Laying deck boards

[wht93gted]

bark side up or bark side down.

I didn't realize there'd be so much debate about this. Not being a deck builder, I figured I'd just hop online and see which way to lay them; boy was I wrong...

So, real world experiences; what have you guys done? I'm just using plain PT wood, I don't want to spend $$$$ for Trex or even the Home Depot imitation versions. What kind of stain or sealer has worked well also? thanks

 

[lobra97]

good luck man that is another parallel universe when it come to that stuff. have yo been to any DIY forums? lot of knowledge there, i am looking to build a walkway or something in the back so i've been on a few sites

 

[oldmodman]

If this is real wood the cupped side goes down. By that I mean that the hump is up so that if the wood cups further the edges will still be down and equal in height to the plank next to it. And prefer deck screw to nails. And I have always pre-drilled the plank to prevent splitting.

 

[VirtualSVT]

If this is real wood the cupped side goes down. By that I mean that the hump is up so that if the wood cups further the edges will still be down and equal in height to the plank next to it. And prefer deck screw to nails. And I have always pre-drilled the plank to prevent splitting.

this. Nails are the worst idea ever.

 

[CobraBob]

Definitely use deck screws. Don't use nails! Pre-drilling is a great idea, too.

When laying the deck planks down, allow room for wood expansion (there is a tool for this). Also, you need to let the treated wood season/dry before you stain or seal. Rule of thumb is a minimum of 3 months. You want to get the moisture content down so that the stain will soak in and last. I just did a deck last fall. I cleaned the deck thoroughly yesterday and I plan to stain it this Friday. Finally.

 

[soccerman002]

Usually they say to put the thickness of a nail between the boards to allow for expansion. And cupped side down as was already stated - you don't want the edges turning up into the exposed side of your deck. If you pre-drill and put two screws (no nails) into each deck/joint connection, cupped side down, you'll be good to go. And if you do end up replacing decking down the road, it's much easier to remove screws than to have to **** w/nails.

My father-in-law did a deck maybe 6-7 years ago and he only put a single screw into each deck/joist connection, didn't bother looking at the grain in the wood, and he's already replaced half of the decking b/c the boards are warping and cupping upwards.

 

[prostkr]

Put them together tight if using 5/4, 2" thick stuff can get a nail between. PT will shrink up a ton as it dries. Cup down and look at the end grain. If its not cupped yet it will as it dries. You will see the growth rings like this (((( put the hump/crown up. Buy long boards if possible to avoid joints.

 

[wht93gted]

Thanks guys...I have screws, some Deckmate rustoleum covered blah blah.
I'm using the 5/4 PT

I think this was my confusion...people are claiming that boards warp the opposite direction of growth rings.

Is this guy just a hack?
Deck Board Installation - Bark Side Up or Down

Why Boards Warp: When deck boards get wet they do not get wet consistently. That is, the wood exposed to the rain and the wood on the bottom of the board are not being exposed to the same moisture. As a result, the wood fibers on the weathered or exposure side expand more than the fibers on the bottom. That creates dimensional changes in the wood. Wood warps the opposite orientation of the growth rings. The orientation of growth rings and which side gets wetter determines the way the wood warps on your deck.

 

[tistan]

I build a few decks a year, and I don't screw any of them. I shoot them with a galvanized ringshank I adjust the head of the gun where it leaves the nail just above the wood and then finish driving it with a hammer. Screwing a deck takes too much time and doesn't offer any better results.

 

[JBird_Cobra]

I know you didn't want to use Trex but there are some very comparable products (much less $$) and you can install them with concealed fasteners. Let me know if you're interested and I can send some info... I'm in the middle of a (3) story building project in Denver and the 3rd story restaurant balcony is using a Trex alternative.

 

[tistan]

I've done a lot of composite decks, and they all shrink and fade out. A lot of first ones I did became brittle and started breaking after some time. Composite does look great for the first year. For the same money as composite decking, I'd just buy some Teak or Ipe, but those will have to be pre drilled and screwed because they are rock hard. The if you don't ever treat Teak it will last 25+ years, and Ipe will last something like 50+ year with no treatment. Both will last even longer if you treat them every couple years.

