Attaching posts

[neddy]

Hi all - Am building a timber verandah (stumps, bearer, joists, tounge & groove boards) and am having turned posts, how do I attach the post to the decking or bearers? Do the posts have to be positioned directly over a stump?

[Eastie]

Neddy,
Your questions would be easier to answer with a little more info:

Are the turned post supporting a roof load?
Are they just a handrail? – if so how high is the deck from finished ground level?
Are they just decorative?

As a start I’d advise that you don’t attach them to the decking but to the substructure – normally done by rebating the post to accept the bearer/joist.

[journeyman Mick]

As Eastie said, more info is needed. However generally the roof beam/plate should be in line with the verandah bearer. Posts, whether they support roof loads or only handrails, are best bolted to both the bearer and a joist. A 10 - 20mm rebate to sit on the joist is recommended. You will need to nail a block (scrap of joist material) to the post as well to take the ends of the boards. T & G boards are not recommended for any weather exposed situation, they will swell and buckle badly with moisture absorbtion. Shot edge boards spaced about 3mm apart is the way to go.

Mick

[neddy]

Originally posted by journeyman Mick
As Eastie said, more info is needed. However generally the roof beam/plate should be in line with the verandah bearer. Posts, whether they support roof loads or only handrails, are best bolted to both the bearer and a joist. A 10 - 20mm rebate to sit on the joist is recommended. You will need to nail a block (scrap of joist material) to the post as well to take the ends of the boards. T & G boards are not recommended for any weather exposed situation, they will swell and buckle badly with moisture absorbtion. Shot edge boards spaced about 3mm apart is the way to go.

Mick

Thanks Mick..................yes the posts will be supporting the roof line. Should the post be rebated to sit on the bearer as well as the joist because this way the post will be positioned directly over the corner stump? I'm surprized so many verandah's have used T&G if this is the case. What exactly are shot edge boards?

[journeyman Mick]

It's not strictly neccesary to have the post sitting directly over the stump. As long as you get it fairly close then the load will not deflect the bearer. If you can get the posts to line up with the stumps right along the verandah then that is preferable, both structurally and aesthetically.
Shot edge = planed edge. Most decking sold nowadays is pencil round as well so it's kinder on bare feet and toes. Possibly in dryer areas you can get away with T&G verandahs, especially if there is a solid half height wall instead of open balustrading. The trouble is if it gets wet the boards will expand, and being locked together and laid pretty tight (or they should be anyway) there's nowhere for the boards to go but up, result: waves in deck.

Mick