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Decks - Nail or Screw
While when doing decks I've always screwed down on the decks I've built. After checking out Murfs post I think I'll be screwing up! OK-OK
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Decks - Nail or Screw
We used Ebb-Tye (sp?) fasteners on our deck. They're basically a biscuit that screws to the joist and the deck boards are biscuit-routed to receive them so there are no visible screw heads. I wouldn't use them again. The boards are really hard to remove if necessary and the water accumulates in the routed slots causing the finish to fail from that point radiating outward.
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Decks - Nail or Screw
Not sure where the previous post went, I posted and it never appeared.
When putting down the deck boards, alternate the grains, one board Grain UP, the next Grain DOWN. It easy to do by looking at the ends of the board.
All wood will expand and contract with the changes in the weather and in the air. Oak is some of the worst and I have had screwheads snap off like little bullets if they were screwed in too tight.
Pick a DRY day and be sure the wood is dry, for if you try to install when there is too much moisture in te air or the wood is not entirely dry, come the first dry day, you will be ripping up your feet on SCREW heads that are sticking up.
As Murf said, pre drill your boards and countersink the heads in to below surface level. Never over tighten, allow for expansion. I use Neoprene washers to ensure my Stainless steel screws are not too tight and then I only draw up snug.
When fitting boards, be sure to allow for expansion, even in length, doing so will prevent one board expanding and pushing against another and causing curling or warping.
Once finsihed, be sure all wood is dry and then seal it with a good sealer, if you want to really control expansion (but NOT stop it) spray the edges and bottom and top of boards. Just like with a Front door, if you only treat one side, then the other side will expand more and like lift on an aircraft wing, will warp.
Some simple techniques will allow your deck to survive all weather conditions and heat changes with little affect to its appearance.
Good Luck
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I really appreciate everyone's great advice. I think I will stick to the screws as was origionally recommended to me. It will take a little more time but its probably worth the piece of mind. I will also look into option of fastening from the underside. That seems to make sense too. However, I don't want to be bent over the whole time as I have a lot of area to cover. Thanks again..... what a great forum.
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my 1.5 cents worth: those that know me know I am tired of maintenance on my log home; so the pool deck I built this year was topped with Trex. If you are installing Trex perpendicular on 16" centers, there is no spring whatsoever, so it has plenty of strength. I used two composite deck screws (wow, ALL fasteners are expensive these days!) on each joist. I'm hoping to do nothing but have to clean this deck once per year. I also like the idea of no splinters for the bare feet, and the surface is not slippery when wet.
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Wing can you explain the pyhsics behind "When putting down the deck boards, alternate the grains, one board Grain UP,
the next Grain DOWN. It easy to do by looking at the ends of the board. This helps to prevent curling."
I'm at a loss to figure out how doing this keeps the boards from curling. I was taught to lay the cup down which will help shed water. If the cup is up, it will hold water and increase cupping.
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I just built a large deck 24' x 27'. Priced SS screws - astronomical price - went with the ceramic coated. I couldn't imagine trying to screw boards in from the underside. We had a hell of a time getting the 2 x 6 boards straight using spacers and pry bars and then screwing them down, to add the effort of screwing them from the underside makes the job considerably more difficult IMO, in any case large parts of my new deck are not accessible from the underside. Boards were laid bark side on top so that boards cup downwards and water does not make a trough, 5 months later most boards now have a very slight cup, since they dont dam the water it's not noticible. I have no experience with anything other than treated SYP for wood.
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Wing; please explain your reasons for alternatng the grain on deck boards. Having spent 30 plus yeare in the furniture business, alternating the grain in glued up panels was standard practice so that the cupping of the second board offset the cupping of the first board, fourth board offset the third, etc. till you had enough boards to complete the panel. Laying deck boards that are not attached to one another is a different animal all together.
Ann; with all due respect I'll have to differ with you on cupping direction. when a board dries out it will allways cup toward the bark side, so even tho it looks wrong deck boards should be laid bark side down. Far as fasteners are concerned, yes stainless screws would be my first choice, and predrilling the deck board is nearly a must. Frank
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We have done many, many decks using the clips with two barbs on them, the ones that go between the boards.
We use the regular friction-activated, adhesive-coated plated nails in the framing gun. All of the nailing is done from above, and there is no opportunity for discolouration since all hardware is below the deck surface.
We have yet to have been told of a single board loosening up, and some of those decks are 10+ years old.
I completely agree, the boards must ALWAYS be laid such that the cup should be down to cast water as Ann (and others) stated.
Best of luck.
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MY FATHERS,
Call it luck did not know about cupping, bark side, and whatever else. 96 degrees in the sun on the open deck laying boards I just wanted them down. They told me to lay the boards with no space between them they will space themselves I have about 1/4" between the boards.
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