 

[CobraBob]

I build a few decks a year, and I don't screw any of them. I shoot them with a galvanized ringshank I adjust the head of the gun where it leaves the nail just above the wood and then finish driving it with a hammer. Screwing a deck takes too much time and doesn't offer any better results.

I have to disagree. Screws DO offer a better result. I've had multiple decks with nails over the years and in every case some planks lift over time due to the nails not holding them tight. I've had nails pop through the wood enough where you could injure your bare foot if you didn't see them. Which is why deck screws are the better choice. My present deck is now a year old and the planks are as tight to the frame as they were a year ago. Top rails are nice and tight, too. Again, screws were exclusively used. Also, every professional deck installer I talked to last year said the same thing. They use screws vs. nails. The extra time (minimal by the way) to do screws is definitely worth it. JMO.

 

[jshen]

Deck

I just refinished my deck and adjoining porch area. I had stain on the decking and after a few years needed resurfacing. Here, the humid south, wood does all kind of crazy stuff. I purchased Rustoleum Restore and did an area of about 18 x 24 including steps. It is like rolling tar! and it goes on thick enough to cover nailheads, cracks, cupped wood, etc with a gritty non sliding surface. I screwed up my hip from a slide & fall on a slippery deck steps several back so I appreciate the surface of this stuff.

 

[CobraBob]

Jeff, how is your decking overall, condition wise? Just curious as I've heard of Restore and have used a similar product on another deck some years ago that we had. It worked pretty well, but my decking, wood-wise, was in good condition overall.

 

[jshen]

Decking- woodwise OK, finish was terrrible and I hate painting. I want to do this once and hopefully it will last a few years. There is a downside to the Restore- for my deck/porch area- I went through 16 gal. of that stuff to make two coats!!!! Wood rot is a real problem here and any PT wood that touchs the ground will have a very limited lifetime. As far as decking, if there is any rot- I would replace before coating with expensive surfacing. Behr just came out with a copy cat product but I don't know how good it is.

I put up a post mailbox in 1987 with 4x4 treated wood- Before I put it in the ground, the end going in the ground soaked in Thompsons weatherseal for about half a day...and when dry was coated with hot roofing tar... Post is still solid.

 

[tistan]

I have to disagree. Screws DO offer a better result. I've had multiple decks with nails over the years and in every case some planks lift over time due to the nails not holding them tight. I've had nails pop through the wood enough where you could injure your bare foot if you didn't see them. Which is why deck screws are the better choice. My present deck is now a year old and the planks are as tight to the frame as they were a year ago. Top rails are nice and tight, too. Again, screws were exclusively used. Also, every professional deck installer I talked to last year said the same thing. They use screws vs. nails. The extra time (minimal by the way) to do screws is definitely worth it. JMO.

Since I am a professional carpenter, I'll agree to disagree. I guarantee that ringshank nails will pull through the decking before they release from the framing. I have had to pull some decks that I have done back up because the owner wanted to change to composite. Most of the nails stay in the framing when I pull the deck up, and I have to come back with a crow bar to pull the nails out of the framing. I've never had to go back and fix any decks I've nailed down.

 

[EatonEggbeater]

One thing to add, you really only have to drill the ends of the boards, not all of the fastening locations.

You can drill them if you want, don't get me wrong, but with whatever fastener you decide on, if you don't drill the ends; it will split there.

 

[jshen]

Tistan

That can't be Tybee- the water is blue/green in your photo and not muddy brown!!

Nice deck though!

 

[Koncept]

Put them together tight. If you start with a small gap, you will end up with a much larger gap. Pressure treated boards shrink quite a bit as they dry out.

 

[tistan]

That can't be Tybee- the water is blue/green in your photo and not muddy brown!!

Nice deck though!

Thanks, it's definitely not Tybee. It is on Panama City beach (got suckered into going down there to do this job). This was the first and only time I ever went to Panama city. It is a beautiful area with no sand gnats.