# Minimum Deck height?



## sandyman720 (Mar 6, 2007)

I am going to build a freestanding deck off of my new addition. The problem is that the door to the addition is only about 15 inches off of the ground.

What size beams and joists can I use so that I can get the top of the deck to line up with my door.

Can I use 2x6's for the beams and joists or is that too small?

I planned to put the 4x4 posts in the concrete and then attach the beams to them very close to the ground (maybe 2 inches off the ground).

Maybe I can get away with 2x6 beams and 2x8 joists.


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

In a situation like this I would consider a patio rather than a deck. Brick, flagstone, concrete, etc will all last much longer than a deck and you won't have concerns about rodents or dropping jewelry through the deck to an unreachable area.


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## HomeSealed (Jan 3, 2008)

2x6's are acceptable, you will just need more beams than with larger joists. The span you can run without a beam depends on the size of the joist. You may want to check with whatever municipality as to what that particular inspector will accept.


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## robertcdf (Nov 12, 2005)

What dimensions do you want? You can use 2x6 for joists and beams. In fact we are using them for 1 of 2 decks we are building right now.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

sandyman720 said: "Can I use 2x6's for the beams and joists or is that too small?"
The size of the joist is dependent on the span, not how high the deck is off the ground.
Ron


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## Randell Tarin (Jan 19, 2008)

It would help to know what size you plan to build your deck.


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## RYANINMICHIGAN (Jan 20, 2006)

beam and joist size depend soley on how the relate to span.


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## Randell Tarin (Jan 19, 2008)

O.K., so if we know the size of the deck, then we know the span. Or did I miss something. :huh:


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## sandyman720 (Mar 6, 2007)

I plan to make the deck 18x14.


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## Randell Tarin (Jan 19, 2008)

I would use double 2x8's for the beams and 2 x 6's for the joist. How many beams will depend on how you wanted to run your decking.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Randell Tarin said:


> O.K., so if we know the size of the deck, then we know the span. Or did I miss something. :huh:


You missed something. Decks require support underneath. The distance between two supports is the span. You could build a 15'x15' foot deck out of 2x12's and not need additional support under it. But if you build it with 2x8's you would need intermediate support under the structure. It's how the deck is built that defines the span.
Ron


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## sandyman720 (Mar 6, 2007)

Ok then so let me re-phrase.

If you were to build a 18x14 deck and you wanted the top of the deck to be about 18" off of the ground, how would you construct?


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## RippySkippy (Feb 9, 2007)

sandyman720 said:


> Ok then so let me re-phrase.
> 
> If you were to build a 18x14 deck and you wanted the top of the deck to be about 18" off of the ground, how would you construct?



I'm still with jogr....build it on the ground. Opps sorry...didn't see you wanted it 18" off the ground...but still...I'd build it on the ground.


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## Randell Tarin (Jan 19, 2008)

Ron6519 said:


> You missed something. Decks require support underneath.


Hellooooo. Double 2x8 BEAMS, AND 2 X 6 JOIST= SUPPORT


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## sandyman720 (Mar 6, 2007)

How would you fasten the double 2x8's to the concrete footings? Do they make special brackets for this?

How many concrete footings would you have on an 18x14 deck?


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

sandyman720 said:


> How would you fasten the double 2x8's to the concrete footings? Do they make special brackets for this?
> 
> How many concrete footings would you have on an 18x14 deck?


It seems pretty obvious at this point that you are in need of much more knowledge then can be given here. You need to get a few deck building books and gain a basic knowledge of deck structure and terminology. Once you digest those, come back and fill in any gaps and clarify missed points or confusions in the books. You can also get videos that can help alot at your stage.
You want to understand what your doing and why your doing it so the structure is safe when it's done.
Ron


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## ecr (Jan 3, 2008)

i would use 3 2x6's for the beams and 2x8's for the joist. you do not need the center beam this way. you can buy hardware to anchor the beams to the footings.


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