After setting a carrying beam into the ground, Archadeck of Suburban Boston carpenter Eric Roberts frames the deck joist assembly.
Carpenter Eric Roberts rakes the grade smooth as he prepares to set joists for the deck. The joists, like the buried beam, were framed with lumber treated to ground-contact levels, as specified by the wood treating industry standard.
Because the joist at the edge of the deck would run above the edge of the patio, the beam to carry that joist needed to be inset into the patio itself. Here, Roberts cuts a paver to fit around the beam.
Roberts cuts a paver to fit around the beam end.
Roberts fits a cut paver around the end of the grade beam. The beam will not show when the deck is completed.
A view of the deck framing at the point of intersection between the patio and the deck.
Deck joists in position along the ledger at the house wall during framing.
This joist had to be ripped to a slightly narrower width at the point where the deck's curved front edge would pass above the patio pavers.
Roberts pins the joists in place at the ledger board with pneumatic nails (left), then reinforces the connection with galvanized Simpson joist hangers (right).
A view of the joist resting on the buried beam at the lower side of the home's graded back lawn. This edge of the deck has a slight drop-off. A bench will be placed along this side of the deck, combining seating with a safety function.
Roberts drives a LedgerLok structural screw through the deck's end joist and into the ledger and the house band joist.
Roberts snaps a line across the joist system as he begins the process of pulling the joists into plane and stiffening the deck with blocking.
Carpenter Eric Roberts begins to apply a straightening method he devised, employing a strongback to pull the joists into plane before reinforcing the frame with solid bridging.
Using a 3-4-5 diagonal measurement, Roberts squares the end of the deck to the house before locking the deck joists into position.
Roberts lays out the deck joist spacing along the strongback.
Given the variations in lumber straightness, joist heights can vary by a quarter to a half inch. Here, Roberts pulls the top edges of the joists into alignment by screwing into the joist through the strongback with LedgerLok structural screws.
With the strongback screwed to each joist, the deck has become much closer to perfect flatness.
Roberts lays out the joists for blocking (left), then cuts blocks to fit and attaches them with Lok structural screws (right).
A view of the deck frame showing the temporary strongback still in place, and staggered solid bridging installed.