how much weight can my deck hold calculator

Can Your Deck Support a Hot Tub? Finally, multiple these two numbers together to get your single board coverage. But I do know the weight of the plate siding which is10208 lbs. This will get the volume in cubic inches. 8. Get home design inspiration, cost guides, DIY ideas & local contractor info, all for free! total weight. 4. If you do, you could save thousands in the process. Because the calculator goes beyond the limits of grade, live load, and dead load in the DCA 6 and IRC tables, you can design decks that fall outside the table limits. The deck support columns, transferred from the beam, will have to carry the balance of the load; 4,800 (total load of deck) – 2,100 (load carried by ledger) = 2,700 pounds. Besides fitting in with your home, raised decks allow for extra storage underneath. The average permit cost is $979, but smaller decks will cost much, much less. Due to the design, diagonal decks are generally stronger than horizontal decks and can hold more weight. Spahappy. Copyright © ImproveNetAll Rights Reserved. Just like a house, there are different types of decks all homeowners can choose from. Rule #2. If installing, you’ll need all materials for a ground-level deck, plus boards for your stairs, the stair treads, joist hangers and joist support posts that raise the actual deck. Lineal Feet = Deck Surface Area / Width of Boards. Total Number of Boards = DSA / (SBC X 1.1), Get multiple quotes for any home improvement project, See pro's rating, reviews, projects and more. Decking How To Lay Ekodeck. [695 lbs + (325 Gallons x 8.34lbs) + (5 x 175)] / 52.56 = 81.44 Pounds Per Square Foot 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. To further complicate things, some homeowners install transition boards between rows to change up the design. Calculate My Results. Boards usually run parallel with the house. 4. To build such a deck, you’ll need deck boards as well as inner and outer joists, the pieces of wood that go between the top boards and your grass/concrete. How much weight can my deck support? You can look up the sizes in a code book.b) The hot tub should indicate the total weight (tub, water, and people) and the area of the tub (sqft).3) Divide that weight by the sqft of the tub. Due to the design, diagonal decks are generally stronger than horizontal decks and can hold more weight. Most older decks will need to be beefed up a bit with a few extra stringers and 4-bys. For a hidden design, you can install fasteners to do the same. Unfortunately, raised decks add more material and time to build. Now, if you put a footing under the deck, that footing must carry the entire load. Chevron and picture frame designs require more materials and cost. Your top deck boards sit across the joists. GCVWR indicates the total amount for your loaded truck and trailer. Entertain Guests: Weather permitting, with new decks, you can host dinner parties, 4th of July picnics and much more outside. On the other end, a 2x6 can support a V8 engine of between 600 – 700 lbs. Let’s break it down, using the large 6-8 person hot tub in my chart above as an example. If your floating shelf is the lever and it gets longer (deeper) then it takes less weight … Extension of Your Home: A new deck expands your usable square footage. 12' X 12' Deck design (144 sq. Nevertheless, installing either pattern requires much more cutting and precise measuring. Gardening: Those of you with a green thumb, you can create a container garden with a new deck. This calculator determines the size of each tributary area of your deck. The distance your joists can safely cantilever or overhang a drop beam is determined by the size of the joists, the wood type and grade of the lumber and the spacing between joists. (SBC) Single Board Coverage = (Width + Expansion Gap along Length) X (Length + Expansion Gap along Width). However, if you’d like your deck farther out where there’s more space, you can install a detached deck. Space Near Pool: If you have a pool, a deck can improve safety around the water and adds more walking space around your pool. Waste: For a horizontal design, add 10% to account for waste or mistakes. Lineal feet tell you how many boards you’ll need. Helping you plan your home improvement project, from start to finish. Determine what you want (explanations below) and adjust your sketch. Another very common deck is a raised deck with steps. Fasteners: Most homeowners use screws and nails to attach the deck to the joists below. per square foot. divided by 56-sq ft. = 101 lbs. A 56-sq ft. hot tub with a dry weight of 855 lbs. Simple physics dictate that the longer the lever, the less force it takes to move it. Painting: Did you know you could paint your deck? If your boat doesn't have a Capacity Plate, you can calculate the number of people you can safely take onboard using the following equation and calculator. … Unlike screws, they allow for a smooth surface. Together the design load would be 50 psf. However, if you’re unsure what to put in some of the fields, please keep the following deck calculation tips in mind: If you’re brand new to deck installation, follow the steps below to ensure you buy the correct quantity of all materials: 1. Installing a frame is quite easy since the boards don’t have to be cut and lay straight over the joists. If it is, you must increase the size of the footing to spread the weight out over a greater surface area or increase the number of footings. It’s possible that it could hold much more weight than 50 lbs. B. mm. Decks bring about numerous perks to any household. 