According to the North American Deck and Railing Association, there are more than 50 million decks in the United States. The organization estimates that close to half that number “are past their useful life and need to be replaced or repaired.”
A cursory internet search for “deck collapse” quickly generates dozens of recent news reports of decks failing. The most recent numbers from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (published in 2010) found there were more than 20,000 injuries due to deck structural failure or collapse between 2003 and 2007 alone.
There are several structural connections that are essential to building a safe, code-compliant deck. Simpson Strong-Tie offers a complete line of connectors and fasteners to make those critical connections. To help homeowners and deck builders determine the right product for each of these connections, we’ve also created a video, “10 Critical Deck Connections.” Below the video, you’ll find a list of the connections, with links to the products we’ve designed for keeping your friends and families safe throughout deck season — this year and for years to come.
- Guardrail post to deck framing
- DTT2Z deck tension ties or Strong-Drive® SDWS Timber screws
- HTT4 tension ties
- Joist to ledger
- LUCZ or LUS joist hangers for most common applications
- HUS or HUC for heavy timber applications or in complicated deck designs
- LSSJZ and LSSRZ for angled applications
- Outdoor Accents® APHH and APLH decorative hangers
- Stair tread to stringer
- Stair stringer to deck framing
- Deck joists to the framing of the supporting structure
- DTT1Z or DTT2Z deck tension ties
- Joist to beam
- Beam to post
- BCZ, BCSZ, CBTZ, LCEZ, ACZ, LPCZPCZ/EPCZ post caps
- Outdoor Accents APB, APT, APL and APDJT decorative connectors
- Post to concrete
- ABAZ, ABWZ, ABU, RPBZ, PBSZ or MPBZ post bases or CBSQ column bases (depending on concrete)
- Post-to-beam knee brace
- Ledger to the house or supporting structure
