Build A Deck

What is a Joist?

• Paper on a nail.

• Wood made to support the decking.

• Wood to support the house

• Paper to draw on.

What is decking?

• Top wood of deck.

• Posts for your deck to stand on.

• Paper to draw on.

• Large support beams.

What is a Girder?

• Wood to walk on.

• Paper to draw on.

• Large support beam for a deck.

• Nails.

What is a Post?

• Paper to draw on.

• Columns under the girders that hold up the deck and transfer load to the footings.

• Wood to walk on.

• Nails for construction.

What are footings?

• Posts for building.

• Paper to draw on.

• Cement columns to build a deck on.

• Nails for construction of a deck.

What is a Dead Load?

• A sack of carrots.

• The weight of the structure itself.

• A load that is very heavy to lift for a small animal.

• A load at the end of the day.

What is a Live Load?

• How much you weigh when you are alive.

• A weight at the end of the day.

• All other forces on the object, including the weight of people, objects, and snow that the structure must support, as well as any additional forces such as wind, water, or earthquakes.

• Turkey dinner.

What is a Total Load?

• How much you weigh at the end of the day.

• Turkey dinner.

• The sum of all live and dead loads. A structure must be designed so that it holds up the total load, plus a large margin of safety.

• The amount of a load that is loaded.

When building what is the Safety Factor?

• The number of times greater than the maximum total load that a structure is designed to support. For example, if a structure is expected to hold a maximum total load of 1,000 pounds, a safety factor of 2 means it would be designed to hold 2,000 pounds .

• Just so you feel safe.

• The number of times greater than the minimum minus load that a structure is designed to support. for example, if a structure is expected to hold a minimum total load of 1,000 pounds , a safety factor of 2 means it would be designed to hold 100,000 pounds.

• Just so you feel two times safer than you did before.