Residential decks are built to at least a 2kPa floor

PLANNING TOOLS load – this is because there’s usually a greater

concentration of people in one area, therefore more
When building your deck, you will need to include a
So, you’ll need to make sure you have enough space
to fit your boards, joists and bearers. NUMBER OF JOISTS
In some cases, you can eliminate a whole row of 15mm gap for water to run through. It’s also tidier to If you don’t have enough space, you may need to
loading in one spot. To put this into perspective, a pile/posts, by attaching the deck to your house with overhang decking boards 15mm over your frame on
Tape measure Ruler use joist hangers, and hang your joists directly off Now is a good time to work out how many joists
J J
house is generally built to a 1.5kPa floor load. a stringer. A stringer is simply a length of timber that either end. This means your actual deck frame will sit
Pencil Calculator the bearers. you’ll need across your deck. Ideally you want an
J J
is bolted to the side of your house, and acts as 30mm away from your house.
J Graph paper If drawing up your own plan seems a little daunting, even distance between your joists, so your rows of
a bearer. Our example: screws or nails look nice and uniform.
HOW TO DESIGN A
then get a Licensed Building Practitioner, draftsman, Our example: Our height is 600mm to the bottom of the door sill.

DECK
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Your deck must adhere to the NZS3604 Building
Standard. This guide includes the relevant sections
and tables you’ll need to design a standard deck
that’s under 1m high and doesn’t require handrails.
Work through these details step by step to design
yours to standard.
Proper planning will also help you eliminate any
wastage on materials. There’s a number of ways to
design the same deck, but keep in mind that digging
holes is one of the hardest parts of the job. It’s also
a good idea to choose materials that are readily
available and cost effective. So, we’ll be making
some design decisions with all this in mind.
Make sure you ask your local authority or council
to see if you’ll need consents. As a rule of thumb,
you don’t need a consent if your deck is going to be
under 1.5m high. You’ll also need to check for any
possible infringements near boundaries and total
site coverage.
It’s important to check your council plans to see
where any pipes are located. And you’ll need to
contact your electricity provider for information on
underground wires – because these might not be
or an engineer to draw you up a plan. It’ll remove
any headaches from the situation.
GETTING STARTED
Before we get into it, let’s have a look at how a deck
is generally made, and what all the components are.
If you’re using a stringer, you’ll need to know exactly
where your solid fixings, pipes and wires are. Your
exterior cladding will also dictate how you fix your
stringer to the house. Because of these variables, it’s
more common and can be easier to have the deck
independent of the house.
There are a number of decking options available,
from composite decking, to hardwood, and pine.
This is also a good time to figure how you want to
fix your decking boards down. Talk to a Mitre 10
team member in store for the best options for your
decking type.
DRAW UP A PLAN
Start by drawing up the overall dimensions of the
deck you want to build. This will help you create a
more detailed design.
You’re going to need all of the following
information to draw up this plan. To help, we’ve
included calculations and examples for the deck
we’re designing.
DECKING BOARD SIZE
The distance from our house to hedge is 3.4m.
The average width of our boards is 141mm.
We need a 3mm gap between each board.
So, taking off the 125mm minimum, leaves 475mm –
that’s plenty of space to fit our boards, joists
Our example:
Our deck is 5590mm wide.
and bearers. Our max joist spacing is 450mm.
23 boards, with 22 gaps of 3mm, gives us 3309mm.
This will be our overall deck size. 5590/450 =12.4 spaces.
Round it up to 13 spaces
13 spaces mean we’ll need 14 joists.
Consider the 15mm overhang on either end
(3309mm – 30mm).
Our frame size will be 3279mm on our short side.
Using the same principles, our long side will be 5279mm.
Number of joists & spacing.
Sample Fitting.
CANTILEVER JOISTS
JOIST SPAN To help cut down on materials and piles/posts, you
can cantilever joists over your bearers. Use this table
We need to find out how far our chosen joist size can to determine the maximum distance your joists are
Overall Frame Size. span. This is the distance between the bearers they’ll able to cantilever.
be sitting on. This will also help us determine how
many bearers we’ll need. Cantilevered Floor Joists - SG 8 up to 2 kPa floor loads

shown on your council plans.

