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Deck Beams Guide: Sizing, Building & Installing Them
I have built small beams for little platforms, and big triple-ply beams for large multi-level decks that carry a lot of weight. Quick answer: Deck beams are the heavy horizontal members that sit on top of your posts. They collect the weight from all your floor joists and send that weight down through the posts…
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Deck Joists: Complete Guide to Sizing, Spacing & Installing
I have installed hundreds of joists, and I have replaced just as many that were done wrong the first time. Quick answer: Deck joists are the horizontal boards that hold up your decking. They run between the ledger board and the beam, and they carry the floor load down to the frame. Most decks space…
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Deck Framing: How to Build a Strong, Square Frame That Lasts
I have built decks for over the years. I have framed small decks and big decks. I have also fixed a lot of bad frames built by other people. Quick answer: Deck framing is the wood skeleton under your decking boards. It is made of a ledger board, posts, beams, and joists. A good frame…
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Sam has spent years working with wood — from furniture building to fine finishing. The Wood Carpenter was built to share real, practical woodworking knowledge you can actually use in your workshop.