[Shop-talk] Determining beam span/hanging header joists?

[john niolon]

I would think it would be sufficient to support the roof load but your load 
is something else... not the beam but  2x2 trusses ???  is this an 
engineered truss or something you've come up with...  I covered my deck 
12'x24' with 2x6 roof rafters supporting metal sheeting (22 ga) with 1x4 
sheet 'girts' set flush with the top of the 2x6s (notched in) ... and it's 
all sitting on a double 2x6 beam on the outside end...overlapped about 3 
feet and bolted in 4 places with 1/2" bolts and nailed about a hundred 
times... it's supported by 4 4x4 posts (8' centers)... it's held a 12" snow 
for about a week and I routinely climb on it to clean gutters... although I 
limit my steps to the rafters and the bridging...

I just don't know about 2x2" material and can't picture a 2x2 truss in my 
small mind...if you're still antsy about it, sandwich a piece of 3/8" or 
1/2" plywood in between the 2x8s before bolting and you're surely good to 
go...  BTW a double 2x8 ?? you're gonna need some help to set that up there.

john


> I'm planning a 10' x 22' deck cover.  I plan on supporting it using 6 4x4 
> beams, spaced on both sides at the 1', 11' and 21' marks (10' spacing).
> Would a 2x8 bolted to the side of the beams (or using those Simpson 
> Strongtie connectors) be sufficient to hold up the cover without sagging, 
> or should I plan for more support beams between the spans?
> The cover itself will be made of 12 2x2 trusses (~9lbs each) and 11 
> roofing panels (~6 lb each), plus blocking between trusses.  I'm in an 
> area with very little snowfall, but a lot of rain.  I'll need to climb up 
> there as well to install the roof panels and flashing (~190lbs). Should I 
> double up the 2x8's, one on either side of the beams?
> The header joist will be made of 2 11' studs.  Is it sufficient to simply 
> butt them together and center the joint overlap equally on the center 
> beam, or is some sort of splice needed to keep them together.