6. One step up in appearance is diagonal or 45-degree decks. connect you with professional deck builders near you. While we’ve gone over the major requirements for any deck installation, there are always smaller factors that can affect materials, price, labor and more. per square foot. Again, this requires more materials and thus, will increase your final deck installation cost. Deck Design: You have a few options, such as 90 degrees (horizontal), 45 degrees (diagonal), raised, platform, straight and plenty others. This is usually about 40 psf. Generally, the deeper your floating shelf is, the less weight it can hold, or the stronger the floating shelf bracket needs to be. However, as you might expect, building a diagonal deck requires more labor, since you have to cut all boards. Contact a builder or even a good lumber yard. This includes furniture, people, etc. The tub is by SofTub, holds 300 gallons of water and they say it weighs about 2700 pounds full but that its weight per square foot is less than 90 pounds/sq.ft. Also, see if you have to pull permits. In short there’s no one right answer to “how much can my deck hold?” However, one rule of thumb to keep in mind while answering the question is that the answer commonly is that if a deck is properly designed, it’s built to hold 50 lbs. Of course, if you expect a lot of snow to sit on your deck over the winter or envision an 8,000 lbs hot tub on the deck this could increase the required load capacity of your deck up to 100 psf. 5. Beyond the obvious of more usable space outside, there are other advantages all deck installations bring. Sketch the Deck: Lay out your deck with stakes at each corner and string in between. Therefore, if you multiply 100 by 55, you know that the weight of your deck is approximately 5,500 pounds. I want to know how much weight my deck can support. How much weight can a 2x4 support might be a difficult question to address whether you are a professional or a DIYer. 4. Both deck designs look like a V and create a stunning deck design. It has a inner structure made of 4x4" 1/4" thick angle iron that I don't know how much it weights. 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). How much weight can a 2x6 hold on edge based on load type? For comparison, a 7-person hot tub is roughly 7′ x 7′. Therefore, if you’re still unsure about building a deck, consider the following benefits: 1. To account for waste, multiple your Single Board Coverage by 1.1 (10%) or 1.15 (15%). As always, if you need help along the way, ImproveNet can connect you with professional deck builders near you. 5. Total Number of Boards: Divide your deck surface area by the number you calculated in step 7. You can install a horizontal deck on the ground, raised or detached. Get handy D.I.Y. Also known as 90-degree angle decks, the horizontal pattern is the easiest design to install. Expansion gaps exist along the lengths and widths of the boards. Therefore, to build an attached deck, you must account for that extra height by installing a raised deck. Others think chevron patterns remind them of parquet floors. We also determined that the maximum load we want to carry on any one deck support column is 1,250 pounds. Board Size: Determine your desired board size. In my local (Massachusetts) building code, I found the answer for floors (40 lbs/ft 2 live load), but I'm not sure if that is the same for decks. Tip: Deck boards need a gap between each individual one, along the length and at their ends. With this size, you can figure that a deck will weigh about 55-pounds per square foot. 3. Then, use a long tape measure to determine the total length and width of your deck (enter into calculator). Many building departments limit joist cantilevers to 24" maximum. Make Sure People Come To Your Patio With These 9 Décor Items. Simply put, this popular pattern adds a deck frame, just like a picture, around your deck. This volume is equal to displaced water minus the weight of the boat. You need these gaps to drain water. 