Anchoring a deck guard post for the 200-pound top load
A guard must resist a 200 lb load at the top rail, which levers hard on the base. Use a tested tension tie or through-bolts — screws into the rim pull loose.
What this diagram shows
Two deck-edge sections comparing guard-post attachment. The left red one screws or lags the post to the rim joist, so the 200-pound load required at the top of the guard levers it and the post pulls loose. The right green one uses a tension-tie hold-down with through-bolts down an inner joist, which resists the load. Anchoring the post is the most-failed guard inspection item.
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