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Background: I have a 6yr old new construction home. A small deck (roughly 9x9 if you exclude the stair cut out) was built just to come out from the kitchen. The house has a garden view basement, because the house is built on a slope.

Objective: I'd like to extend the width of this deck about 16-17ft, and basically keep the old deck, minus the railing at the side I will be extending.

Currently the deck is connected to the house by a ledger board, and then the front uses slotted 6x6 posts to support the rim joist.

What would be the best way to extend the rim joist into the new deck? I haven't built a deck before, but I would like to tackle the job myself. I do plan on submitting a permit and plans next week to my city's building department.

I was tossing around some ideas: Should I put another 6x6 as close as possible and have the extending rim joist cantilever a foot or so to the old deck? Should I try and cut back the old rim joist to where I can seat the two (new and old) together on the original 6x6 post and extending from there? Or can I just somehow attach the extending rim joist to the end of the original deck (the band joist)?

Here is a picture of the original deck when it was first built to get an idea of what I'm working with.

Picture of current deck

eaglei22
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  • do you want to extend away from the house or parallel to the house? – Jasen Jun 25 '22 at 23:13
  • Parallel. I want to extend off that right side (right side when coming out from the sliding glass door) in the picture. – eaglei22 Jun 25 '22 at 23:24
  • A rough sketch - a birds eye view looking down - would be useful. Sometimes it's not clear what is meant by "width", or "length". – SteveSh Jun 25 '22 at 23:24

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It should be acceptable to cut back the existing rim joist and ledger to allow supporting one corner of the extension on the same post. assuming the post and footing are sufficient for the added load.

Jasen
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    https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/bldgs/general/EZPERMIT/PorchGuidelinesMay2011.pdf - page 80 shows two ledgers abutting, with two bolts each, sitting above a bracket bolted to a 6" column. +1. You could use a bracket and not have to cut anything, but notched is better. *assuming the post and footing are sufficient* (+2) if it's the same size as the one in the middle, it's *prob* fine. – Mazura Jun 26 '22 at 01:38
  • Thank you. Are there any options that allows me to keep the old deck as is and just build the new one right up against it? – eaglei22 Jun 26 '22 at 04:39
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    @eaglei22 - I was thinking you could use a bracket attacked to the face of the 6x6 we're looking at (but it's never that way in any of the pictures; you wouldn't be able to put bolts into the new edge beam). However I see very few bolts anywhere. :\ the only place screws belong is in the decking. The only place notches ever belong is this instance. Use a Fein saw to cut the 2 edge beams down the middle of the 6x6. DO NOT over cut into the 6x6. Put through bolts or at least giant lag screws x2 (not 1) into every railing post, and beam-to-post connection. Options yes; none that meet my code tho – Mazura Jun 26 '22 at 19:07
  • @Mazura thanks for the tips. What kind of bracket were you thinking? Like a joist hanger? The only place I see carriage bolts when looking at it in person are at the 4x4's for the railings, and the 2 beams holding up the rim joist in the front (attached to the slotted area in the 6x6 posts). Does the deck in this design general float on top of those two beams do you know or is the rim joist anchored some how.. looking under the deck, I don't see any toe nails or anything. Right the cleanest way is probably meeting the new deck with the old in the slotted area at 6x6. Thanks for the help! – eaglei22 Jun 27 '22 at 04:25
  • @Mazura btw, if I extend the edge beams by cutting the old ones back, and adding the new extensions as you mentioned, can I leave that right side end joist shown on the picture (right side of deck veiwed as coming out of the kitchen) and butt the ledger board for the new deck against that end joist at the house? Or can I leave the current ledger board as is, and start the new one with its own end joist a foot or so away (after the parting board framing). That way I can focus only on the new ledger board and its flashing, drip edge, jchannel etc. – eaglei22 Jun 27 '22 at 05:31
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    @eaglei22 - [bracket](https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/76021/23295) (but you shouldn't use it; do notches like they did, to match). - The rim joist will just become a normal joist, now somewhere in the middle (it doesn't have anything to rest on; should be bolts, not screws). - The upper edge beam rests on a x2 edge beam, where the inner one has the joists resting on it with screws into the face of the x1 edge beam. That lets you get away w/o metal hangers. - The only thing keeping it from being able to lift is those 6 (x2) screws in the rim joists. Which, again, should be bolts. Chk top link ^ – Mazura Jun 28 '22 at 01:57
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    @eaglei22 - Depends on if you have to pass inspection. If you didn't do all that, you've got a joist in the *middle* of the deck w/o a hanger (permissible only on rim joists). - I'd be fine with galvanized angle brackets with SS lag screws on both sides. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Simpson-Strong-Tie-ML-2-in-x-8-in-12-Gauge-ZMAX-174-Galvanized-Medium-L-Angle/1002624436 – Mazura Jun 28 '22 at 03:32
  • @Mazura Okay thank you! Sounds good I will do the notches as suggested. The end rim joist is installed to the side of the ledger board though. So I can just put the new ledger board up against that end rim joist as is? Or do I have to cut back the original ledger board too, and butt new ledger board, and affix that original end rim joist to the new ledger board with a joist hanger (to convert to joist). I took a look earlier, and the 6x6 column ends at the top of the of the two beams. The 4x4 guard post sits on top of the 6x6, and that's what the 6 nails nail into (the 4x4 post). – eaglei22 Jun 28 '22 at 03:34
  • @Mazura, yes it will need three inspections. The footer holes, framing, and then final inspection. Perfect on the angle brackets! – eaglei22 Jun 28 '22 at 03:36
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    @eaglei22 - Okay then, the only thing holding it down is gravity ;). You can either ask if brackets for the old rim joist are okay instead of a joist hanger. Or just do it (lot of work). Or just try to get away with it. I'd call and ask. – Mazura Jun 28 '22 at 03:38
  • @Mazura, sounds good. Thanks for all of your help! Really cleared a lot of things up. If you want to throw in an answer I can give you the credit. – eaglei22 Jun 28 '22 at 03:42
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    @eaglei22 - Jason had to sit through all this - give it to 'em ;) – Mazura Jun 28 '22 at 03:45
  • @Mazura sounds good! – eaglei22 Jun 28 '22 at 03:46