quote from Youtube video: You'll likely need to use one of three common types of beam a solid beam a multi ply beam or two single solid beams connected on each side of the post. For beam to post connections.

How do you stagger beams?





Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So what I've done is I've got one four eight foot piece here. And then behind it I've got 1/4 foot piece that I'm cutting back so that the joints are staggered roughly halfway through the board.

How do you join deck beams together?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: You can drive some through bolts all the way through the holes that are provided. That will give some additional support. You would just look at the load tables for the piece of hardware.

Where do you splice deck beams?

Splices in beams should be supported by a post or structural column of some sort. The post or column should rest on a foot-ing that meets local building code requirements. And the beams should be connected to the post with an approved metal connector.

How far can a deck beam extend past a post?

The American Wood Council’s Wood Frame Construction Manual states that beams can generally cantilever up to 1/4 their span over a post. This design criterion is generally limited to beams supporting equivalent joist lengths in its span as in it’s cantilevered sections.

How far can a deck beam span?





Joists spaced the standard 16 inches apart can span 1.5 times their depth in feet. A 2×6 joist can span up to 9 feet, a 2×8 can span up to 12 feet, and a 2×10 can span up to 15 feet.

How do you make a 20 foot beam?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: You'll want to get four two by twelves to make this beam whether in 20 foot long.

How big of a beam do I need to span 16 feet?

For a 16 foot span, you will need atleast 3-2×14 or 6×14 size of wood beam. Thus, a 3 nailed 2×14 or 3-2×14 or 6×14 wood beam can allow to span 16 feet. For a 16-foot spans, the wood beam has to be at least 14 inches in depth and 6″ in width (3-2×14) used for residential building, wood frame structure or projects.

How do you extend a support beam?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Another section of the floor. You can see where it's not going to be dealing with this much weight and might not need to have any additional work done to the footings.

How do you extend deck posts?



The best way to join two 4x4s to extend a post is with a half-lap. The simple cuts make it ideal for a beginner or pro to make, and it’s easier to do in limited space. Adding glue, plates, and bolts increases the lateral and twist resistance to form a very strong connection.

How far can a beam span without support?

Some manufacturers limit their beams to 60′ due to transportation issues, while others have the capability to manufacture beams up to 80′ long. So, the longest unsupported span possible using LVL would be 80-feet. Typically, though, it is common for a continuous LVL span to be between 20′ and 30′.

What size beam do I need to span 18 feet?

Thus, for a 18 foot span, you will need atleast 3-2×16 or 6×16 size of wood beam. For a 18-foot spans, the wood beam has to be at least 16 inches in depth and 6″ in width (3-2×16) used for residential building, wood frame structure or projects.

Can deck beams cantilever?



*Beams may cantilever at each end up to ¼ of the of the actual beam span. For example, a 16′ beam span can cantilever a maximum of 4′.

How much overhang should a deck beam have?

The American Wood Council states that cantilevers are limited to 1/4 the span of the joists. Joist Spacing (o.c.) Maximum allowable overhang cannot exceed 1/4 of the actual main span.

How do you extend a deck with a cantilever?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So a critical rule of thumb when cantilevering a deck is for every foot that you come out you need to go back into the building two feet.

How far can you cantilever a 2×10 deck joist?

Joist Cantilevers



According to the new span tables and IRC provisions, cantilevers can extend up to one-fourth the backspan of the joist. This means that joists, such as southern pine 2x10s at 16 inches on-center, spanning 12 feet are allowed to cantilever up to an additional 3 feet (see illustration, below).

How far can a 2×10 span without support for a deck?



How Far Can a 2×10 Beam or Header Span? A 2×10 beam – made up of two 2x10s nailed together – can span up to 11′ without support beneath a deck that is 4′ wide. For a more normal-sized deck, the same beam can span 8′, supporting a deck that is 8′ wide.

Can a 2×10 span 16 feet?

Douglas fir 2-by-10 joists graded as “Structural Select” allows joist spans up to 21 feet for a live load of 30 pounds per square foot when spaced 12 inches apart, 19 feet 1 inch for 16 inch spacing and 16 feet 8 inches for 24 inch spacing.