[wayne007]

Help I'm a newbie at decks and I'm doing it my self so I'm looking for a simple yet effective fix. I have an existing deck without railings and I'd Like to add posts. Some places recommend just mounting the posts on the decking yet this seems too flimsy. If I were to place the post 8" under the deck and lag bolt to the ledger would that work?

 

[de-nagorg]

Yes.

Ideally the posts should be through posts, I.E., the same posts that are the base in the ground go through the floor and become the railing support also.

You could lag bolt your railing posts to the support posts in the same way as you propose to do, and this will be stronger than just to the rim joist.


ED

 

[Daniel Holzman]

I suggest you examine the recommendations in the Prescriptive Residential Deck Construction Guide available here at no cost http://www.awc.org/codes-standards/publications/dca6. In particular, take a look at page 19, which includes diagrams of approved guard post installation techniques. YOUR LOCAL CODE MAY BE DIFFERENT, I suggest you discuss the project with your local building inspector before construction.

 

[bcemail]

There are some new connectors to connect to the surface of the deck but you also usually need to put in extra blocking under the deck. You can then decide if you want them inside the room joist or outside. If inside then you need to cut through decking. I'm just putting in new posts on my deck, outside the rim joist. My code calls for using connectors so I'm using Simpson DTT2 deck ties. If they line up with a joist you connect it to the joist. If they fall in between two joists you connect to each of the joists and add blocking.

Start with your local code. You can probably find it online.


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