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Building
Permits
Required for any deck
attached to a structure or any detached deck.
Frost
Footings
Required for any deck
attached to a dwelling, porch or garage that has frost footings.
The minimum depth to the base of the footing is 48”.
Live Load
All decks shall be
designed to support a live load of 40 pounds per square foot.
Guardrails
Required on all decks
more than 24 inches above grade. Rail must be 36 inches minimum in
height. Open guardrails and stair railings must have intermediate
rails or an ornamental pattern that a four inch sphere cannot pass
through.
Cantilevers: “Overhanging Joists and Beams”
Joists should not
overhang beams by more than two feet, nor should beams overhang
posts by more than one foot unless a special design is approved.
Flashing
All connections
between deck and dwelling shall be weatherproof. Any cuts in
exterior finish shall be flashed.
Framing
Details
Header beams more than
six feet and joists over 12 feet long that frame into ledgers or
beams shall be supported by approved framing anchors such as joist
hangers.
Nails and
Screws
Use only stainless
steel, high strength aluminum or hot-dipped galvanized. Approved
nails must be used on joist hangers as per manufacturers specs.
Wood
Required
All exposed wood used
in the construction of decks is required to be of approved wood of
natural resistance to decay (redwood, cedar, etc.) or
approved treated wood. This includes posts, beams, joists, decking
and railings. When redwood and cedar are proposed it must be
verified as heartwood.
Stairs
Minimum width is 36
inches. Maximum rise is 8 inches, minimum rise is 4 inches.
Minimum run is 9 inches. Largest tread width or riser height shall
not exceed the smallest by more than
3/16 inch.
Nominal 2” material required for exterior stair construction.
Handrails
The top shall be
placed not less than 30 inches or more than 38 inches above the
nosing of the treads. Stairways having four or more risers shall
have at least one handrail. Handrail ends shall be returned or
terminated in posts. The hand grips shall not be less than 11/2
inches or more than 2 inches in cross-sectional dimension or the
shape shall provide an equivalent gripping surface. The handgrip
shall have a smooth surface with no sharp corners.
Special
Design Note
Some deck designs may
not be appropriate should the placement of a screen porch or
3-season porch on the deck platform be a future consideration.
Setbacks for porches are not the same as setbacks for decks.
Inspection of footings is required before backfilling post or
placement of concrete.
Construction Inspection required:
- Prior
to decking and after if deck is less than 2 feet from grade.
- After
completion if deck is more than 2 feet from grade.
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