Decking

Deck Maintenance – 7 Tips for DIY Deck Inspection

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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.

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Green Decking Options – 5 Things You Need to Know

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Tigerwood is a green decking option.
A Tigerwood deck highlights how wood decking is beautiful, versatile, & eco-friendly.

These days, being green and using eco-friendly products is more than a trend. Our whole economy is starting to recognize and value materials and items that have been manufactured and/or promote a healthy, green, and eco-savvy lifestyle. Even the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has shown us that there can be a heavy price to pay when we rely too much on environmentally problematic and damaging resources and materials.

What does this have to do with wood decking?

Well, there is a huge marketing push led by composite decking companies to cast all wood decking as non-eco-friendly. These companies want you to believe that all wood decking comes from illegal logging and that it decimates the world’s forests. Here’s the truth, as an FSC certified lumber supplier, the wood decking that we sell here at Advantage comes from eco-friendly forestry practices.

Here are 5 things you need to know about Green Decking:

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7 Reasons to Buy Wood Decking

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Hard wood decking
Genuine wood decking produces spectacular structures you can depend on.

Wood decking is the best material to use for garden and outdoor decks. Period. Case closed…

Not buying it, are you? Are you still thinking that composite decking is a viable and better choice? After all, it IS “eco-friendly” and “maintenance free”, right? What makes wood decking any better?

Here are 10 Reasons why Wood Decking species like Tigerwood, Cumaru, Garapa and Ipe are better choices for your deck:

  1. Why settle for the “look of real wood” when you can get the real thing? Nothing beats the feeling of knowing that your real wood deck is 100% genuine. Most species have such a distinct look that you now see composites coming out with “tropical looking” decks. If you wanted to buy a Mercedes and the dealer showed you something that looked like a Mercedes, would you buy the imitation? Probably not.
  2. A better overall value.

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5 Simple Ways to Save When You Buy Decking

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How to Buy Wood Decking
The research this homeowner did prior to buying Ipe has paid off.

It’s almost Summer and thousands of homeowners across the country are getting ready to start working on their deck. Some will be remodeling and many will be building a deck for the first time. But, before hammer goes to nail, the question you must answer is, “What kind of material is best for decking?”

Should you go with real wood decking, or composite “wood” decking? Regular readers of this blog already know the limitations and problems that plague composite deck materials. Let’s face it; if plastic decking were so good, wood decking would be obsolete. But, because of the documented issues that both composite and PVC decking face, many people are opting for real wood deck materials.

So, let’s say that you chose to buy wood decking. What material should you choose, and what pitfalls are to be avoided when buying decking?

Here are 5 Ways to Save Money When You Buy Decking:

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5 Questions to Ask Before You Buy A Home with a Deck

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Are you in the market for a home and coming across properties that have a deck previously installed? Don’t be shy about asking these questions. You will save yourself valuable time, money, and future headaches. You also give the current owner a chance to explain the history of the deck. After all, you wouldn’t dream …

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Wood Decking Options – Tigerwood

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Covered Porch made with Tigerwood
This Tigerwood porch is a sunroom that can be enjoyed all year round.

This post is all about why Tigerwood should be on your short list of wood decking options.

We talk a lot about composite decking, and ipe on this blog. With good reason, both of those decking materials are known to most people and contractors alike.

But, is that all there is? Absolutely not.

In fact, Tigerwood is one  species that a lot of contractors like better than BOTH of those materials.

Why?

Here are some benefits that explain why  Tigerwood is preferred choice among builders and contractors:

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10 Things You Can Build with Ipe Wood

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Pergola made of Ipe Wood
This Pergola made of ipe wood will last for decades and will stand up to the everyday stresses of a hot and humid tropical environment.

Ipe wood can be useful and dependable in many applications. Because this exotic hardwood is so durable it can be used in a wide variety of outdoor applications. With high strength characteristics such as mold, decay, and insect resistance, you can build with confidence and create a truly noteworthy structure of your very own.

Here are the 10 things you can build with Ipe (specifically ipe boards that run from 3′ to 7′):

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