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Project Difficulty:
Difficult
Estimated
Project Time: 1/2 day
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Safety goggles
Hearing protectors (when cutting lumber)
NIOSH-approved dust mask or respirator (when cutting lumber)
Work gloves
Heavy-duty work boots
Measuring tape
Circular saw
Lumber
Chalk line
Power drill and bits
Hammer
16d galvanized nails or 3-1/2" deck screws
For bracing:
2 ladders (if needed)
Power miter saw, or jig for cutting 45-degree angles
Lag screws, bolts, or carriage bolts, as needed
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Blocking, also called solid bridging, is made of short pieces of joist material that are wedged between the joists and arranged in a staggered row.
Blocking removes bends in joists, keeps them from twisting over time, and adds some rigidity to the deck. If your joists span 12 feet or more, a row of blocking is a good idea, though it is something of a nuisance to install.
Bracing can add a classic, handcrafted look, and for less work than you might think. The only challenges are making accurate 45-degree cuts, and making sure adjoining braces are exactly the same size. Be ready to recruit an assistant to help hold the boards in place while you fasten them to the deck.
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1.
Blocking
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1) Chalk a line across the tops of the joists at midspan to mark where the row of blocking will go.
2) To start, cut four or five blocks to fit between your joists. Their size will be your joist spacing minus 1-1/2 inches (so for joists spaced 16 inches apart, cut blocking to 14-1/2 inches). Don't cut them all at once; as you proceed, you may find that you need to make them a little larger or smaller.
3) Install the blocks in a staggered manner on either side of your chalk line (Fig. 1). This makes inserting nails or screws a lot easier. Drive 16d galvanized nails or 3-1/2-inch deck screws through the face of the joist and into the end grain of each block.
The blocks should fit snugly enough to stay in place but should not cause your joists to bend. Check your joists for straightness as you work--eyeballing is fine, though you can use a string line every third block or so.
Blocking for the Rail Posts
If rail posts will be attached to a long outside joist, the post might wobble if the long joist is not attached to another piece of framing to keep it from flexing. So, install extra blocking as shown in Figure 2.
Decks raised above the ground more than 4 feet with 4x4s or more than 8 feet with 6x6s need extra lateral support to keep them from swaying. An on-top solid beam has less lateral strength than a bolted-on beam and may need bracing even if it is lower.
Solid skirting (siding panels that enclose your deck below the deck surface), will provide a good deal of lateral support and can take the place of bracing. Lattice skirting, however, is much less effective. Guidelines on bracing vary greatly from area to area, so check with your inspector. In most cases, bracing can be added after the deck is built.
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2.
Bracing
Braces that will span 6 feet or less can be made of 2x4s; for longer spans, use 2x6s.
Consider traffic patterns when deciding on your bracing. If you need to walk under the deck, a simple Y may be the best way to go; if you need more elaborate bracing, you may be able to leave one section unbraced if you really beef up the other sections.
"Y" Bracing
In most cases, simple "Y" bracing is sufficient. To brace a post under a solid beam, cut pieces of post material (4x4 or 6x6) to go under the beam and against the sides of the post, using lag screws for fasteners (Fig. 3).
Alternatively, use 2x4s or 2x6s and attach them to the face of the post and beam, using 16d galvanized nails or 3-1/2-inch deck screws (Fig. 4).
For beams attached to opposing sides of a post, sandwich the braces between the beams and secure with lag screws, bolts, or carriage bolts (Fig. 5).
Other Bracing Patterns
Larger projects may require more elaborate bracing patterns (Figs. 6 and 7). These are all best done with 2x4s or 2x6s attached to the face of the post and beam with lag screws.
Rather than using a measuring tape, first mark the posts and beams, and then hold up the braces for marking.
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