How To Lay Decking Boards
The setting out of the decking boards will make or break any deck.
How to lay decking boards. When using pressure treated wood that s still saturated with preservative install the boards without a gap between them. When deck boards get wet they do not get wet consistently. If the joist runs horizontal the boards should be vertical and vice versa. Wooden decks are a common exterior addition to homes allowing families extra space to use when enjoying the outdoors.
As a result the wood fibers on the top side expand more than the fibers on the bottom. This creates dimensional changes in the wood. How to lay deck boards. The wood on the top of each board is exposed to more moisture than the wood on the bottom.
01 24 how to place deck boards with the crown facing up. We all have seen decks where the decking boards are not running in straight lines. 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 continue reading how to lay straight decking boards. To begin laying the boards of your deck position the first board to the edge of the frame closest to your building.
We describe how to lay out and fasten deck boards to the deck floor joist structure and how to decide on the appropriate deck board gap. How to stagger deck 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. As the wood dries it will shrink leaving a small gap between each board.
How to do it yourself patio deck fastening deck boards to joists and beam. Now you ve got the frame of your deck you can lay the boards. Start on one end of bent boards and straighten them as you nail or screw them to each consecutive joist. Decks feature planks for walking on but if these.
Choices of deck board fastener types and methods include nails screws clips and a wide variety of hidden deck board fastener systems that we describe here as well. Here are some tips when laying the deck boards. 02 09 how to attach shim. 3 5mm is normally ample width to allow for this.
Wood warps in the opposite orientation of the growth rings. When positioning your next board you should leave a small gap for expansion during wet weather though not so large so as to create a large gap should your boards shrink.