J Joist J Decking Board J Pile/Post J Bearer JOIST CENTRES Use this table to see how far different sized joists can
Maximum cantilever length of joist supporting:

Wall, 1.5kPa floor load 2 kPa floor load

If you’re building close to the ground, you may need Choose your decking boards first, as their thickness span, according to your maximum joist spacing. Joist size Joist spacing
Light roof of span: (m) Heavy roof of span: (m) Balcony* floor and
to use Joist Hangers because your joist sits directly will determine how far apart your joists can This will depend on the thickness of your decking balustrade only
Joist Size and Span 4.0 8.0 12.0 4.0 8.0 12.0
onto your Pile/Post. be spaced. board. (mm)
(mm x mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm)
(b) 2 kPa floor load SG 8 and SG 8 (Wet) (wet in service)
Our example: Decking Thickness 600 100 50 50 100 50 50 550
Maximum span* of joists at a maximum spacing (mm) of:
Floor joist size 90 x 45** 450 150 50 50 100 50 50 650
We’ve chosen 140mm x 32mm boards. 32mm thick Joists can be spaced a maximum of 600mm centers apart. 400 450 600 400 150 100 50 100 50 50 700
19mm thick Joists can be spaced a maximum of 450mm centers apart. (mm x mm) (m) (m) (m)
TIP: Run your decking boards across the longest 600 300 150 100 250 15 100 900
distance of your deck as, visually, it makes the deck 90 x 45 1.60 1.50 1.30 140 x 45** 450 300 200 150 250 150 150 1100
look bigger. The direction that your decking boards Our example: 140 x 35 2.20 2.05 1.80 400 350 250 150 250 200 150 1150
run will also determine how you build the structure Our 32mm thick boards mean we can space our joists 140 x 45 2.50 2.35 2.05 600 550 300 200 450 300 250 1300
Limitation of Liability of your deck, as the bearers and the decking boards to a maximum of 600mm centres apart. However, you 450 600 400 250 450 350 250 1500
190 x 45 3.40 3.20 2.75 190 x 45
This project planner has been produced to provide basic information both run in the same direction so make this decision can decide to reduce the spacing as you go through the 400 600 450 300 500 350 250 1600
and our experienced staff are available to answer any questions you before anything else. 240 x 45 4.30 4.05 3.50
may have. Because this planner is general in nature, neither your design.
290 x 45 5.20 4.90 4.25 600 800 450 300 65 500 350 1650
Mitre 10 supplier nor their staff are responsible for the application of these 240 x 45 450 900 600 400 700 500 400 1900
Get all the help you need design principles in any particular case, as the contents of this brochure
may need to be modified for the particular site and circumstances. OVERALL FRAME SIZE JOIST SIZE
*Spans may be increased by 10% for joists continuous over 2 or more spans.
400 900 700 450 750 550 450 2050

online at Mitre 10 is not responsible for the quality of work carried out on the goods
by the consumer and is not responsible for the design or construction of Our example: 290 x 45
600
450
1150 700
1200 900
450
600
950
1000
700
750
550
600
2000
2350
mitre10.co.nz/easyas any structure in which the goods are incorporated.
Where applicable consumers should ensure that they comply with The
Ideally your deck will be made up with full width
decking boards, as it looks better than having a
Ideally you should use a timber size that is readily We see that 140 x 45 joists at our maximum 600mm
spacing (based on our 32mm thick decking),
400 1250 1000 700 1050 750 600 2500
New Zealand Building Code and/or Local Body Bylaws in respect of any available for your joists. We suggest using * Applies to balconies of domestic self-contained dwellings only. Only these joists may be Grade SG 8 (Wet).
such structures. ripped down board at an end. So, design your 140mm x 45mm. can span 2.05m. **90 and 140 joist depth is insufficient where cantilevered balustrades are used.
Consumers are advised to call a qualified tradesman such as a builder, overall deck with this in mind, and figure out how However, if we reduce our joist spacing to 450mm max,
electrician or plumber where expert services are required. many full boards will fit in your space. Make sure you Check the height of your deck, because if you’re we can then span the greater distance of 2.35m. This
Our example:
Mitre 10 will not be liable for any consequential loss howsoever arising
physically measure your chosen boards, as they building close to the ground you’ll need to be could mean we need less bearers, and may need to dig
from the use of goods sold, nor for any loss caused by defective or We can cantilever 140x45 joists, spaced at max 450mm,
can vary. mindful of how much space you have. Your posts less holes. So, we’re going to design ours to a maximum
inadequate structures in which goods are incorporated. at 2kPa floor load, a maximum overhang of 1100mm
need to be a minimum of 125mm out of the ground. joist span of 2.35m, with a maximum joist spacing of
past my bearers.
450mm centres.
For more Easy As Guides visit mitre10.co.nz J Decking board J Joist J Joist hanger J Pile/Post J Bearer We’ll keep this in mind moving forward.
 Brace lines A B
EQ EQ
Earthquake zones 550 2275 550

