I ignored a carpenter's feedback on my deck joist spacing for 2 years

He told me to go 12 inches on center instead of 16, and after the deck started bouncing last spring, I had to rip up all the decking and redo it - cost me an extra $400 and a full weekend of work. Has anyone else had to eat crow on a structural shortcut that an expert warned you about?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.noah13d ago

Went into this post ready to disagree with you honestly, thinking you were just one of those guys who never listens and then complains. But now I'm sitting here remembering the shed I built three years ago where I used 24 inch spacing on the roof joists because I was cheap and lazy. It sagged like crazy after one winter and I had to tear half the roof off and redo it with the right spacing. That weekend of work was brutal and I still get mad at myself whenever I look at it. Yeah you paid the stupid tax but at least now you're not walking on a trampoline every time you grill.

betty_palmer13d ago

You know, I actually see this a bit differently (and I know I'm probably in the minority here). Sometimes you save money and time upfront by ignoring expert advice, and it works out fine. The real problem is when you take a gamble on something structural like joist spacing and then act surprised when physics catches up with you. But hey, that's how we learn I guess - you paid the stupid tax and now you've got a rock solid deck that'll outlast yours and probably the next owner's too. At least you can walk on it without feeling like you're on a trampoline.