Deck Construction

You are going to have to deal with your local building codes and you will almost certainly need a permit. Upon completion you will be required to submit to an inspection to prove you did it right.

Start with the building code and permit office and ask for a copy of the relevant codes.

Ask one of the inspectors if he would recommend a book or such on the specifications you need.

You can find plenty of how-to books at the library or your local lumber yard. Generally, these are pretty generic in their techniques so that they meet (or exceed) just about all possible codes and should provide 95% of the information you need. The remaining 5% will be in the building codes for your township, which may have specific requirements.

For example, in Florida there are specific requirements for hurricanes, which are not very applicable for someone building in Iowa.

The 2x6 is not adequete. AH has made some good suggestions. Follow those or get some help.

Specific location, within 50 miles and a picture would help.

2x6 may be OK depending on many unknowns.

AH has good points.

The Southern Building Code has specific span charts that dictate maximum spans for lumber based on the species and dimensions. You can use, 1 inch by 1 inch joists if you are willing to install support beams on very frequent intervals. Assuming yellow pine, I would do as my German forefather's did, if the code called for a 2 by 6, I would use a 2 by 8. If the code recommends one support beam at 8 foot on center, one could double the beams and half the spans for the longevity. I perform foundation repairs on homes that have been in the family for 7 plus generations and it is a joy to work on homes built to last decades, rather than new homes built to last until the property values warrant demolition and new construction. My front deck will be the only thing standing following the tornado. My two cents. Gary

Beams 6' OC with 2X6(16"OC) and 8' OC with 2X8 (16" OC).

Ya, that last comment was kinda what I was lookn for. And how much (with either 2x6 or 2x8) that you can/should let the deck frame cantilever out past the last/outer most support beam. Also, Lagging the ledger into the house-How far out should you put your 1st support beam off the house. Like 2ft off the house? And 2ft back from the outside edge of the deck?

Effectively, the ledger is your first beam. Use concrete anchors for the ledger. With 2X8 a 24" cantilever is ok.

Consult you local codes.

Take a look at this document from the APFA and American Wood Council. You can use this in most jurisdictions though your local building department may have "locally accepted standards".

http://www.awc.org/Publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6-09.pdf