DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

What fasteners to use for 4x4 deck posts

29K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  Tom Struble 
#1 ·
I want to attach 4x4 deck posts to the outside of deck into the rim joist. What fasteners and/or methods are recommended?
 
#3 ·
wood joints v/s metal

personally I prefer attaching girders, joists, and as many other projects that require fasteners, by notching out members for a solid joint for support.
this easily done by making several cuts w/ skill saw at desired depth and then removing excess w/chisel then screw or nail joint to insure durability.if you want to get fancy try drilling joint and installing peg or dowel like in post and beam construction
 
#10 ·
And yet their Code Check books are exactly like ours..........lol

Be safe, Gary
 
#12 ·
I'm in Western Canada as mentioned and our codes here are definitely lax when it comes to deck posts. I don't believe our code in my city even states any requirements for posts - most people don't use them and attach their ballisters to the rimjoists for support. Others use 2x4's as posts.

What I'm looking for mainly is feedback regarding methods of mounting an unnotched 4x4 post directly to the rim joist. I don't want to use the brackets mentioned in Gary's link as I believe this is overkill and an unnecessary expense, but probably the best possible method. I want to know what experiences you've had with lag bolts, straight up decking screws, or any other methods.

I've read some articles(including Gary's link) that state that lag bolts will fail(we're talking two 6" long 1/2" lag bolts). I find this hard to believe - I live on a third floor condo with a concrete balcony. Metal rails are anchored into the concrete with tiny 1" bolts. I haven't been able to shake them loose yet and this definitely is nowhere near as sturdy as lag bolts into wood.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top