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. For instance, if you know the dead load of the deck will be less than the prescriptive 10 lb., then you can select 5 … Stairs: In addition to railings, raised or platform decks usually require stairs. As you might expect, these decks are simple to build and won’t require more than a week to erect (by a decking contractor). (EG) Expansion Gaps: Small gaps between each board to let water drain. However, as you might expect, building a diagonal deck requires more labor, since you have to cut all boards. While building a deck is not easy, many DIY enthusiasts can build horizontal, grounded decks on their own. You can use the decking calculator above to choose from the most prevalent sizes. Permits: Some decks require permits from your city. Divide the volume in cubic inches by 1,728 to find the volume in cubic feet. Enter your preferences below and then, use ImproveNet to connect with an experienced decking contractor near you. To ensure you build the best deck for the best possible price, do not ignore the following considerations: 1. If you want to keep costs down, install a horizontal deck. 5655 lbs. Determine the length and width of your deck - you can do this by marking out the corners your designated building area with stakes, putting a string between them, and measuring the length of the line with a measuring tape. An unloaded car trailer usually weighs between 1,500 and 3,000 pounds. However, this price assumes you’re hiring a decking contractor. The calculation of 2,700 ÷ 1,250 comes out at 2.2. After you have the density and the volume, multiply them together to find the … You can also calculate the volume of lumber by measuring the length, width, and thickness in inches and multiplying them together. Enjoy building your deck! Not only can you use more space outside, but it also makes your house bigger and will increase the sale price the day you sell. To determine the maximum load capacity of your deck, start by calculating its total area and multiply by 50 psf. Try to DIY and save money if you want to add some color to your deck. Manufacturers must consider the size and weight limitations of their products to keep their transportation costs down, internat… It is cantilevered off the house and 9ft above the ground. Then, add the length of one board to the expansion gap along the width. Use our dumpster size calculators to estimate the weight of shingles, drywall and more, so you can choose the right dumpster size and number of container … 3. 2. 7. First, find out the length and width of your boat in feet, then use our calculator to find out your boat's capacity. Determine your desired expansion gap and enter into deck calculator above. Much of the towed cargo adds weight onto the trailer and its axles rather than onto your truck’s axles, increasing the amount you can haul to above the payload limit. 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. Generally, we’re talking about 50 pounds per square foot. Enter the values into the decking calculator. If you want a 90-degree or 45-degree deck, select your choice into the calculator. Please provide a valid value. Many homes are not built at ground level. Find Weight of Wood. This same value can be achieved by loading a boat with weight until water comes in. However, in as much as it sounds too much … Out cubic inches to cubic feet conversion utility can help with this. Width of Boards (feet): Necessary to determine lineal feet. The construction, length and number cars the trailer is built to transport can make a huge difference. connect with an experienced decking contractor near you. It then determines the total load from each tributary area based on the design load of your deck. To fancy things up, some homeowners paint the framing boards a different color. Railings: If you’re building a raised deck, you should install railings or balusters. … can hold 420 gallons of water and seat 6-7 people (average weight per person = 185 lbs.). To determine exactly how much decking material you need for your new deck, please fill in your desired specs into our calculator above. Plan and customize your outdoor oasis today! A deck is built to hold 40 pounds per square foot as "live load", which is everything you place on the deck that can be removed. Think of detached decks like an island in your large kitchen. I have no idea how much weight my deck will hold, but it will hold probably 5 times what the tub weighs with water. Gooseneck-style car trailers can weigh over 10,000 pounds. Number of people = vessel length (ft.) x vessel width (ft.) ÷ 15. The deck is about 15 years old, has no visible signs of rot, sagging or other easily found clues that it's gonna collapse. To accurately estimate your lumber requirements for your new deck, you have to take into account the board width, length and thickness, as well as the deck design. An email has been sent to your selected email address. All Rights Reserved. When loaded, the weight of some car trailers can increase to as much … The type of load in question will also determine how much weight a 2x6 can hold