# How to trim 6x6 deck posts with lateral cross bracing?



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Stain.


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Little late know thinking about how to trim it out.
Before the stairs where installed the bolts and washers could have been counter bored and composite gray fashia could have been installed.
If it was mine I'd just leave it like it is except for those stairs, there done wrong.
Never should have been done with a single piece of wood and needed at least 1" to 1-1/4 of over hang.


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

Those are temp stairs.


----------



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I hope that those stairs are just " working " steps.

They detract from the quality of the project.

have you looked into hiring a siding contractor to use COIL STOCK to 
cover those posts?



It looks good so far except for those temporary steps.


edit, I was composing this as you were stating that the steps were temps.

ED


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

de-nagorg said:


> I hope that those stairs are just " working " steps.
> 
> They detract from the quality of the project.
> 
> ...


Thanks. Yes the steps are working (or so my wife doesn't have to high jump) steps. Coil stock isn't a bad idea at all.


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Coil stock can not be used over pressure treated wood!!!
Says so right on the box.
The finish will just bubble off in no time, aluminum and copper do not play together well.


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

joecaption said:


> Coil stock can not be used over pressure treated wood!!!
> Says so right on the box.
> The finish will just bubble off in no time, aluminum and copper do not play together well.


Thats right. The reason why I flashed with vycor between the PT ledger and aluminum flashing. Good catch Joe.


----------



## Californiadecks (Aug 30, 2012)

Box the knee braces in with the trim. When its done it will look like it's all one piece.


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

Californiadecks said:


> Box the knee braces in with the trim. When its done it will look like it's all one piece.


So just butt joints on the post, then 45 deg butt joint from knee brace to post? PVC with cement and fasteners?


----------



## TheDeckBarn.com (Aug 30, 2015)

take 1/2" Thick x 16" w x 3' long plate steel, cut out a t brace 3' x 8" x 16", bolt to the beam and post throw away the x brace as the new T brace will do the same thing, trim

You will need to make several of them, it is easily done w/ plasma cutter.


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Your design problem is that you have built a backyard-style deck on the front of your home and it's going to be very hard to balance the treated-wood look with the siding and white trim. The ugliest part of it is those Y-braces, so do what #11 suggested and get rid of them.

The rest of the front and side fascia has to be covered with wood, primed and painted white. You can't cover the 6x6's with anything else, they already look too massive for the size of the house.

For some needed color variety, once you get all the railings in place you could paint the spindles a color matching the siding, for instance. 

For the finish level you should have for the front of a home, you also have to cover the underside of the second level, with something like white t&g.


----------



## TheDeckBarn.com (Aug 30, 2015)

You could use white PVC trim board, made by Azek, or Pal light. It will always stay white will never have to be painted.

Pvc Trim board is paintable also should you not like white. It never rots. Costs more, is a breeze to work with. 

You will never have to replace it.


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

TheDeckBarn.com said:


> You could use white PVC trim board, made by Azek, or Pal light. It will always stay white will never have to be painted.
> 
> Pvc Trim board is paintable also should you not like white. It never rots. Costs more, is a breeze to work with.
> 
> You will never have to replace it.


I would like to use low maintenance material. Just don't have the tools to fabricate a T brace.


----------



## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

joecaption said:


> Coil stock can not be used over pressure treated wood!!!
> Says so right on the box.
> The finish will just bubble off in no time, aluminum and copper do not play together well.


True :Copper and Aluminum have a dislike for each other.

My bad.

Could the posts be primed with an anti-static primer then clad in Coil Stock.

I have seen PT used as a fascia then aluminum gutters hung on it. 

Which brings up the question , "Didn't the gutter crew know this might cause premature gutter failure?"


ED


----------



## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

luvdairish said:


> Just don't have the tools to fabricate a T brace.


All you need is a table saw and a router. 

I'd face the sides of the post with the trim stock at the width of the post (+ 1/8") and then rip the front and back to fit and round-over the edges. The width of the front would be slightly wider than the actual measurement to accommodate the round-over.

No mitered corners are necessary.


----------



## TheDeckBarn.com (Aug 30, 2015)

kwikfishron said:


> All you need is a table saw and a router.
> 
> I'd face the sides of the post with the trim stock at the width of the post (+ 1/8") and then rip the front and back to fit and round-over the edges. The width of the front would be slightly wider than the actual measurement to accommodate the round-over.
> 
> No mitered corners are necessary.


Need to read the whole post. T brace is made from 1/2" steel


----------



## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

TheDeckBarn.com said:


> Need to read the whole post. T brace is made from 1/2" steel


 Next time I'll finish my coffee before I post. 

Regardless, the OP was about trimming what's pictured and not about redesigning the deck to create an easier trim detail.


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

No need to re-invent the wheel here if that is what you want to do. Pretty sure you can buy steel t-braces for this application


----------



## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

Maybe....

Remove the lateral bracing.
Install something like this.?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RDI-6-in...gclid=CN_ypu69vcgCFdUTHwodeQAFxw&gclsrc=aw.ds












Then maybe.....











Or...


