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?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinson.reese2mo ago

That engineer is right to ask, but span charts are the line. Overbuilding is when you ignore them just to feel safe.

susanm222mo 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?

coleman.derek1mo ago

So where exactly is the line between being safe and just showing off? That deck build you saw is a perfect example. Doubling up joists when the span chart already says you're good is just throwing money at a problem that ain't there. It's like these guys think the engineers who made those charts were just guessing or something. Trust the numbers, not your gut feeling when your gut doesn't know math.