# Shortening deck, lack of posts at corners?!



## crapbathroom (Mar 25, 2008)

I got a nifty reminder from houserepairtalk.com saying that i'd been inactive, then I remembered that I DO have an issue that needs solving! ...Okay, so on the front of my house when we moved in was a BEAUTIFUL(not) concrete slab porch, typical 1970's workmanship eh? Anyway, we tried for ages to get that sucker destroyed, unfortunately apparently unlike the rest of the house, the contractors ACTUALLY knew what they were doing, and made this bugger to last a few wars, perhaps even a nuclear meltdown? We then decided since the porch was now obviously very unsafe (as in, the sides were all rough and if you fell, well...it'd really hurt) to put a decked porch over-top, something that is (or was at the time) code. The deck since, at the time we weren't planning on leaving for an extremely long time, was built to the property line which isn't code but it's okay if you're not selling, obviously if you're selling though...this has to be fixed. We pulled off the hideous railings (we plan on leaving it without railings, its more esthetically pleasing and they weren't safe railings anyway...note: it's like a foot off the ground, it wouldn't kill you if you fell off, or even seriously injure you), and are going to cut the deck back to the exterior wall, HOWEVER there isn't a post close enough to the area we want to pull it back to, on either side of the deck, but at this point the deck is mostly resting on the slab. Anyway, we've now decided to put in three posts, JUSTINCASE, just for extra stability, and comfort. The downside? it's March, it's 4 degrees out, it's snowing, our house is up for sale, and even though we can pound the spikes into the ground (this is also code, because the deck is mainly supposed by this hideous slab), how on earth are we going to get the bloody spikes in?


what i was thinking was pulling up deck boarding where necessary, so whereever i need to put the post, one at either end, and one in the middle, pound the posts holders/spikes in at that point (level them obv.), then attach all the regular bits like joist handers/skirting etc. my only issue is that i BELIEVE the floor joists (what the boards are attached to) run from the house, to the direction of the road, end to end..rather than from the property line, to the drive-way end to end, meaning that when i cut the deck...i'll be cutting between floor joists, are you with me still? 

what i'm meaning to ask is, what do i do now? obviously i dont need to connect the floor joists to the frame because they don't run in the appropriate direction, so how do i attach the framing and posts to the rest of the deck?


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## Square Eye (Mar 25, 2008)

If the cut is going to be parallel with the joists, then you will fasten a new joist to the band joists and to the new posts. Cover it with an floor board.

If the cut is going across the joists (perpendicular) Then you fasten the new band joist to the ends of the floor joists and to the posts.

OR

Am I completely misunderstanding what you're asking?


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## inspectorD (Mar 25, 2008)

I think I'm still confused ...even after I looked at my pictures to understand it.
But I get it now.  
You need to add some structure between the joists to hold the posts. Just as Square eye said. You can add the same material sizes and nail them when you remove some decking. If you are not going to remove any decking, this will be a tough upgrade.

Being a Home inspector, I like updates. However also being a homeowner and selling a house or two, I wait to see what folks want fixed before volunteering new stuff no one cares about.
Even if the realtor suggests it. 

Someone may like it with no railings, it is only 12 inches. I don't know about Canadian codes, but you don't need it here in the US until you go over 30 inches off the grade.
Ask an find out.
Have fun with it.


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