Deck Details

Deck layout is getting squared away, but there are decisions to make regarding railings, benches, and skirts.

Railings

A 36" railing is required where the drop off is 30" or more. Where it is 15" or less, I'm inclined to eliminate the railing. Railings are visually busy.

I'm thinking a simple 4x4 bolted to the 2x8 structure, spaced no more than 48" apart, with a 2x6 cap and (7) cable railings. Cable doesn't look like fun to deploy (such as drilling 1/4" diameter holes through 3.5" posts accurately), but other options (glass, metal, wood) are too expensive or block the view. Maybe tempered glass should be considered.

Benches

Peggy's idea of installing benches at the far end of the deck, where visibility is particularly important, is a good one. That's also where the maximum drop off is, but it's soft dirt. Someone would have to sit on the bench and roll off it backward. Or...we could add a back rail to the bench.

One issue with the design is we don't want to run $6/SF Trex and then cover 18" of it with a bench. Somehow, we want to stop the decking before the bench.

We need to consider the view from the yard, as well. The first sketch would be a lot cleaner looking from the deck side than from down below. Another thing: Trex decking needs support every 16"--4x4s at 16" o.c.? Maybe we need flat 2x8s as a sub-bench for the Trex.

Every solution has its problems: The flat 2x8s would not allow the Trex to drain. We could drill drainage holes in the Trex gaps, or we could take a different approach.

Another question is how high the bench should be. 18" is the knee-jerk response. If we make it higher, it's more of a railing, but it makes the fall off the back higher, too. Also, these design sketches show zero protection for dogs and little babies--under 12" high, and it's like the deck has no railing at all.

There's a solution here, but it will have to balance all kinds of requirements.

Peggy's design, as usual, is better. 4x4 T's, strengthened by Simpson T angles, bolt to the 2x8 deck every 4' or so. 2x6s span from T to T, and 2x4 ribs go from 2x6 to 2x6 to support the Trex.

A simple 1x6 toe kick attached to the 4x4s would make it hard for balls, babies, or little dogs to fall off the deck.

We could use lightweight Simpson Ts--they make 14ga ones for $11.78 (or 128T 12" x 8" for $9.22, or $6.38 at Lowe's). They could go on both sides, as Peggy suggests. Or, we could go with the 7ga heavy duty Ts, the HT 12" x 12" T-strap. Home Depot sells them for $26.85 each. (They make a 16" x 16" version, for $55.64.)

As for bench height, 16" would work, but I prefer 20" or more (based on measurements of chairs and things around the house).

Skirts

I'm just beginning to think about this one. The basic criss-cross lattice is not the right look. I can rig a lightweight frame to staple 1/4" hardware cloth, a foot or two in from the edge all around. Then some sort of a screen, maybe 50% open or more, at the fascia. Vertical 1x4 self-spaced?