Mitre 10 Handy Hints: BEARER SIZE With this step you’ve solved a few important things: Our example: E3

your bearer size and the maximum pile/post spacing Zone 1 S1

As per the chart, we follow through the columns: Light

140
Brace lines Bearer lines (a) (b) (c)
• Order your materials and get them delivered for each bearer. roof, Light single storey cladding, Light and Medium
BEARER SPAN
140

200
to your place a couple of days before you’re
Bou
3
With the loaded dimension of each bearer, you Zone 2 Sub Floor Cladding, Roof pitch 0-25, Subfloor structure AP
2/1
due to start. can now determine what size bearers are needed = 15 BU/m2. 140 x 45 H3.2 joists @ 450c/c max. 125

1298
to support your deck. This will also tell you the The NZS3604 Building Standard tells us we need 50% of Edge of building Ord
Use your maximum joist span to work out the maximum distance between the piles/posts that will Zone 3
this bracing load, so we divide our 15BU/m2 by 2.
position of your bearers. be supporting each bearer. 140 x 45 H3.2 140 x 45 blocking between

So, 15BUm2 / 2 = 7.5

1298
Zone 4
boundary joist joists @ 1800c/c max.

Our example: Choose the optimal span between piles/posts, to We’re using Earthquake Zone 3
Max joist span: 2.35m
140 x 45140
boundary
x 45 boundary
joist or joist or
avoid any unnecessary digging.

5590
And our soil type is Deep to Very Soft, so we multiply 2 AP
solid blocking betweenbetween
solid blocking joists joists

Joist length: 3279mm our 7.5 by 1.

Max cantilever: 1100mm each end

1298
When using this chart, unless you have an exact 7.5 x 1 = 7.5 BU/m2

200

200
match, always choose the next highest number

888

888
We have decided to cantilever 550mm at each end. in the middle column than the loaded dimension Our deck area = 22.7m2 E2

This now gives us a joist span of 2179mm:

2175
S1

you’ve figured out. 22.7m2 x 7.5BUm2 = 170.25 total BU

1298
3279mm – (550mm cantilever x 2 =1100mm) = 2/140 x 45

888

888
H3.2 bearers
2179mm Bearers - SG 8 for up to 2 kPa floor loads Anchor piles or brace piles are each worth 120BU. 1
AP AP

200

200

200
Maximum span of So, that tells me 2 anchor piles are required.
This tells us we need 2 rows of bearers in our main deck bearer continuous over
Loaded dimension* Bearer size Post hole spacing. However, the building code says I need to use a 140 x 40 H3.2 Decking (not shown)

area. of bearer (width x thickness)

