At Advantage Trim & Lumber, we’ve heard it all. For close to 20 years, we’ve gathered stories from people across the country who’ve shared their deck building experiences. 95% of these stories have happy endings, but those remaining 5%? YIKES! Sometimes, what seems like an innocent decision can turn anyone’s deck building plans upside down. …
Find a professional deck builder that can work on time, and with attention to detail.
So, you’re ready to start building a deck. You’ve decided on the decking material, general design, and even the spindles that match your choice of hardwood decking. One problem…
Whenever you open a tool box it’s like reading Latin. It’s dead to you. So, if hiring a deck builder is a no-brainer, how do you find one that will get the job done right?. After all, you could try your hand at this massive home improvement project, but if you’re uncomfortable around table saws, it’s probably best to hire a professional. But what do you look for in a deck builder? What questions must you ask before hiring a deck builder?
Here are the questions you to ask while interviewing local deck builders (Also available as a .pdf download: Deck Builder Interview Checklist):
Building your deck to code and not cutting corners will ensure optimal structural integrity and save you a lot of money in the long run.
How to Inspect Your Deck
According to the North American Deck & Railing Association (NADRA), the majority of the decks were installed over 20 years ago. Unfortunately, the large majority of those deck owners fail to adequately assess the structural health of their deck. It makes perfect sense to make sure that the structure under your feet was built properly and is maintaining its structural integrity. If you have never inspected your deck, then now is the best time to take a look “under the hood.” By measuring the health of your outdoor living area, you’ll give yourself peace of mind in knowing that your deck is safe and sound. NOTE: It doesn’t matter what deck you have, these deck inspection tips apply to all decking material.
With the recent string of bad weather in the United States (hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and even dust storms!), the following deck inspection tips are a great way to ensure that you can not just enjoy your deck, but be safe on it as well.
Deck Inspection Checklist
1. How are the fasteners that run through the ledger holding up?
If your deck was installed with at least 1/2″ diameter lag screws your deck should be in good shape. If you or your deck builder ran nails through the ledger to the rim joist, you should, one by one, replace them with the stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized lag screws and be sure to use washers for a more secure fit. Using nails to fasten your deck to the home is a disaster waiting to happen.
If you, after a recent storm with heavy winds and/or flooding, you notice the screws and ledger starting to loosen up, reinforce them immediately with 1/2″ diameter lag screws.
If you found this blog post searching for “Decking Reviews”, congratulations! You’re right to do your research. You might have even read some negative feedback or heard a lot of marketing hype from both hardwood and composite decking companies. Hopefully, this post clears the confusion about which direction to go in and what material to …
The best way to prevent decking problems is to ensure that your deck was installed correctly in the first place. Here are five crucial steps that will prolong the life of your deck: 1) Buy decking that is premium grade. When shopping for exotic hardwoods like ipe, it’s important to know the difference between premium/clear …
What are the best screws to use on ipe decking? Star drive screws work great when installing ipe decking. Remember, with hardwoods as dense as ipe, we highly recommend pre-drilling. Trust us, it will save you loads of time and aggravation and will prolong the life of your deck. We recommend Star drive screws for …
You might be surprised to know that hardwood breathes. Well, not literally, but throughout the course of the year hardwood decking will absorb and release moisture from the air. This process makes the wood expand and contract. So, when installing hardwoods like ipe decking, it’s important to know how to properly space each deck board …
