Hello World! Welcome Friends! A deck can be an excellent way to add extra square footage to your property’s living space. The outdoor room gives you freedom and flexibility you didn’t have before.
However, while decking is one of the most common home improvements, it is also among the most poorly executed. Even a relatively new deck can start rotting and sagging, well before its time.
There are many reasons why decking fails. However, the main ones are shoddy work, cutting costs, or a combination of both.
The key here is to get the process right. If you can master the art of setting up decking on your property, you’ll get results you’re proud of. Fortunately, this post is here to help. We explore some of the fundamentals of properly setting up a deck and building one designed to last for many years to come.
Start With a Healthy Foundation
Before you start laying any deck at all, make sure you start with a healthy foundation. Avoid the temptation to adopt a fast approach of laying a couple of concrete slabs and calling it a day.
The trick to building a great deck is to dig down in front of the spots you will put your foundation piers and then pour concrete, ensuring you reinforce each with concrete fiber.
Make sure you leave at least eight inches of space between the underside of the deck and the ground. This way, you can avoid any rising damp from moving up and rotting your wood panels.
Build a Strong Frame
The next stage is to build a strong frame. Research fir vs pine for your area and climatic conditions. You want a material that’s long and strong enough to span the distance.
Most professional deck builders make frames from 6-by-12-inch beams, with 2-by-10-inch joists. This approach requires a lot of timber, but it also means your new outdoor space will resist sagging or structural compromise over the years.
Don’t skimp on joist hangers to fasten your beans. Make sure you use the proper fittings. Avoid the temptation to drive nails diagonally through the joists into the beams. This approach won’t work for long.
Don’t Remove Any Part Of Your Home’s Exterior Cladding to Make the Deck Fit
Try to avoid the temptation to cut into your home’s siding, exterior cladding, or masonry to get the deck to fit. Instead, cut it to size. If you start chipping away at your home’s construction, you’ll wind up with moisture damage and a host of additional problems. Water may enter the wall, causing damp and deep-seated damage to the brickwork.
The best way to avoid this mistake is to pour the foundation tiers next to the building. But place your deck right up next to it, leaving a quarter inch for your walls.
Choose the Best Type Of Wood For Your Deck
Most decking uses cedar, a natural product with special oils in it that resist rot. However, you can also choose generic wood bathed in chemicals to make it last longer.
Many of today’s discerning homeowners use synthetic materials. These offer even better weather resistance and don’t require constant treatments to keep them in good condition. However, they also come with higher environmental costs when you do finally dispose of them.
Don’t Leave a Tight Join Between Joists and Frame Beams
Leaving a tight join between deck frame elements seems like a way to increase the quality of the final product. More seamless designs look better.
Unfortunately, they’re not so great in the rain. With gaps, water droplets have nowhere to drain and can seep into the surrounding wood, causing rot, no matter how well-sealed it is.
Leaving gaps won’t affect the deck’s strength and may actually prolong its life. The wood itself is not usually a supporting element.
Use Corrosion-Resistant Fastenings
Having weather-resistant wood is great, but if you pair it with iron nails, your deck will soon start to fall apart. Regular metal will rust away, eventually making it hard to carry out repairs.
Therefore, always use stainless steel, galvanized metal, or a corrosion-resistant alternative. These options will never rust, helping them last significantly longer.
Some kits also offer polymer screws. These won’t rust at all, but they can be a little softer and flimsier than their metal counterparts, making them unsuitable for some designs.
Provide Space Between Deck Boards
Lastly, ensure you leave room between deck boards so water can escape, just as you did the deck frame. This way, you can reduce the risk of it rotting over time.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
5 Modern Swimming Pool Designs to Upgrade Your Landscaping
5 Signs That You Can Benefit From Roof Repair Services
5 Ideas for a Backyard Workshop
4 Tasty Advantages of Installing an Outdoor BBQ
5 Points You Need on Every Home Inspection Checklist
Ordering Custom Furniture? Make Sure You Choose the Right Wood
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Toodles,
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