Category Blog

Round and square footings both carry a deck post just fine structurally, but they differ in concrete usage and forming method. This guide covers why round uses roughly 27% less concrete for the same bearing area, when a square pad or stepped footing-and-pier design makes sense, and a decision table to pick the right shape for your soil and code requirements.

Rebar isn't always required in a deck pier, but the wrong call means breaking out and repouring a footing after inspection. This guide covers when depth-to-diameter ratio, soil type, and load push a pier into reinforced-concrete territory, typical bar size and count by pier diameter, and the mistakes that lead to a failed inspection.

The post anchor is the only connection between your post and its concrete footing. This guide compares adjustable standoff bases, fixed bases, embedded anchor bolts, and post-installed retrofits — covering when each fits, how to size a base to your post, uplift rating considerations, and the mistakes that lead to rot or a failed connection at the post base.

Sonotube forms and plain auger holes both produce a concrete pier footing, but they suit different soil conditions. This guide covers when firm soil lets you skip the form, when loose or sandy soil demands one, how concrete usage differs between the two, and a decision table to pick the right method before you dig.

Pier count isn't a flat number per square foot — it's driven by beam span, joist span, and load. This guide covers the formula for calculating piers per beam line, typical spacing by deck size, worked examples for standard and point-load decks (hot tubs, pergolas), and the common mistakes that lead to under- or over-spaced footings.

Pier footings that sit above the local frost line risk frost heave every winter. This guide breaks down typical frost depths by U.S. region, the formula for setting footing depth, worked examples for warm, moderate, and cold climates, and the factors — soil type, drainage, shade — that can push your required depth deeper than the regional average.

Riprap conversations come loaded with terms that matter but rarely get explained — D50, tailwater, launching apron, winnowing. This glossary breaks down every term homeowners actually run into, grouped by sizing, installation, failure modes, placement methods, and ordering, so a supplier quote or contractor conversation stops feeling like a foreign language.

Rock material is often less than half of a real riprap project budget once delivery, filter fabric, site prep, and labor are all counted. This guide breaks down all six budget line items, walks through a full worked worksheet totaling roughly $16,700 for a 100-ton shoreline project, and covers fair payment scheduling and the mistakes that most often blow a riprap budget over.

A riprap quote can look complete and still miss the details that determine whether it's actually the right material for your project. This guide covers the essential questions to ask about gradation, rock quality, delivery, and pricing, with real examples showing the difference between a vague quote and one you can actually compare and trust.

Home>Decking>Deck Pier Spacing & Layout How Many Piers Does Your Deck Need? Spacing & Layout Guide A deck’s frame works like a bridge between two solid points. The joists carry the decking and everything on it, the beam carries the…