We have a roughly 10x30 elevated wood deck off the pack of our house. The joists are all 2x6 16oc. The posts are 4x4 and are holding up a beam that the joists hang off of with joist hangers. I feel this deck is under built, though I will say it feels very solid for what it is.
I plan on doing the following:
- add a beam under the joists a foot or so in (to lessen the initial span).
- use 6x6 posts.
The big question: Do I need to replace the 2x6 joists and make them larger?
I'm finding mixed answers out there on the internet. Some span tables include 2x6 and claim about a 9'6" span when 16OC. Others simply say "don't use 2x6 joists.
If I do have to replace the joists, we're probably looking at a full tear down and starting from scratch. I can live with that, but if I can save the time, money, and extra waste going to the dump by keeping the 2x6s, I'd be certainly for it.