Pergolas and Decks Keep Coming Out Wobbly
14 posts across 3 communities in the last 60 days; 71% from r/Carpentry.
“My dad wants me to rebuild his front deck and I want to take the opertunity to fix the sloppy railing job, it originally had no railing but he later added one by finding a bracket that let him just stick a 4x4 to the top of the bottom step.... it was wobbly and would not of held…”
“So im thinking about getting this pergola installed on my back patio and have a couple questions. Would there be a good solution for the pole in the middle to be removed? I live in a area where we get a lot of snow so it will need support for the snow we get (blue circle) The…”
“I just had my roof replaced today and noticed some waves from the exterior so I looked from in the attic and found these cracks in the plywood. I believe this is from them throwing the shingle bundles down. Thoughts? How big of an issue is this? First picture is a bit hard to…”
Several posts detail carpentry projects facing issues like wobbly pergolas, uneven boardwalks, and concerns about structural stability. Users seek advice on bracing techniques and potential dangers of as-is constructions.
SOURCES (24)
“Hi all, I'm going to be redoing my deck in the spring but need advice so I don't have to re do it later. We would like to have a covered porch but our soffit and roof line are difficult to imagine being able to…”
“Do i need to do rebar cages? Holes are 600 x 300 x 300 Stirrup legs 600 (500 imbedded in concrete) Freestanding pergola 2.4 all over. Thanks. submitted by /u/Foxx1979 [link] [comments]”
“Got a deck post replacement job and want to run the plan by you guys before I quote it. Four posts need replacing. The patio is flagstone over a concrete slab, and the existing posts have been standing on it for years with no heaving or cracking, so I'm planning to dowel into the slab instead of digging to frost. Plan: cut the stone around each post, drill four half-inch holes about three inches deep into the slab, set number four rebar in epoxy, pour a twelve-by-twelve square pier about fou”
“My dad wants me to rebuild his front deck and I want to take the opertunity to fix the sloppy railing job, it originally had no railing but he later added one by finding a bracket that let him just stick a 4x4 to the top of the bottom step.... it was wobbly and would not of held if anyone every slipped. So what are my best options if I cant put it into the ground, the whole thing is on a concrete pad. My only thought so far is to buy an extra stair stringer and sandwich the 4x4 with it. su”
“I was wondering if this was acceptable for a new pergola that was built. It's a 6 x 6 cedar post that is bowed near the middle. I would honestly maybe overlook it, but there have been several other issues with this contractor that have added up that makes me question everything now. It is bowed and twisted slightly too (making it look bowed from both sides). This was built by a pergola-specific contractor...not a handy man (meaning it wasn't a cheap project either). Appreciate any input.”
“I’m in the early stage of designing our pergola. This is roughly what I am considering. On the left side of this picture I am considering cantilevering the beam that will run the whole side of the pergola, 3’ off the side of the house with no support post. So, 2 sides with a 2x10 or 2x12 attached to the house. A single post as shown. Any concerns? submitted by /u/wannareadrandomstuff [link] [comments]”
“I am building a lean to style pergola for an outdoor kitchen. I want to make sure I tie into my existing structure correctly. I highlighted in red where I will attach to. It also seems like if I attach a ledger board to the existing area in red, I will have to notch out the soffit on the left end. Are there any problems I could run into there? Not sure how I would attach my 2x10 supports on that left side. From my understanding, I should tie directly into studs. I'm guessing there is a top p”
“Licensed GC here. Have a client that wants a cantilevered deck refurbished. Dimensions are 32' width, 12' length, 2x10 joists 16" o.c. It's currently braced with some 4x8 diagonals, similar to what is pictured (generic, pulled from Google picture). Has 4 braces, but they're horrible: 16' long, braced against siding, no ledger, not even against studs. I'm replacing them before touching the deck itself, with six new, including a ledger and HU412's. My question: at”
“I’m planning to get an aluminum pergola for my patio and I’m trying to decide between a wall-mounted version and a freestanding one. The wall-mounted option would mean fewer posts, which I like, but I’m more concerned about possible water issues where it connects to the house. One of the models I’m looking at is the Hansø Horizon. They have a wall-mounted version, but say the warranty doesn’t cover water getting between the wall and pergola. They also recommend that louvered pergolas be freestan”
