The upper deck 196x93mm (double) joists rest on 93x93mm posts, and there are other 93x93mm posts on top of the double joists that go up to the roof. One of the lower posts has twisted around, and I want to twist it back and hold it in place somehow. I want to put a 400x75mm metal plate between the two posts anyway (as the old ones have rusted) and probably bolt new brackets (160x160x75mm)under the joists. I have not seen plans for how steel hardware is supposed to go on a two story deck. The building inspector had no idea, and the original engineer is dead. I need brackets not with holes in the middle, as all joists are double. I suppose I will have to make the brackets myself.
But the Bowmac brackets have holes in the middle. If I use those, I will be screwing a bolt in the gap between two pieces of wood. I may as well make my own brackets with two holes side by side.
But really, there seems to be no recommended way to actually hold a two story deck together, since it is necessary to fit three pieces of 93mm wide horizontal wood on top of one 93x93mm vertical piece.
I will make new plates out of 400x90mm stainless steel, and make some new brackets out of 360x75x5mm steel which I will bend in the forge and zinc coat. I hate decks falling down and killing people.
zak410,
Dec 30, 4:54am
Personally, I don't think you can straighten the twisted post. Change it ?
trade4us2,
Dec 30, 6:26am
Yes I don't like the crack in it.
pauldw,
Dec 30, 7:43am
How old is this? You mention original engineer, do you mean that it was professionally designed? It looks off to me. How far from the coast are you? You may have no choice but go all stainless.
trade4us2,
Dec 30, 2:03pm
Yes it was professionally designed. What do you mean by "off"? Obviously it's rusty, as galvanised steel did when next to H3 or H5 treated timber. The deck is hardwood and is not rotten, just stained underneath.
A light guage nail plate just doesn't look "right" to me. Presumably the top posts hold a roof and the balustrade. I would have thought the bottom of those posts needed to be bolted.
trade4us2,
Dec 30, 8:32pm
There are a dozen different kinds of brackets there. Which one are you suggesting?
omamari,
Dec 30, 10:52pm
A stainless steel T, take your ick
tim41,
Dec 31, 7:39am
take the post out and replace with a laminated one,you'd be lucky to get the twist out of that
trade4us2,
Dec 31, 8:12am
I have bought a new post. Now I have to work out how to take the old one out and put the new one in, without the top deck and the roof falling down. A 3 tonne hydraulic jack should help.
tim41,
Dec 31, 10:24am
. did you get a laminated one?get an acrow prop
trade4us2,
Dec 31, 9:02pm
No I went to four timber merchants and none of them had any idea about laminated posts or any idea how to bolt them together, and Bowmac don't have what I need. I'm making an acrow prop as it was hard enough getting the timber in the car let alone anything longer.
trade4us2,
Dec 31, 10:46pm
My home-made acrow prop and jack lifts the deck just fine.
trade4us2,
Jan 1, 2:29am
OK the job is done. That was easy.
budgel,
Jan 1, 3:18am
Care to show us what hardware you ended up using?
trade4us2,
Mar 24, 6:02am
Well, the deck has been up for over 20 years with just nails to hold it together, and the nail plates that have now rusted. I have replaced one of the 9 posts as it was twisted and split and screwed everything with stainless screws. So it's better than it was. I have yet to get the stainless plates that will be screwed on with 14 SS screws each plate, and the three brackets will be bolted (one is done already).
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