how far apart can deck joists be
The minimum size joist to be used in deck construction is not a stand-alone consideration, and is related to the number of footings and beams that will be installed. In general terms, joists spaced 16 inches on center can span 1.5 times in feet their depth in inches. A 2x8 up to 12 feet; 2x10 to 15 feet and 2x12 to 18 feet. The larger the deck, the larger the joists. In typical deck construction, with a ledger on one side of the joist and beam on the other, the size of the joists is driven by the size of the deck based on the general maximum spans mentioned above.