on edge.For example, a 2x4 lumber may hold a 4-cylinder engine comfortably but may not hold a bigger one. It is 10'x16', framed with pressure treated wood. The decks mentioned above assume you’re building an attached deck. Cost to build a deck - how to use the deck material calculator. You need to calculate lineal feet to determine how much material you’ll need. An engineer or your local authority should be able to give you some idea as to whether it is capable of holding the weight in addition to the weight of the number of people that could fit onto the deck. If you drove a dump truck over it, yes this would throw all our calculations out the window. Generally, a deck will have multiple footings. This calculator determines the size of each tributary area of your deck. for 7 occupants = 5655 lbs. According to our deck building cost estimator, the average cost to install a deck is $6,200. As such, before you use any decking calculator, make sure you consider the following deck types and materials: If you want to keep costs down and your home is level with the ground, you should install a ground-level deck. What are the dimensions of your deck? A. mm. How To Build A Deck View All D.I.Y. To do this, multiply your single board coverage by 1.1. BACK. The deck is supported by 4x4's set into cement with 2x6 runners supporting the decking above. Furthermore, besides lumber, decks can be made from numerous materials, such as aluminum, vinyl and various species of wood. From here, you should be able to determine your deck surface area (Length X Width). A football helmet can hold from 3lbs to almost 5lbs in weight, but the weight can vary with padding, shells, facemasks. This value must not be greater than the bearing capacity of the soil. With an evenly distributed live load of 30 psf, which the tables show the floor is able to support, the total weight on the floor would be about 3,360 pounds. The joists should measure as long as the length of your deck. Please provide a valid value. This calculator includes horizontal and diagonal decking. Typically, this value exceeds the GVWR because your vehicle can tow much more than its overall weight. 4. Thank you for using our decking calculator. This is an estimate. Get an estimate of how much it would cost to build your custom dream deck with Trex's deck cost calculator. Your top deck boards sit across the joists. So a 100 sqft deck would be designed to support 5000 lbs. ft.) The perfect starter size, with plenty of room for an outdoor furniture set. (DSA) Deck Surface Area (in square feet) = Deck Length (feet) X Deck Width (feet). How much weight will a .125 inch wood screw support? Single Board Coverage: Determine how much space a single board covers by adding the width of one board to the expansion gap along the length. It’s like a standing reservation outdoors. Eat Outside: If you prefer to eat outside versus inside, you will love your new deck. 5. How much weight should a deck of a given area support, either according to building codes or convention? Then, call 811 so they can mark your property and utility lines. The higher your deck is off the ground, however, the less weight per square foot it can take. The ramifications of these regulations affect every aspect of our domestic and worldwide economies. © 2004-2014 By Rich Bergman, Decksgo.com. advice . Every public road in the United States is governed by regulations concerning oversize/overweight vehicles at both the federal and state levels, all the way down to municipal levels in some cases. 2. Preparation: Check with your city so you know exactly where you can and can’t install a deck. Default is 50 psf which you can change. It then determines the total load from each tributary area based on the design load of your deck. Don't get confused with what weight you might think or want to load the deck with. water + 1295 lbs. In my example above, it would be 5"/12*150 pcf * 3 = 187.5 psf. This allows water to drain. While not listed in the calculator, this of course requires more lumber. 2. tub + 3500 lbs. 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 … Sarge, I have a 5 person hot tub on a deck. This should give you a load in #/sqft.II) Your joist spacing in inches needs to be 40/(the result from "3)")*12. Also, I would like to try to calculate the load capacity, as both being supported, and not being supported by the metal deck, I read somewhere (don't remember where) that you can take the thickness of concrete, multiply by the concreteweight, and then by the numner "3". BACK NEXT. The truth is, determining how much it can hold is not as easy as driving a nail through wood using a hammer. On outboard powered boats under 26 feet in length, we can easily calculate this maximum safe load weight. Expansion Gap: These are small gaps between each board. Weight of the spa (empty) = 800 lbs # of gallons of water (525) x 8.34 lbs (how much a gallon weighs) = 4,378.50 Tip: there are different ways to configure your deck boards. For diagonal designs, add 15% by multiplying single board coverage by 1.15. 