Understanding Deck Loads

lot faster. Next up, we're going to talk about the loads on your deck. So, this is something that you're going to need to consider when you are sizing your footings, your beams, your joists, all of that. For most residential decks, the code and all the charts that you'll see online are for 50 lbs per square foot. So, that incorporates the live load and the dead load. The live load on the deck is any force that's going to be exerted on it, like wind, weather, people moving around. And the dead load is the weight of the people that are going to be on it, the furniture, and the weight of the structure itself. Usually, it's about 40 lbs per square foot of live load and 10 per square foot of dead load. That may vary depending on where you live because snow loads can be so different. So, if you live in an area with a lot of snow, you might have a higher dead load that you'll need to check for. The other thing that you're going to want to consider for load requirements on your deck is are you going to be putting something like a hot tub? A hot tub is very, very heavy. So, you're going to want to make sure that you have additional footings just supporting the weight of the hot tub. If you put a hot tub on a regular deck that wasn't designed for it, it's not going to be good and it's not going to support the weight of that filled with water and people long term. So, make sure you have that figured out. And if you have any issues or questions about that, you're going to want to talk to an engineer or an architect just to make sure you're safe. But if you're doing a standard deck and you're not doing anything like a hot tub, you can refer to charts online and consult with your local building department. Next up, number