how much weight can my deck hold

Add to this the weight of the tub itself and any filters, pumps etc and you will have a total weight for the whole thing. To calculate the weight of the deck, I’ll use a 10×10 deck for this example. Dividing by 5 will allow you to determine that 4500 lbs is the max live load your deck can hold. Knowing the tributary load of each footing can help us determine the diameter of each footing. But decks 2 feet or higher will need added support. Such calculations would hold if, for instance, the load is square. For the majority of building codes in North America, you’ll find that span charts are created to account for a 40-pound live deck load and 10-pound dead load. The three major types of wood species used in deck construction are Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), some combination of Spruce, Pine, and Fir (SPF), and Redwood, Western Cedar, or Red Pine. Wondering how much weight can a tension rod hold? Therefore, if you have a deck beneath a roof eave where snow will slide onto, you either need to regularly clear your deck or install a roof snow guard of some type. or 7 lb. On, not in. A 3 ply 2×8 beam for a deck with a width of 10’ allows for a maximum span of 6’. I spent a week at a vacation house on the Russian River, and the rickety deck (about 15 feet off the ground) had a pretty large 4-person hot tub jacuzzi on it. The use of structural, hex-head wood screws is a better choice, as they have a much higher shear capacity compared to standard 16d nails used in deck construction. In that case, designing your deck in that state for 65 pounds per square foot probably isn’t necessary as the snow would either melt or could easily be cleared before you would use your deck. That number is simply a minimum requirement. It is 10'x16', framed with pressure treated wood. A key indication of your fastener load bearing capacity is what you’ve used to affix beams to joists and posts to beams. Now it is simply a matter of finding the area for each rectangle. Simply because it is assumed that you will clear your deck prior to inviting 20 of your friends over for a beer on that deck. That number is simply a minimum requirement. To calculate the load, you should use 40lbs per square foot for live loads (these are variable loads that are dynamic such as the weight of people and furniture) and 15 lbs per square foot for dead loads (this is the weight of the materials used for the construction of the deck) for a … If I'm not mistaken, usually hot tubs are sunken into decks. Now you have an area for each footing. Most decks will hold more – sometimes significantly more – than 50 pounds per square foot. Most decks will hold more – sometimes significantly more – than 50 pounds per square foot. Here’s what I’ve discovered: Yes, you can put a hot tub on a deck. Thanks for the advice. If you look at the joist span tables above, it doesn’t take long to see that SYP is stronger than the other lumber species. 855 lb. For … Do I need to hire a professional to do that? Add to this the weight of the tub itself and any filters, pumps etc and you will have a total weight for the whole thing. Ask MetaFilter is a question and answer site that covers nearly any question on earth, where members help each other solve problems. First, you divide the tributary load of 1500 – the weight-bearing capacity of the default soil type used to determine building codes. Don't get confused with what weight you might think or want to load the deck with. Have a look underneath your deck. As always, thanks for taking the time to read this article. total weight. Some building inspectors may demand that your deck be designed with snow load plus live/dead loads. To safely install a roof deck, the roof needs to be able to support about 55 pounds of weight per square foot in general. How does this affect load-bearing capacity? To determine the maximum load capacity of your deck, start by calculating its total area and multiply by 50 psf. Aimee Ann on June 7, 2018 at 4:04 pm I have a 2nd story rec room, measuring 24×18 in … So, if the spa is less than 100 pounds per square foot you likely have nothing to worry about. With this size, you can figure that a deck will weigh about 55-pounds per square foot. It is also not as strong, which will result in potentially more footings since cedar cannot span the same distances as pressure-treated wood such as SPF or SYP. If structural screws were used in conjunction with deck fastening hardware, then it’s likely your deck weight bearing capacity is more than the minimum. You’ll also have to know the type of lumber used – in this case it is SPF since we are up north. Let’s take a 12×10 foot deck as an example. So I think I'm going to get a pro out there to spec it out. Also, deck maitnance is key (waterproofing and that kind of stuff) to prevent the wood from rotting. This number is the footing area – but we need the diameter. It is always wise to contact a professional to get an accurate estimate of what your deck can safely handle. It’s possible that it could hold much more weight than 50 lbs. Figuring Out How Much Your Deck Handle As a general rule of thumb, if you have a deck that’s raised only a couple feet or less, it can support about 100 pounds per square foot. This means that if you had a 100 square foot deck (10′ x 10′), you’d be able to hold 5,000 pounds above it (assuming the weight was evenly distributed). 3000/1500 is 2. Lastly, we’ll take a look at the different types of lumber you can use for your deck and how it will affect the weight capacity of the overall structure. Understanding the amount of weight your deck beam can hold is, however, only one part of the equation. He is passionately interested in home improvement, renovation and woodworking. If you don't already have plans for the deck, draw up a sketch showing the size and spacing of bearers and joists (including the material if you can), the dimensions and materials of the decking itself and the details of how it is held up. Here’s an example from deckmagazine.com: A 56-sq ft. hot tub with a dry weight of 855 lbs. On the other end, a 2x6 can support a V8 engine of between 600 – 700 lbs. However, snow load does not account for homes that shed snow off their roof onto their deck. Default is 50 psf which you can change. The type of lumber used is also critical in determining how much weight your deck can hold. The depth of each structural member will also be a key player here. But what does that mean? But keep in mind those are just estimates. Decks built ground level up to 2 feet off the ground can support up to 100 lbs per square foot; sufficient for most hot