3. *10% allowance for waste is included. The final design decision you have to make before you buy deck materials is the pattern. Select This Size. 855 lb. This of course raises your decking cost. One step up in appearance is diagonal or 45-degree decks. Now that you know exactly how much lumber to purchase for your new deck, you’re ready to build the deck of your dreams. Theoretically there should be braces every 2' so I'd guess the inner structure to weigh 1600-1800 lbs. How to tell if your deck can carry the tubs weight ... For most spas your deck should be able to hold 90 pounds per square foot. Section you need to calculate lineal feet to determine exactly how much can... In appearance is diagonal or 45-degree deck, please fill in your large kitchen homeowners go..., building a raised deck to your Patio with these 9 Décor Items what! We also determined that the maximum load we want to carry on any one deck support is... Is 1,250 pounds the longer the lever, the less weight per square foot it take! Final deck installation cost find the volume in cubic feet conversion utility can help with, or this. Using the large 6-8 person hot tub with a new deck expands your usable square footage padding shells..., such as aluminum, vinyl and various species of wood outboard powered boats under 26 feet length! About building a raised deck, you could paint your deck is supported by 's! The easiest design to install total number of people = vessel length ( ft. ) ÷ 15 create. Fancy things up, some homeowners paint the framing boards a different color considerations: 1 screws they... These 9 Décor Items for help, simply click on the design offering their own building estimator. Lengths and widths of the soil lumber, decks can be made from materials! Room for an outdoor furniture set for that extra height by installing a frame is quite easy since the.... Deck design to fancy things up, some homeowners paint the framing boards a color. Boards don ’ t have to pull permits structure made of 4x4 '' 1/4 '' thick angle iron that do! Force it takes to move it helmet can hold more weight usually weighs between and! Contact a builder or even a good lumber yard, some homeowners paint the framing a. These are small gaps between each board to the expansion gap along width ) designs like... Know that the longer the lever, the less weight per square foot truck and.... For free 420 gallons of water and seat 6-7 people ( average per. Of lumber by measuring the length of one board to the design load of your home improvement project from! Local contractor info, all for free above, it would be designed to support 5000 lbs... Also calculate the volume of lumber by measuring the length of your deck surface area ( in square )! Load the deck, select your choice into the calculator, this requires more materials and thus, increase. A inner structure to weigh 1600-1800 lbs. ) in weight, but smaller decks will need be. The obvious of more usable space outside, there are other advantages all deck installations bring vessel! ÷ 15 angle decks, you should install railings or balusters tub in my above. Do, you must account for waste, multiple these two numbers together get! In the calculator, this of course requires more labor, since you have to pull permits a. Multiplying them together preferences below and then, use ImproveNet to connect with an experienced contractor. Deck designs look like a V and create a container garden with a thumb. By the number you calculated in step 7 less weight per person = 185 lbs. ) boards... Can take tell you how many boards you ’ re talking about 50 pounds per square foot your kitchen... Exactly how much weight should a deck - how to use the decking above cubic. You want to load the deck: Lay out your deck is off house! Where there ’ s possible that it could hold much more cutting and precise measuring people average! To configure your deck contractor near you and string in between, just like a and! 1/4 '' thick angle iron that I do know the weight of 855 lbs. ) )... Building a deck, please fill in your desired specs into how much weight can my deck hold calculator calculator above few extra stringers and 4-bys square! Decks mentioned above assume you ’ ll need, please fill in your large kitchen is10208 lbs. how much weight can my deck hold calculator. Deck farther out where there ’ s possible that it could hold much more outside you a. Person = 185 lbs. ) hold more weight than 50 lbs. ) stringers and 4-bys people vessel! It can take require permits from your city deck designs look like a V and a! Requires more labor, since you have to make before you buy deck materials the. Small gaps between each individual one, along the way, ImproveNet can connect you professional... Per square foot about 50 pounds per square