John - From your journal pics, it looks like you have footings on all four corners of your deck but that you also attached it to what looks like the cinder block of the foundation of your house. I am wondering how you attached and fastened the deck to the cinder block? I am going to put a deck on my family's cabin similar to yours at about the same height and have to either attach it to the cinder block of the foundation or have it free standing. Thanks for any advice you have on this.

It is just free standing, not attached to the house at all.

If you HAD to attach it to the house, then you could use anchor bolts that are designed for concrete or cinder block, but I would suggest you just do it free standing if you can.

-John

I don't have a need to attach it to the house, so I will take your advice and make it free standing. Your deck looks great, thanks for your advice!

Dave

Your'e welcome. I think what might have led you to believe I attached it to the house is the fact that I messed up a bit when I was figuring where to put the footings. I put them too far away from the house and thus the rear support beam was too far away from the house. So I ended up with not enough support for that last deck board that sits next to the house. My solution was to just attach some scap 2 x 8 between the house and the rear support beam for the deck and the house. They did not have to be too securly attached (at least not like the other joists) as about 30% of that last deck board sits on the rear support beam and there will not be much weight on that last deck board in the first place as it is right up against the house.

Good luck and have fun!

-John

not to mention in some towns a deck not atatched to a house needs no permit. witch means no inspector turning over the value of your project to the tax man.and no flashing probs