2 or more spans
Bearers. minimum of four. If my deck was a lot larger, I may 550 2275 2000 550
We also need 1 bearer at the end of the smaller area. (m) (m) (mm x mm) have needed more. 5375
That’s well within our 2.35m maximum span. So that’s
3 bearers in total.
(a) 1.5 kPa floor load SG 8 (dry in service)
LATERAL SUPPORT
1.5
1.9
90 x 70
90 x 90 STRINGER POST HOLE SIZE CALCULATE MATERIALS
LOADED DIMENSION
1.30 3.6 140 x 70
4.6 140 x 90 The NZS3604 also requires lateral support of the
6.6 190 x 70
If you’re going to be using a stringer, you can use deck joists. A good foundation is essential for any deck, so it’s When order decking boards, calculate how many
• Provide boundary joists at each end of the joists Now use the Bracing Design chart below to figure linear meters you’ll need, and always allow an
2.2 140 x 70 this table to figure out its size, and how far apart out how many bracing units your deck will need. important to dig the right sized post holes – after all,
The loaded dimension tells us the load that each 1.65 2.8 140 x 90 your bolts need to be spaced. We are not using a or a row of solid nogs these will be supporting the whole structure. additional 10% for waste.
bearer can support. We need to find out this number 4.1 190 x 70 • Provide nogs along each bearer line every 1.8m Note: Always use Earthquake Zone 3 for decks, unless
stringer in our example. you live in Earthquake Zone 4.
first, in order to determine what size bearers 1.5 140 x 70 • If your bearer spacing is greater than 2.5m - Use this table to work out yours for each bearer. Our example:
can support the load of our deck, and what the 2.00 1.9 140 x 90 Stringer Sizes and Fixings provide a full row of nogs midway between the Bracing Demand for various combinations of cladding on single-storey buildings on subfloor We have 23 boards across our main deck, and our
maximum post hole spacing is for each bearer. 2.8 190 x 70
bearer lines. framing (2 kPa floor load, soil type D/E, earthquake zone 3) Table 6.1 - Pile Footings width is 5590mm
(a) 2 kPa floor load SG 8 (dry in service) Maximum M12 bolt spacing (mm) of: 1.5 kPa and 2 kPa floor loads 23 boards x 5590mm wide = 128.6m
Subfloor Single-storey
Use the formula on the following diagram, and work 1.2 90 x 90 Stringer nominal Single-storey Subfloor Roof pitch structure walls Span of Mimimum plan dimensions of footing supporting Add in our smaller section:
800 900 1200 1600 2400
BRACING UNITS
size (mm) Roof cladding
out the loaded dimension for each bearer: 1.30
2.3 140 x 70 cladding cladding degree Floor and
non-loadbearing 1 storey 2 storey 3 storey 14 boards x 2175mm = 30.5m
3.0 140 x 90 Maximum span of floor joists (m) BU/m2 Bearers Joists walls only
Span 1 4.3 190 x 70
(m) (m)
Square* Circular* Square* Circular* Square* Circular* Square* Circular*
That’s a total of approx. 160m
Span 2 0-25 15 11 (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) Add 10% wastage, and that gives us 176m of decking.
Span 3 Light and
0.7 90 x 90 190 x 45 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 25-45 16 11 2.0 200 230 275 310 325 370 350 400
1.4 140 x 70 In NZ we are prone to earthquakes and high wind, Medium
45-60 17 13 1.3 3.5 225 260 350 400 425 480 475 540
1.65 Light
1.8 140 x 90 so you need to brace any deck that protrudes from 0-25 17 11
5.0 275 310 400 460 500 570 550 620
2.7 190 x 70
140 x 45 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 - the house more than 2m or if it is not connected Heavy 25-45 18 12
6.0
2.0
300
200
340
230
450
300
510
340
550
375
620
430
600
400
680
460
Concrete:
Pile
2.00
1.2 140 x 90 to the house. You’ll need to determine how many 45-60 19 13 1.65 3.5 250 290 400 460 475 540 525 600 Volume of concrete for a square hole:
1.8 190 x 70 bracing units your deck requires. A Bracing Unit (BU) 0-25 18 12
5.0
2.0
300
200
340
230
450
325
510
370
575
400
650
460
600
450
680
510
Multiply width x width x depth x number of holes.
Bearers * For definition of loaded dimension see 1.3 is a unit of force. Light roof Medium 25-45 18 13 2.0
3.5 275 310 425 480 525 600 575 650
45-60 19 14
Volume of concrete for a round hole:
PILES & SPACING
NOTE - Members 70mm and 90mm thick may by substituted with *Minimum of the value on the table, or 350mm min. if square or 400mm min. diameter if circular, for anchor
Medium and braced piles
built-up members sized and nailed in accordance with 2.3.3.7. 0-25 20 13 Diameter x Diameter x 0.7854 x depth x number of
Foundation wall BU’s are created by adding anchor piles or bracing Heavy 25-45 20 14
NOTE - Span is the average of the bearer or joist spans on either side of the pile under consideration.

