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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2018 10:47
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Finally time to get serious about getting my deck boards down. I milled the last batch in the fall, feel good and dry, no recent rain. Two questions: How much gap between boards? Secondly, the farthest boards span the deck, the rest take two boards, which means a butt joint staggered one joist at most between runs, which might look a little funky. Should I cut a board in half every other run and put the two pieces outboard of a full board in the middle?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 14 May 2018 13:32
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Quoting: paulz How much gap between boards?
Depends on crap falling from trees. Typical is a 16d nail or so. Smaller gap for just rain drain, larger if you want pine needles to go through. You could use a small framing square, or other. Depends on what you like.
Stagger all of them, each next row offset from the previous. Which means cutting those end ones up. So it looks like a planned design. Use a piece of graph paper, draw the joists, and then layout the joints to see what looks nice. Repeated butt joints in a line may look like crap.
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2018 18:59
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Quoting: paulz How much gap between boards?
Like DB said, usually a 16d nail. It depends more on climate....my place is very dry so I butt them and still have too large a gap about a year later....
Do you have enough full-span boards to alternate every other row being a cut one? If so, I think that's the way....but if not, definitely don't repeat the joint in adjacent rows, it looks like crap....spread them out, whether in a pre-planned pattern or random, just spread out the joints....
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 14 May 2018 20:55
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Thanks guys. I'll go with the 16 nail spacing. Here is a drawing of my options on board layout, aside from having all the butts in one line (on one joist). The top drawing has them one joist (2') apart, and two boards per row. Bottom drawing has a board cut in half on every other row, so three boards per row on those rows. I'm thinking this is the way to go.
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 15 May 2018 11:25
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I like the bottom one, but I'd also cut the full length boards and mimic the lower pattern.....
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 15 May 2018 11:45
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Thanks Borrego. You're probably right.. be kind a shame though because I extended my mill tracks just to cut those boards full length, that was a hassle. Going into this I figured the less butt joints the better, didn't consider aesthetic consequences.
Heading out there today for another look and think..
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littlesalmon4
Member
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# Posted: 15 May 2018 12:19 - Edited by: littlesalmon4
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use the first drawing, except every second row put a full board in the middle with a butt joint on either end. This would make the most use of your longer lumber.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 15 May 2018 16:31 - Edited by: Steve_S
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HEADS UP ! Watch the grain of your wood, you want to ensure the crown is UP so as it dries & weathers it does not cup and create a place for water to collect. Make sure any butt joints are ON the joist and that they allow a bit to expand & contract between them, so don't get too tight lest it buckle.
Picture above:
Left will raise the centre and water will roll off.
Right will cup and allow water to stay.
Good Luck and have Fun !
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 15 May 2018 17:55
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Thanks, good advice. Just juggled the boards again. I can stagger two boards 4-6' except for the last couple rows. Maybe go with 3 boards on those rows.
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 15 May 2018 22:45
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Looks good. I would personally use the longer boards as you originally planned. Less joints is better, again in my opinion. I think you have the right idea with the overlap as planned in your most recent post.
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KinAlberta
Member
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# Posted: 16 May 2018 10:59 - Edited by: KinAlberta
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A couple times I’ve tried to use crown up approach and still found cupping on boards going the opposite way I’d expected.
This maybe worth studying:
How to Install Wood Deck Boards
BY BOB FORMISANO, 10/23/17
https://www.thespruce.com/deck-board-installation-1825145
Also, when I built my deck using deck boards (I’ve only used 2x4s and larger before) two people with more experience than me told me to just push the boards together as they will shrink back.
Well, that was the worst advice because I was using cedar. If barely shrunk and now I have very narrow gaps that fill with berries, needles etc. I now have to pressure wash it every spring to blast out the material or I start to get sprouts.
However more recently we had a fence built using OT boards and they butted the boards against each other. The gaps that formed as that wood dried was amazing. Upwards of an inch developed between those fence boards.
One more thing. I capped all the joists with a Grace product to prevent future rot. I expect the screws are better sealed as well. In ripping out old decks a lot of the rot occurred at the nail holes in the joists. Other rot, dry rot, appeared along the length of joists half way down - water getting inside I suspect.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 16 May 2018 20:42
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Thanks guys. That article was depressing, those decks look fantastic. 
On the bright side, the boards I milled for my front porch several years ago have stayed flat as a pancake, I don't even know which are crown up or down.
The recent mention of the Kred toenail jig had me thinking about doing that but with 12=14" wide boards that's probably a bad idea as it won't help keep them flat in the middle.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 23 May 2018 18:41
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Me again. I have the option of putting my (6" round) rail posts inside the rim joists or outside. Inside of course I would cut the deck boards at the joist. Outside I could cut them at the joist or overhand the joists 6" to partially surround the posts and give a bit more square footage. The sides and bottom of the deck are not visible so that isn't a cosmetic concern.
Is there a 'right' way?
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 24 May 2018 18:00
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Quoting: paulz Is there a 'right' way?
Not really as long as they are bolted correctly...
Personally, I prefer the outside look...
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 24 May 2018 20:35
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Thanks Borrego, a knowledgeable friend of mine said the same thing today, so that's the plan.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 24 May 2018 20:44 - Edited by: ICC
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deck board install ooops KinAlberta already posted that.... 
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 25 May 2018 10:58
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Quoting: paulz The recent mention of the Kred toenail jig had me thinking about doing that but with 12=14" wide boards that's probably a bad idea as it won't help keep them flat in the middle.
You can toe-screw the boards without a jig and I highly recommend doing so....that avoids having the screws back out over time. But with a 12"+ width, you'll have to add a screw in the middle, right...? which ruins the 'no screw' look..... Could you rip the boards down to a 1 x 6 size? There's a reason they do that
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 25 May 2018 15:43
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I could toe screw the deck boards in through the joists from underneath. Be hard work though. Yep I could easily rip them in half. I thought it was kind of nice having the wide boards but I guess it's no big thing.
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