Hi all - am planning a low level deck and have everything sorted (I think) apart from one question, which I'm hoping someone can assist me with.
I've consulted span tables, and have settled on double 190x45 bearers and 140x45 joists, to avoid having to dig too many holes. As the top of the decking is only 450mm off the ground, I won't be using posts, but will be attaching the bearers directly into stirrups, which will then be set in concrete.
Two of my bearers need to be around 7 metres long, so there will need to be a join somewhere along each 190x45 length. Clearly the joins should be staggered, but I was wondering if each join also needs to be located above a stirrup, or does the fact that the bearers are nailed together mean this is not necessary? My concern with joining above a stirrup (as per the attached photo that I found on the net) is that the bolt is very close to the end of one of the bearer lengths.
I'm not an engineer - maybe this is OK. The other option is to join between stirrups, and reinforce with a nail plate, but I would appreciate any advice folk can offer.
Thanks in advance
Phil
Community manager's note: Check out How to build a low-level deck for expert advice.