Kiwis love the outdoors and a deck is Bearer loaded dimension = Span 1 + Span 2
the piles. Each of these are worth 120BU. An anchor 45-60 22 15 holes.
Our example: pile can only be a maximum of 600mm above Our Example:
a popular addition to many homes. 2
For a 2kPa floor load, we see 3 numbers – these are
Based on this information you can now figure out
ground and must be a minimum of 900mm deep. if Heavy Heavy
0-25
25-45
27
28
18
19 Our 1.65m max bearer span, and rounding up to Check the back of your bags of concrete to see the
how many piles/posts you need under each bearer.
Even better if you can build one Bearer loaded dimension = Span 2 + Span 3
2
the maximum span of the bearer, or maximum space your deck is more than 600mm above the ground, a 45-60 29 20
3.5m joist span, tells me I need a minimum of 290mm volume of concrete each bag will make.
allowed between piles/posts. The NZS3604 says you can cantilever bearers a braced pile should be used and must be a minimum 0-25 19 15 diameter for round holes.
yourself. Our example: We’re looking for the biggest space, which means less maximum of 200mm past the last post. This is of 450mm deep.
Light and
Medium
25-45 21 17 Screws/nails:
Span 1 = 550mm 45-60 24v 21
Span 2 = 2000mm digging. a good way to hide your piles/posts under the Light Holes should always be at least 450mm deep into solid You’ll need 2 screws (or nails) per joist on each
Span 3 = 2179mm The NZS3604 requires a minimum of four braced 0-25 21 16 board.
finished deck, making it look much tidier. ground. Anchor piles and braced piles must be 350x350
However, it’s a bigger DIY job, and Span 4 = 550mm
The middle column is the loaded dimension I’ve figured piles or anchor piles, placed symmetrically around a Heavy
Heavy 25-45
45-60
23
26
18
22 square or 400mm diameter and 450mm min. into solid
out. deck. You need to find out if your deck needs more Our example:
it’s really important that your deck Bearer 1:
½ of span 3 (2179/2 = 1089.5) + Span 4 (550) = 1.64m loaded dimension
Our example:
than four.
roof
Medium and
0-25 22 17 ground. All other piles may be 290mm diameter and
Main deck area:
Bearer 1: 5590mm long. Medium 25-45 24 19 450 mm min. into solid ground.
is designed properly and adheres Bearer 2:
Bearer 1 = 1.64 Loaded Dimension. The next closest
Heavy
45-60 27 23 2x screws per joist x 14 joists
highest number is 1.8. First, use the maps below to find out what That’s 28 screws x 24 boards = 672 screws
to the building code. This guide will ½ of span 2 (2000/2 = 1000) + ½ of span 3 (2179/2 = 1089.5) = 2.09m Subtract the 200mm cantilever each end: 0-25 31 23

take you through the process step

loaded limension That tells me I need to use 140 x 90 bearers, with a
maximum post spacing of 1.65.
5590 - 400 = 5190. Earthquake Zone you live in. The main thing to
determine here is whether you live in Earthquake
Heavy Heavy 25-45
45-60
33
36
25
29 DRAW UP PLAN
Bearer 3:
Zone 4, otherwise use Earthquake Zone 3 in the Multiplication factors EQ zone
by step, so you can get the job done Span 1 (550) + ½ Span 2 (2000/2 = 1000) = 1.55m loaded dimension.
I can make a 140 x 90 bearer out of two 140 x 45
If we divide the space evenly, say by 4, that gives us 5
following chart. Soil class 1 2 3 4 Using this information, draw up a detailed plan of
posts with 1298mm from post centre to post centre.
right and design a deck that’ll bearers nailed together. That’s well within our maximum 1.65m allowed. A&B Rock 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.9 your deck, which you’ll use to build your deck.
I’ll now work out the same for each bearer. C Shallow 0.4 0.6 0.7 1.1
last for years. D&E Deep to Very soft 0.5 0.8 1.0 1.5