tubs. (8.35 lbs / gallon). Soil matters. Make the investment now to ensure you have a sturdy deck lest you get screwed later on. This is for soils that are a mix of loam, silt, and clay, which also happens to be one of the weaker types of soil. If you want to host a large party on your deck but still aren’t sure if it can handle the weight, it’s best to contact a building engineer. The next portion is to figure out how much weight this footing is going to hold. Therefore, a deck of 120 square feet multiplied by 50 shows that your deck can hold 6000 pounds, including the structure. There is no specific amount of weight that each weight plate can support, however they can only hold up to 10. So if a hot tub like the one in the example is under that weight, the average deck should be able to support it. There are many variables when it comes to calculating deck load capacity. Then find the square root, and multiply times 2. Remember, you don’t need to be a structural engineer to determine how much weight your deck can handle. Of course, this isn’t something you’ll want to guesstimate. The GVW includes the weight of the trailer itself, plus its payload and anything that adds to the total weight. As the weight of the tub full of water will have to be calculated in addition to however many people the deck is deemed fit for, it is highly unlikely that the deck can take the extra weight legally, unless it was over-engineered in the first place. per square foot. We’ll have to install another footing beneath the beam. A residential deck should be designed to hold 50 psf (40 psf live load and 10 psf dead load). We get just over 19” for our footing diameter. If your footing is 24” sonotube, then it is more than strong enough to support your deck. My favorite storage solution is to shove more and more stuff “up in the rafters.” And that got me thinking… how much weight can my roof trusses take? When you add a spa or hot tub to a deck you are adding a lot of weight. and eek out a longer span. That means half of the deck closest to the house is entirely supported by the ledger board. It is only slightly stronger than SPF lumber or Redwood and Wesetern Cedar. The other half is supported by the footings supporting the beam. Many building departments limit joist cantilevers to 24" maximum. Remember that pi x diameter equals a circle’s area. The average homeowner does not have the tools available to determine how much more weight your deck can hold than the … If your deck is built to code, then it is designed to hold a minimum of 50 pounds per square foot, of which ⅘ of that total is the “live” load. Why? The amount of weight that each individual footing can hold is called the tributary load. Mind, you didn't say embedded. is probably wise, you’ll notice that North Carolina, for instance, only has an average snow load of 15 pounds per square foot. That means more footings and/or larger dimensional lumber, 12” o.c. The … Now keep in mind that the deck is meant to sustain that load over its entirety – not in a concentrated area. Check out this post to find out precisely what is the maximum weight holding capacity of your rod. Help me make my curtains as noiseproof as possible. Let’s change that area of 2 square feet into inches. If there is no strong wind, a 2x4 measuring at least 8 feet can support at least 1,000 pounds vertically. In that case, you’ll need to know what the average snow load is per your geographic region – a snow load chart helps. If your deck was built to code and the appropriate permits were pulled and signed off on, then it is entirely likely your deck holds a minimum of 50 pounds per square foot. SYP lumber can span 10’ – 2’ more than the other species. How much weight will a .125 inch wood screw support? We’ll say the tributary load of your interior deck footing is 3000 pounds. Advice for building a back yard cabin,... Atlanta MeFites: Contractor recommendations required! ... After adding a spa, plus water, plus people in the hot tub you can add around 6000 lbs to your deck. Putting a hot tub on a deck requires understanding the tributary loads of each part of your deck. Today we give you the short (for us) answer to this question, How much weight can a floating shelf hold? Weight. They will tell you exactly what the code is for that sort of thing. can hold 420 gallons of water and seat 6-7 people (average weight per person = 185 lbs.). Ask MetaFilter is where thousands of life's little questions are answered. Then check out this footing load table, which can tell you exactly how big your footings need to be based on the size of the post, the span of the beam, and the length of your joists. Below I’ve listed a few of the major areas that give a deck the ability to sustain large amounts of weight. Take a close look at the hardware. Since a hot tub will more than likely fall into the area of just one, or maybe two, footings, we need to know that one footing can handle the weight of a hot tub. tub + 3500 lbs. Generally, we’re talking about 50 pounds per square foot. This includes furniture, people, etc. Divide that distance in half. Eugene has been a DIY enthusiast for most of his life and loves being creative while inspiring creativity in others. This is a critical number to know as a deck owner, particularly if you ever plan on putting something very heavy on your deck, such as a hot tub or gazebo. One of our last variables in determining deck weight bearing capacity, fasteners, are arguably the most important aspect of deck construction and the most overlooked. In fact, the snow that slides off the roof and piles up over winter is extremely heavy. Using the example above, if you have a beam of that size built with SYP lumber, and you have a span of 10’ but with three footings instead of two, you can safely assume the overall weight-bearing capacity of the deck is far more than 50 pounds per square foot. For instance, a 3-ply 2×12 beam can span 8’ between footings when joists are 12’ long when both SPF or Western Cedar is used. The total load for each tributary area is then divided by the area of each footing in order to determine the load psf imposed on the soil. To drop me a line how much weight can my deck hold let me know how much weight your deck and how works... Listed a few of the deck, I 'm sure, have a standard deck is no specific amount weight! ', framed with pressure treated wood the square root, and myself our footing diameter calculate those since... Of thing psf live load your deck be designed with snow load plus live/dead.. For taking the time to read this article for future readers purposes, we’ll you! 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