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Here's what you need:

http://www.amazon.com/Simpson-Strong-1212HT-7-Gauge-12-Inch/dp/B00875EOJ8/

Put them on the back. If you need an L-bracket for the ends those are also available.


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

ChuckF. said:


> Here's what you need:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Simpson-Strong-1212HT-7-Gauge-12-Inch/dp/B00875EOJ8/
> 
> Put them on the back. If you need an L-bracket for the ends those are also available.



This T is a tie, and not a brace. It doesn't provide sway support like the diagonal braces. 

The prescriptive deck guide for upper level decks does require the diagonal braces at a min of 24" x 24". You can build outside the prescriptive code but it requires a eng. stamp.


fig 22
http://www.awc.org/pdf/codes-standards/publications/dca/AWC-DCA62009-DeckGuide-1007.pdf


----------



## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Yodaman said:


> This T is a tie, and not a brace. It doesn't provide sway support like the diagonal braces.
> 
> The prescriptive deck guide for upper level decks does require the diagonal braces at a min of 24" x 24". You can build outside the prescriptive code but it requires a eng. stamp.
> 
> ...


Well, maybe not an Engineers stamp but it would certainly need a revision of the plans that the building department approved to begin with (assuming op needed a permit). That's a lot of going backwards just to make trimming out what's already there a little bit easier. lain:


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

kwikfishron said:


> Well, maybe not an Engineers stamp but it would certainly need a revision of the plans that the building department approved to begin with (assuming op needed a permit). That's a lot of going backwards just to make trimming out what's already there a little bit easier. lain:


Hey bud! can't forget the name. You helped me on several other posts years ago. 

Your right, I don't want to go back at this point. I did a permit, they required lateral bracing. Now that I know there are other bracing options, maybe my backyard deck will look like it belongs in the front yard :vs_lol:

I ended up buying from a local shop that fabricates Azek 6x6 wraps out of 5/8 sheet stock. Same place I got my railings. Three sides joined like |_| . Just have to notch them, slide them on, then glue the face. I can probably finish bracing with my leftovers and/or buy some 5/8 and cut to size.

It's not perfect, but I'm learning. Here is where I'm at now.


----------



## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

> I ended up buying from a local shop that fabricates Azek 6x6 wraps out of 5/8 sheet stock. Same place I got my railings.


Well, since you're going that route (having someone else fabricate the trim out) you might as well have them finish it for you. 

The mitered corners do create an extra level of difficultly (cost more) than the approach I mentioned earlier.


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

kwikfishron said:


> Well, since you're going that route (having someone else fabricate the trim out) you might as well have them finish it for you.
> 
> The mitered corners do create an extra level of difficultly (cost more) than the approach I mentioned earlier.


Darn...I missed your post earlier. Thanks


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

luvdairish said:


> View attachment 207017





is your 2nd deck also a water proof layer to prevent water from draining into the lower? If yes, what provides the water shedding? And what type of flooring did you use?

I built a similar 2nd story deck a few years back. Used 60 mil rubber roofing as the water shed and then put a floating vinyl floor over it that water drains thru. It works well so far, but the flooring expands and contracts twice what the mfg said it would and causes me some fits when it pulls out under the edge trim. I am not in a hurry to change it, but when I looked for a suitable floor I didn't find many options unless I wanted to spend $15/ft


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

I went with fiberglass. Joist 2x10x8 and cut at 2" pitch. Then add 3/4 advancetech T&G plywood. Fiberglass guys add 1/2" CDX, then glass and gel coat. Cost around $10-12 per square ft. But would def do it again for 2nd story.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

so is fiberglass the finish floor or just the water shed layer?


----------



## luvdairish (May 30, 2010)

Yodaman said:


> so is fiberglass the finish floor or just the water shed layer?


Finished floor


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

I don't think I have ever seen a fiberglass floor, except on a boat. Is there grit in the top layer for non-skid?

Care to post a few pics?


----------



## Festerized (Oct 15, 2015)

Can’t see why that tiny deck needs cross bracing, I’ve built hundreds of houses at the jersey shore and never had to install cross bracing, must be an anal architect/engineer


----------



## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Festerized said:


> Can’t see why that tiny deck needs cross bracing, I’ve built hundreds of houses at the jersey shore and never had to install cross bracing, must be an anal architect/engineer



Probably going to get a ear full for this comment. I will just say it is required under the prescriptive guidelines for 2nd story decks.


----------



## Festerized (Oct 15, 2015)

Yodaman said:


> Probably going to get a ear full for this comment. I will just say it is required under the prescriptive guidelines for 2nd story decks.


Translated: anal architect/engineer


----------



## TheDeckBarn.com (Aug 30, 2015)

Festerized said:


> Can’t see why that tiny deck needs cross bracing, I’ve built hundreds of houses at the jersey shore and never had to install cross bracing, must be an anal architect/engineer


a lot depends upon how deep you dig you posts, 4' deep or so should provides lots of lateral support, some parts of the country they are only required to go 12"-18" 

I call em ***** Ears, people think I'm misspelling but I am not


----------

