I want to be able to access the basement entrance of my house but also want a deck over top.
The deck has 2X8 joists on 16 ” centers attached to the house ledger board at one end and to a beam 8 feet out from the house. The deck surface is 5 feet off the ground.
I’m looking for a way to install the 2 X 6 deck boards across a minimum span of 36″ but be able to remove them easily if |I need to get access to the basement through the bulkhead.
Is there any way to safely span 36 ” with some sort of removable frame that I could just pull up out of the space when I need access? Can I double or triple the joists?
Replies
Yup.
Use pressure treated 2x4's as the joist running across the deckboard direction. Inside your 36" hole, lag bolt (using Timberlok type lags) more pressure trated 2x4s around the perimeter of the hole. You would frame the hole in the standard manner (buy a book on framing for pictures and illustrations). The 36" hatch would rest on the 2x4's in the hole.