Category Archives: Deck Tools

Deck Framing with Joist Tape

How to Make Your Framing Last as Long as Your Ipe Decking

Ipe decking can last up to 75 years with hardly any maintenance. That’s great! But customers often wonder: what about the framing?

Deck framing is usually made of pressure treated pine. It’s cheap, easy to install, and readily available. But pressure treated pine is only rated to last about 15 years. So why would you spend all that money on 75-year ipe if you’re going to have to replace the deck in just 15 years anyway due to rotten framing?

It’s a great question! Here are a few way to make your framing last as long as your ipe decking:

Build the Frame with Ipe

The most obvious fix is to build your frame from the same material as your decking. This will certainly work, but it will be very expensive. And because ipe is so tough, it will be a lot harder to build the frame and secure the deck boards to it. For these reasons, we don’t typically recommend going this route.

Build the Frame with Metal

Metal deck framing comes with many of the same advantages and drawback as ipe framing: it’s expensive and difficult to work with. Additionally, metal products tend to react with ipe and stain the decking. Because of this, you’ll have to use joist and ledger tape as a protective barrier between the framing and the deck boards.

Metal framing can be a great solution if you don’t mind the extra cost and effort, but we don’t usually recommend it. However, now that we’ve brought up joist and ledger tape…

Build the Frame with Pressure Treated Lumber and Protect It with Joist and Ledger Tape

Ledger Tape and Joist Tape

The third option—and the one we recommend—is to use pressure treated pine, then cover your joists, posts, and ledgers with a protective, waterproof tape.

Most wood deterioration is caused by exposure to the elements, especially moisture. The areas of your frame that are most susceptible to rot are places where the wood touches up against something else, creating tight spaces that trap water. Common culprits are the bases of posts in contact with the ground and the tops of joists in contact with the decking.

Joist tape creates a protective barrier between the decking and the joists and keeps the wood dry. Ledger tape does the same thing, but it’s wider so it can cover a broader area. Ledger tape is good for protecting ledgers, beams, and posts.

You should apply joist and ledger tape to all your horizontal framing surfaces. The tape should be wide enough to fold over the sides for maximum protection. You may have to cut the tape in order to wrap corners without creating wrinkles, which can allow water to seep in.

Using joist and ledger tape on your deck framing will drastically improve the lifespan of your deck without costing you tons of money or effort.

Are Metal Joists A Good Idea For Brazilian Decking?

Brazilian Decking like Ipe, Cumaru, or Tigerwood is some of the longest-lasting wood around. Not only do these woods make your deck look absolutely stunning, they also last decades longer than other alternatives. Many customers ask if we recommend an alternative framing material, since they want their framing to last as long as their deck.
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Snow shovel for deck

How to Get Snow off Your Deck: An Easy Checklist

Winter is here, and although the joy of a beautiful snow covered landscape is great, it’s accompanied by freezing temperatures. These cold winds are also responsible for a lot of our indoor hibernation which can lead to some neglected decks.

Ipe Deck and Snow Load
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How To Convert Square Feet to Linear Feet

Infographic-quatro

The lumber industry has a lot of terms that are often very tough to navigate especially if it’s the first time anyone considered buying wood. Most wood products are sold per piece or per square foot. Often a lot of people won’t know how to convert from square feet to linear feet and if they order amounts per the square foot then there will be a very big shortage of material. Luckily we do provide a handy dandy square feet to linear feet calculator that’ll do the hard work and a page that explains what lumber sizing is! But, have you wondered how exactly the calculation happens?
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New Laser Guided Straight Line Ripper in CA and FL factories

Here at AdvantageLumber.com, we always have state of the art equipment in our factories. Having the latest machinery allows us to provide you with the most current services available, and because of these advances we also are able to serve you with fast shipping times. We have seen steady growth since we first opened our doors in 1992, and even during the economic downturn, we have prospered where other companies have not.

ripper-2

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Deck Inspections: Tools You’ll Need

Every building inspector needs the correct tools and safety equipment to properly check decks. Without these tools, they wouldn’t be able to tell if your deck is sound, or if it needs some attention. It’s beneficial for homeowners to have the same tools as these inspectors so they can properly check their deck themselves. While some inspectors carry more than enough tools, homeowners can find what they need around the house.

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Deckwise™ Extreme Plugs

ipe deck with plugs
Ipe plugs keep the surface of this luxurious deck smooth.

In order to fill holes left by screws, you will need to purchase wood plugs. But if you want to go with the most secure plugs, then the Extreme Plugs is the way to go! These plugs are completely unique since they are milled with tolerance absorbing rings, which make them the safest option. You can buy the Extreme Plug in three different sizes and five wood types, Ipe, Cumaru, Garapa, Tigerwood and Massaranduba. To get more technical details and options, watch these videos:

These plugs are also great for many woodworking projects where screw holes and heads need to be covered.

Call or visit AdvantageLumber.com today to order your DeckWise Extreme Plugs: 1-877-232-3915.