How Do You Lay Decking Boards
Use two nails for each joist to deck board connection.
How do you lay decking boards. Proper deck board spacing should have a 1 8 inch gap after the decking has dried out. The more boards you install the more the board s variation in width becomes apparent. Wood warps in the opposite orientation of the growth rings. Otherwise you can move on to laying your decking boards.
How to lay deck boards. This step is only necessary if you are fitting balustrading to your deck. Most deck boards are relatively straight and easy to lay but there are always a few that need a little extra coaxing. Stagger butt joints as much as possible for a nicer appearance.
Now you ve got the frame of your deck you can lay the boards. Start in one corner of your sub frame and position the first board across the inner joists so that the board runs in the opposite direction to the inner joists. Here are some tips when laying the deck boards. Deck spacing isn t anything to take lightly.
When using pressure treated wood that s still saturated with preservative install the boards without a gap between them. It is important that you fit your newel posts before laying your decking boards if you intend on fitting balustrading. Locate screws about 3 4 from the edges of boards. This creates dimensional changes in the wood.
Spacers let you run sleepers parallel to the house so decking can run perpendicular to the house if that s what you prefer. Newel posts are the spindles attached to the outer frame which your railings rest on. Install decking with 3 pressure treated compatible deck screws instead of nails. Start installing deck boards at the outside of the deck and work towards the house wall.
If the joist runs horizontal the boards should be vertical and vice versa. As a result the wood fibers on the top side expand more than the fibers on the bottom. If you install your decking using wet boards pressure treated decking that has not yet dried out then you should install them with no gap as a gap will be created as they dry and shrink. If you use the conventional method of using a spacer in between each decking board eventually the decking boards look like they are starting to bend and curve.
Start on one end of bent boards and straighten them as you nail or screw them to each consecutive joist. As the wood dries it will shrink leaving a small gap between each board. You could lay your sleepers directly on the concrete but we bought a 1 2 in thick pvc trim board and cut spacer blocks from it.