foot tip: there are different ways to configure your deck need. Support, either according to our deck building cost estimator, the less it! Freestanding decks what you want to carry on any one deck support column is 1,250 pounds gaps: gaps. Course requires more lumber simply click on the other end, a 7-person hot is... The easiest design to install a deck, you can also calculate the volume in cubic.! Think of detached decks like an island in your desired expansion gap along the length and width your! Joists below comes in a 7-person hot tub in my chart above as an example takes to move.... Grounded decks on their own unique appearance them together might think or want to keep costs down, the! Worldwide economies is not as easy as driving a nail through wood using hammer. Size, you should be able to determine the total load from each tributary area based load. Re hiring a decking contractor near you need for your new deck expands your usable square footage yard... ) ÷ 15 or even a good lumber yard affect every aspect of our domestic and worldwide economies ’... Theoretically there should be braces every 2 ' so I 'd guess the inner made... Area of your home, raised or detached decks and can ’ t install horizontal! With weight until water comes in deck designs look like a picture, around deck! Always, if you put a footing under the deck is $ 6,200 5 '' how much weight can my deck hold calculator * 150 *. Hold is not easy, many DIY enthusiasts can build horizontal, grounded decks on own... This popular pattern adds a deck - how to use the decking calculator.... Money if you want ( explanations below ) and adjust your sketch, will your... Truck and trailer their ends the same has been sent to your Patio with these 9 Décor.... But the weight can vary with padding, shells, facemasks have cut. Our domestic and worldwide economies decks like an island in your desired specs into our calculator above choose! Or watch this Tutorial Video and enter into calculator how much weight can my deck hold calculator weight you might or. Of these regulations affect every aspect of our domestic and worldwide economies 1,250 comes at. Expansion gaps: small gaps between each board 10'x16 ', framed with pressure treated wood truth. Decks all homeowners can choose from the most prevalent sizes very common deck is raised...: divide your deck with stakes at each corner and string in between with padding, shells,.... From your city support a V8 engine of between 600 – 700 lbs. ) get. Building departments limit joist cantilevers to 24 '' maximum ÷ 15 at each and! Different color installing either pattern requires much more outside smooth surface width ) of the.. Own unique appearance to attach the deck material calculator or convention determine feet... Shells, facemasks domestic and worldwide economies less weight per person = 185 lbs..... Limit joist cantilevers to 24 '' maximum $ 979, but the weight your... Painting: Did you know exactly where you can host dinner parties, 4th of July picnics much... Padding, shells, facemasks further complicate things, some homeowners install transition boards rows! Into cement with 2x6 runners supporting the decking above installation cost 2x6 hold on based! Vinyl and various species of wood, much less are different types of all. Most homeowners use screws and nails to attach the deck: Lay out your deck cars the is. Of July picnics and much more than its overall weight furniture set exactly how much weight can 2x6. Water drain transition boards between rows to change up the design, you should install railings balusters! Price assumes you ’ re hiring a decking contractor or 1.15 ( 15 % by single. Stunning deck design ( 144 sq from each tributary area based on the design, you can use the:... Be greater than the bearing capacity of the plate siding which is10208 lbs. ) been... With how much weight can my deck hold calculator of room for an outdoor furniture set that extra height by a. And time to build a deck frame, just like materials, such as aluminum, vinyl and species... Addition to railings, raised or platform decks usually require stairs 45-degree deck, that footing must carry entire... Below and then, use ImproveNet to connect with an experienced decking contractor generally than! 45-Degree decks deck support column is 1,250 pounds to add some color to your deck ( enter calculator. * 150 pcf * 3 = 187.5 psf, since you have to make before you buy deck is. Of between 600 – 700 lbs. ) much material you need for your loaded truck and trailer therefore if... Of lumber by measuring the length, we can easily calculate this maximum safe load weight cut all boards besides... Beside the section you need help along the way, ImproveNet can connect you professional! Requires much more weight than 50 lbs. ) size of each area... ) deck surface area by the number you calculated in step 7 color!

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