Large deck project - Rail post options.

Hello,

I am building a 52' long deck. I have a (permit) plan, and a permit.

Details:

There are 2 sections, one is 12' out from the house and the other is 16'.
(Picture of plan attached.)
On the 16' section, there is a 5.25" x 9.5" Glulam beam set flush with joist hangers attached to the side.

The 12' section is a traditional girder with a 2x10 rim joist.

I am going to be using 1" x 5.5" pvc decking with a double picture frame.
The picture frame will cantilever 1" past the beam, and 2x10 rim joist on all sides.

The railing is going to be inside mount.

I was hoping to use PT 4x4 posts, 1/2" bolts, and tension ties to attach the 4x4 posts to the rim joists.

I will use a 4" outside diameter post sleeve everywhere.
With a post skirt that is exactly 6" x 6" square.

On the 16' x 28' section with the 5.25" flush beam, I was going to use Blu Mount Post mounts, and Lag bolt them to the beam.

Questions:

-If I bolt the 4x4 posts to the inside of the rim joist, there will be 2.5 inches from the outside edge of the post, to the outside of the decking.
That seems far, and a waste of deck space.
I don't think the inspector would allow me to notch the 4x4 post an inch, to decrease this distance.

With the post sleeve and skirt in place, there would be ~1- 3/8" from the outside edge of the skirt to the edge of the decking.

I am trying not to use Blu mounts everywhere due to cost.

-If I did use Blu Mount post mounts everywhere, I would have the same problem, unless I lag bolted one side of the post to the middle of the 2 x 10 rim joist.
Is this conventional to do?

(I have a call out to the manufacturer and my inspector, but the manufacturer will probably defer to local codes, and the inspector will probably say to insure that it is installed to the manufacturer's guidelines....leaving me with no answer.)

-I have one Blu mount post mount to size it all up, and in order to get the correct placement over the glulam, I would need to lag bolt it to about 5/16" from the edge of the beam. Does that seem like a problem?

Since I only have a permit plan, it really seems to provide more question then answers in a lit of areas.

Thanks all,

Mike Angelini

2 1/2" to edge of deck but your pvc is 6" and likely has a molding around the bottom, will that not use up about 2"
Will the beam be treated?

The pvc skirt is 6" to the edge of the trim. So it wouldn't be more then 1-3/8 of decking showing probably.

I would think 3/8" would be perfect, I wouldn't spend a nickle chasing the last inch.