We think about decks all year round at Simpson Strong-Tie and as the weather warms up, we know folks are ready to enjoy the outdoors on their decks. Whether you’re a professional contractor building a deck or a homeowner dreaming about your new deck, we’re here to help. Our educational Build a Stronger Deck video series guides you through the most important components of building a safer, stronger deck.

There are two main types of deck post base: post-installed bases for existing concrete, and cast-in-place for new concrete. Our training manager Sam Marcoux reviews the basic steps for constructing strong, safe post base connections.

A deck’s joists are the horizontal framing members that support the decking material. Deck joists may terminate at a beam or ledger, rest on top of the beams, or terminate at the rim board. Our training manager Sam Marcoux reviews the basic steps for making strong, safe joist connections.

A deck’s guard posts are the vertical members along the open sides of the deck that connect the handrails to the framing. In order to provide the required 200 lb. load resistance at the handrail, the post must not only be fastened to the rim joist, but also tied back into the joist framing. Our training manager Sam Marcoux reviews the basic steps for making strong, safe guard post connections.

Stair stringers need to be properly connected to the deck, and treads properly connected to the stringers, in order to resist loads and perform reliably over time. Our training manager Sam Marcoux reviews the basic steps for making strong, safe-stair-stringer tread connections.

Properly attaching the ledger to the structure is one of the most important steps in constructing a safe, strong deck. In fact, ninety percent of deck failures are caused by the ledger pulling away from the house. Our training manager Sam Marcoux reviews the basic steps for constructing strong, safe ledger connections.

Deck beams are the horizontal framing members that support the joists. Our training manager Sam Marcoux reviews the basic steps for making strong, safe beam connections.