How to Install Joists for a Deck in Your Garden 2026

How to Install Joists for a Deck in your Garden. A simple ground level platform is a simple project, a perfect starting point if you are new to carpentry.

Before you start installing wood joists, check out our guide to planning your deck project. This ranges from deck structures to board designs, and provides an essential introduction. Our first tip on how to install deck joists in the garden is for you to make sure that the deck will be placed on flat, soft, level ground. It is important that it is placed on the ground floor and that it is not raised.

Instructions:

Carefully measure and mark every 16″ along the joist and frame, or any support beams you are using to mount your joists.

Take a piece of pressure treated lumber the width and height of your joists (it should be pressure treated lumber).

Some supports will stay parallel on their own, but some will shift outward, so you will have to hold them in place while hitting the support

Use the largest size of outdoor nails that will fit easily into the holes in your brackets. In this case, the joist supports require size #10 nails, which are quite substantial.

Continue working down the line, being careful to center each support with the 16″ marks

You should now have two rows 16″ spaced apart, facing each other, with supports installed on each side. It is a good idea to calculate, from the beginning, where the posts will be along the frame or beam. Do what you can to keep these obstacles between the supports spaced 16″ apart.

Occasionally, however, you will encounter a circumstance where the post cannot be avoided. In this case, the 16″ mark hits about 3/4″ away from the shoe. A stand won't fit here. In this case, we must first level the leveling post so that it is level with the tops of joists.
Use your reciprocating saw with a blade that is long enough to go through the post at an angle. At the precise level of the top of the beam or frame, use the reciprocating saw to cut the top of the post. A 6″ blade worked well for cutting through a 4x4 post.

Before we talk about what to do with the joist next tol foot, let's talk about how to hang a standard beam. Measure from the inside (against the joist) of one support to its opposite spaced support.

Use a miter saw to cut your 2x6 treated lumber (or whatever size you need to code) to that length.

Repeat for all joists in the line, individually measuring and cutting the length of each joist.

Measure and mark 8″ inside and 16″ thereafter on one section, then 16″ inside and 16″ thereafter on the neighboring section

Install the brackets the same way in the next section

Measure and cut a joist at the opposite support

Install washers and lag screws in the pre-drilled holes

If your platform is already made with a lot of right angles

Some covers have a curved edge or two, where 90 degree hanging brackets will not work. Adjustable stands are available in these instances.

The adjustable brackets have gaps in the corner metal to give the bracket some flexibility while maintaining its strength and supporting ability.
Use the larger deck nails (also in this case, #10) that will easily fit into the bracket mounting holes and install one bracket per side. Use two pairs of pliers to adjust the angle of the bracket more easily before nailing them into place.

Here you can see the adjustable supports along the curved edge of this platform. Once or twice, a portion of the end of the joist had to be drilled to accommodate a wall mounting truss bolt head.

We hope you found this tutorial on how to install deck joists helpful.

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