Deck building tips and tricks. Discussion about wood and much more!
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Doug looks happy now. But he won’t be in a couple of days. When he takes the cover off his decking, it won’t be long until warps, twists, and cupping start to appear. He didn’t listen to his salesman when he said, “When you receive the decking, set the boards onto some wood blocks and …
Uh oh. The local fire department just put out the fire that engulfed Doug’s truck. What happened? Science happened. Doug left dirty rags soaked with deck oil in the back of his truck. His truck bed was basically an oven that had heat, no wind, dry air, and rags soaked in oil-based products. This is …
From the looks of it, it’s safe to assume that Doug forgot to contact his local building department to check his plans. If he had, he probably wouldn’t look so upset.
To avoid Doug’s fate, it’s important that you know what parts of your deck building plan need to be up to your local building codes.
Here are some critical parts of the deck construction process that you should pay close attention to.
Be sure to inspect and/or repair the following:
As you can see, poor Doug has had an accident while cutting his wood decking. Can that guy ever catch a break!? Clearly, great care must always be taken when it comes to building a deck.
“Of course, I knew that already!” is probably the first thought that pops into your head when you read the above sentence.
But, please don’t be like this guy, or Doug:
Man severs thumb in DIY decking accident
It can happen to anyone. The deck tools and accessories you use to build a deck are meant to be treated with respect. So, here are some helpful tips that will give you peace of mind, while also saving a limb, or two:
Building a deck is not as simple as laying out some boards and using a hammer, glue, and nails. You can’t avoid the physical properties and nature of ALL decking materials.
With that in mind, it’s important to realize that even though decking materials are not living things, they still do “breathe.”
All decking materials expand and contract during the course of the year. When it’s hot and dry, wood contracts. When it’s humid and/or rainy, wood expands. The way decking materials behave should not be lost on anyone. However, even seasoned deck builders can sometimes forget, or be altogether unaware of just how important proper air ventilation is. Proper deck planning will ensure that air can flow freely through the deck and under the joists. Allowing for proper air ventilation will ensure that moisture can evaporate evenly and consistently. Why should you even bother planning for how air moves under a deck?
The story you are about to read is true and, unfortunately, all too common…
Doug’s order of wood decking has just arrived. Needless to say, he’s very excited. Even though the sky is clear, Doug knows that it’s going to rain overnight. So he covers it with a tarp so that the wood can be protected prior to installation.
The next day, it’s sunny and clear again. Doug says, “Time to get building!”
He removes the tarp from the pile, “So far, so good.”
As Doug starts prepping the wood, he notices that some boards are a little warped. He thinks to himself, “What gives? I thought this stuff was supposed to be strong!? Oh well, I bought a deck wrench, I’ll just straighten up out. No worries.”
A couple of hours later, Doug’s wife comes out to see how things are going, “Um, honey. What did you do?”