What is the maximum amount of space you can have between a floor joist and ledger board when building a deck?
Question:I am in the process of building a deck and when I nailed the floor joists to the ledger board I noticed the beams had become a bit seperated. There is probably between an 1/8 and 1/4 inch space between the joists and the ledger board. I know the joist hangers are supporting the weight but will having a small gap impact the structural integrity of the deck?
The only thing I nailed so far were the joists into the joist hangers/ledger board. The other end is still loose just resting on the main support beam.
Answers:
Since I don't know what area you're from, it might be best to check with your local building certifier or council.
My father is a building inspector and I know that even in areas within 50km of each other, different size rules apply.
Certain national standards may vary depending on the dryness of soil, closeness to ocean or water, commercial or domestic building, height off the ground (including first or second storey) and lots of other reasons.
The better the fit, the stronger the deck.
If the beams are still loose I would hit them at the end with a sledge hammer to seat them properly. The ledger board is less of an problem then the band joist. If you precut the joist and they are wavy on the ledger side then it will be the same on the other side. The band-joist needs to be tight against the joists. Also Use crews (5) instead of nails.
See you local building codes for requirements, but I would also recommend holddown anchors on the top of the floor joist and band-joist where you mount the railing.
anyways, good luck with your project.
Your deck should conform to the local building code.
Remember that there is expansion and contraction of materials. For example, ever notice that when a new house is built (esp. in humid weather) that when the house is finished and the AC is turned on, wood begins to contract because moisture is coming out of the wood--you may see the caulking around counter top backsplashes, door casing, ect., develop small cracks.
The amount of space between joists is important--if the floor has 'give' in it when you step on it between joists, then consider installing additional joists between each existing one.
you need to pre drill the holes and use decking screws.nails will pull away after awhile.
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