Need a 22-foot beam for an 8-foot deck

[old_guy]

I have a 22-foot ledger board already installed for a second-story deck.  The deck will be attached to this ledger and go only 8 feet out from the house.  In order to avoid a post in the middle of the ground-floor deck below it, we would like to have a beam which will support the 22=feet wide deck with posts only at the ends.

The plan is for composite deck boards, so we are planning 2x8 joists on 12-inch centers.

No snow load.

What can we use for this beam?

Thanks.

- John

[OlJarhead]

I'd look up a beam calculator/span calculator -- don't have a link handy but I know someone will   My guess is that it will need to be an engineered beam for that span.

[MountainDon]

I'd look up a beam calculator/span calculator -- don't have a link handy but I know someone will   My guess is that it will need to be an engineered beam for that span.

Beam calculator
free:  http://timbertoolbox.com/
1 free calc and $8 a month after 1 free use  http://design.medeek.com/resources/beam/beam_calculator.pl
I believe that span with only 1 support at each end is impractical for dimensional lumber. Dimensional lumber can not be spliced mid-span unless there is a support pier/post directly under the splice(s). That 22-foot distance with no mid-span supports is really the realm of factory-made engineered beams.

Q?  How is the ledger attached to the structure? Too many decks have pulled off the structure so best practices and code with everyone's safety in mind requires more than a few lag screws and joist hangers. There should be a positive pull-away prevention connection between the house framing and the deck joists. Search for Simpson DTT2Z and DTT1Z connectors. DTT2Z are best. A large number of deck failures occur when the deck flooring pulls away from the structure. Everything, everyone then slides and crashed into the space against the wall under the deck.

[old_guy]

Ledger is fastened with a LOT of Fastenmaster LedgerLock screws.

Beam-post, beam-joist, and post-joist connections are still tbd.  Thank you for your suggestions, Don.


An attorney friend of my attorney brother bought a new house many years ago upon passing the bar.
A 2nd story deck collapsed during his house warming party.

[OlJarhead]

OUCH!  Hopefully they were ok?