“I’m looking to add a side table to my pergola and drew up some plans. The inside span is about 9’, the posts are 6x6. I was thinking of a super simple design of 2 2x6 cedar boards through bolted to the posts and then a 12x2” table top on top of them. Thoughts? I’ve included my little plan drawing and picture of where I’m planning on building it next to the hot tub. Should I rethink the design? Add a couple of 45s on either end? submitted by /u/longsleeve_steve [link] [comments]”
“Can intemove it and replace with siding or is it some type of structural support ? submitted by /u/mal4yahoo [link] [comments]”
“I built a deck around 2 months ago using pressure treated wood and timber tech. It’s been really really hot lately and the deck started bowing up in one corner. Can someone tell me why this is happening and how to fix it?? submitted by /u/Ok_Internet_9741 [link] [comments]”
“Main concern is those pieces of wood not sitting flush with the top of the trusses , not sure how significant this is from a force bearing perspective Additional images : https://imgur.com/a/kv6Eyhy submitted by /u/PrestigiousPay9910 [link] [comments]”
“Hey Guys, how would I find these two angles to frame out a deck? submitted by /u/Regular-Bumblebee106 [link] [comments]”
“So im thinking about getting this pergola installed on my back patio and have a couple questions. Would there be a good solution for the pole in the middle to be removed? I live in a area where we get a lot of snow so it will need support for the snow we get (blue circle) The post in the back (red circles) will not be there since they will be attached to the house Will be adding steel roof to the structure If the middle pole cannot be removed (blue circle) what would you suggest to make use of i”
“I'm not much of a carpenter but another sub told me you guys might be able to help me 👍😀 Thanks for your help and stopping by! submitted by /u/United-Advantage-100 [link] [comments]”
“My buddy and his wife are selling their home, during the inspection the stairs to the back deck collapse! I know! Buyers requested that a licensed carpenter fix the stairs and this is his work. The stringer extending past the ledger. Should he recommend that carpenter to redo the job? submitted by /u/Tekk_09 [link] [comments]”
“I aligned the rails with the floor boards as I read to do but the post angles are throwing everything off because of the shape of this balcony. submitted by /u/Forssefagerstrom [link] [comments]”
“Good evening! We're building a pergola with some dimensional lumber and wanted to avoid the usual surface mounted beams that are bolted on and spend a zillion dollars on connection plates/hardware.. So the posts (8x8x14) have been cut to accommodate for the beams (4x12x16) to rest on and have cut the beams to interlock when they intersect. The plan is to use dowels as a fastener/lock instead of the typical massive bolt. What's the best exterior glue out there that will stand the range of”
“I just had my roof replaced today and noticed some waves from the exterior so I looked from in the attic and found these cracks in the plywood. I believe this is from them throwing the shingle bundles down. Thoughts? How big of an issue is this? First picture is a bit hard to understand what's going on but that black area is the shadow where the cracked board is about 1/2 in lower due to the crack. submitted by /u/It_Works_On_My_Box [link] [comments]”
“What am I missing here under the threshold lip? It seems to come out a half inch more than the entrance with about a inch drop to the deck. submitted by /u/Sudden-Start-1945 [link] [comments]”
“I am building a pergola/freestanding patio cover and regardless of the bracing, I couldn’t stop the structure to wobble on one direction (it doesn’t wobble much along the other direction). It may not be easily visible but I added another longer temporary bracing on the corner where the ladder is. I would appreciate any suggestions. Will I have to add another board between connecting front and rear posts or beams? Also how dangerous is this as-is? I plan to add polycarbonate roof. submitted”
“Hello! We recently bought a house that has these handrails on the stairs that look to be not connected. Is there an easy DIY approach I could take to connect them and make it look like one smooth handrail instead? I apologize If dumb question, I don’t have much experience in this area and figured this would be the best place to post. Thank you all!! submitted by /u/MunsterCheese_7702 [link] [comments]”