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My neighbor said my deck framing looked 'overbuilt' and it got me thinking
He's a retired engineer, not a carpenter, and he pointed at my doubled 2x10 beams and asked if I really needed all that for a 12x16 deck. I explained the span charts and load, but his question stuck with me about when extra strength is needed versus just added cost and weight. Where do you all draw the line between solid construction and going overboard on a residential job?
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robinson.reese15d ago
That engineer is right to ask, but span charts are the line. Overbuilding is when you ignore them just to feel safe.
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susanm2215d ago
Right? I saw a deck build last year where they doubled up every joist "just in case." The span chart said 2x8s at 16 inches were fine, but they used 2x10s at 12 inches. That's not safety, that's just wasting money and making the design weird. When do we stop trusting the actual engineering?
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