28
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
It appears to be somewhat weathered, but overall solid.
You can do as much or as little as you like to it, from there. It's a deck, not a living room floor. If it's not structurally compromised (and ...
- 223k
27
votes
Accepted
Is this deck post getting cracks due to it being overloaded?
Not concerning. Appears to be limited to a small section near the center (pith) of the tree that is exposed on this face of the post as cut. A side effect of the tendency to try to get the most post ...
- 223k
22
votes
Accepted
How to remove screws from old decking
When the boards having the heads are being discarded, a simple way to remove them is to cut through the screws at the joint between the board.
You can use a reciprocating saw (often called by a ...
- 33.8k
17
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
I've worked on many decks that look just like that. Get a pressure cleaner/washer and go over the entire deck. You'll be surprised at how that cleans up the deck. Don't use a 4500 PSI (31 MPa) washer, ...
- 83.9k
13
votes
How to efficiently use my decking boards (and look nice)?
Subject to adjustment (waste happens) based on where your joists land.
full board
0.6m + 2.4m
1.2m + 1.8m
1.8m + 1.2m
2.4m + 0.6m
full board
Repeat until done.
So, rather than pile all the scraps on ...
- 223k
12
votes
Accepted
Is it normal to see light between the plywood on a roof deck?
There is actually a requirement that the plywood sheets are not tight against each other.
The normal spacing is about 1/8 inch or the thickness of a nickel.
Some installers use Plywood clips to keep ...
- 38.5k
10
votes
Accepted
Bridging one deck joist over a formal pond
I think I'd use a length of aluminum box tubing as a joist. You can hang it on the concrete using segments of aluminum angle as joist hangers. You can then screw the decking directly to the tubing.
- 144k
10
votes
Accepted
Recommended footings for deck built on rock with 5-10% grade?
1" of organic matter on rock? remove all the organic matter from the locations where the footings go, pour concrete footings or piers on the rock surface directly. Might be a good idea to drill ...
- 223k
9
votes
How to protect 2x4 deck framing from ground moisture?
Use ground contact (GC) rated pressure treated wood. Don't skimp by using untreated wood or even above-ground; ground contact or bust! In addition to its rot resistance it is generally less ...
- 16.8k
9
votes
Is this deck post getting cracks due to it being overloaded?
This is normal for wood that is exposed to the elements. The wood is constantly absorbing and releasing water. Over time, this will destroy pressure treated wood.
The pictures aren't concerning for ...
- 25.7k
8
votes
How to remove screws from old decking
@Bib is absolutely correct in the answer above, but in the grand tradition of skinning a cat multiple ways, here's an alternate approach. I think this would be faster than an oscillating tool and ...
- 23.1k
8
votes
Bridging one deck joist over a formal pond
You could support each deck board individually by taking advantage of the strongest shape in construction, the triangle.
- 16.8k
8
votes
Accepted
45 degree beveled deck board ends butt joint at same joist
I've done it myself with both wood and synthetics and seen it on many other decks. I don't think there's anything wrong with a slanted lap. Protruding edges are no more likely or severe than they ...
- 144k
7
votes
Can a square deck be cantilevered on all 4 sides?
Decks are cantilevered on one side because of the directionality of the joists. With ledger support at the house, there is only one area that needs cantilevered, at the end of the deck supported by a ...
- 4,798
7
votes
Recommended footings for deck built on rock with 5-10% grade?
sedimentary rock can be quite soft / should be easy to drill. fine for compressive strength.
drill 8" deep holes using rotary hammer 3/4" quad carbide bits
blow out the holes / clean holes ...
- 14.3k
6
votes
Accepted
How to protect decking when it's already winter
The temperature range is important because it dictates the drying time and should be followed pretty close. The dryness factor is critical. Wood absorbs water. When you set out to protect your deck ...
- 83.9k
6
votes
Accepted
What's the easiest way to fix these deck joists?
I've replace a few on decks and never had to remove all the planks because there was enough room underneath to get to the joist hangers.
You should remove the screws from the planks going into a joist ...
- 83.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Remove stubborn deck nails
Based on your successful trial from my speculative comment:
I suspected that if you hit them with a hammer hard enough to get them to move (a bit more in - perhaps 1/8 of an inch) they might then be ...
- 223k
6
votes
Accepted
Can a square deck be cantilevered on all 4 sides?
The 2018 IRC (as adopted by Oregon, where I live) allows a free-standing deck to have both cantilevered beams and joists. The 2015 IRC (as adopted by Texas, listed in your profile) is similar but has ...
5
votes
How to remove screws from old decking
If your just replacing a few boards and you can see the screws clearly, I have had pretty good luck using a coring bit. They can be a little hard to find without pilot bit, but they work very well. ...
- 666
5
votes
Accepted
Is my plan for replacing 4x4 deck posts with 6x6s reasonable?
I could ask you to sketch your deck out with dimensions to calc out the beam reaction on the posts, but just shooting from the hip here to save all of us time: there's probably nothing wrong with ...
- 4,829
5
votes
Can a square deck be cantilevered on all 4 sides?
I can't find any code for it, but my mind keeps saying you only get two feet of overhang on a floating deck... because the maximum spacing for posts supporting a 2x12 is 8', and one quarter of 8' is 2'...
- 13.5k
5
votes
Vapor barrier (sheet) over concrete pad below ground level deck?
I would not. Your lumber is treated against rot anyway, and poly will mostly serve to trap moisture and encourage mold and odor.
Let it breathe.
- 144k
4
votes
How can i remove my rusted and stripped deck screws from my deck boards?
You can do that, but some screws are very hard and you'll have a slow, noisy time of it. You'd want a high quality metal-cutting blade. Getting a gap between the decking and joists makes it much ...
- 144k
4
votes
Accepted
How to safely block French doors to nowhere
In my area, they often build homes that have an optional deck, but the deck is not built at the same time as the home. In these cases, the home builders simply build a small section of railing, and ...
- 132k
4
votes
Accepted
What type of fasteners should I use when replacing exterior deck boards?
Decks have been built with screws for the last 30 years where I live. Nails are unheard of for the reason you mentioned. Your local hardware store will have a selection of epoxy-coated or galvanized ...
- 144k
4
votes
How to remove screws from old decking
When the plank is to be replaced you can cut the plank either side of the joist (I drilled a hole to start then a power jigsaw to cut). Then split the small remaining bit of plank along its grain ...
- 858
4
votes
Will 1x4 or 1x6 boards span 3 feet between beams for a walking bridge?
The boards will flex something awful, which makes for an unpleasant walking experience. Tying them together with an unsupported stringer in the middle will make things quite a bit less wobbly. If the ...
- 3,460
4
votes
Do I sand or power wash the deck?
Personally, I'd power wash it and apply a thick deck restoring product since you plan to replace in a few years.
This is an example of such a product, but I'm not endorsing any product or seller. ...
- 9,801
4
votes
What Type of Caulking will adhere to Composite Decking for water proofing?
Typically you need those gaps for expansion of the boards in hot weather- if they're tight to each other they can get damaged as they expand from heat.
They make under-deck panels that catch the water ...
- 1,141
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