Building a Deck

OK so last summer my project was a fence. You can see part of it in this picture. It was a horizontal style stained with an Olympic stain color called "Cinder". This is the year of the deck. After installing the ledger board and fixing the beam, I've started to install the joists. The beam is two 2x10's glued and screwed over 44'. I ended up dragging out my compressor and air wrench to install the lag bolts for the ledger. All in all the deck is 16' by 44' except for the part where the door is, where it is more like 13'. I plan to put a pergola type roof on the far end, with a french door entry where those windows are. Anyway, just kind of bragging really. The beam sits on 7 36" deep concrete piers.

Are you going to live to regret the two untreated joist? At least I am assuming they are untreated due to natural color.

Happy with the grading under the deck since it is about to get harder to do anything to change.

Yes, I mix treated lumber with untreated lumber depending on budget. Are you kidding? Some are wetter than others, all are treated. Grade is good.

Looking good! I know the treated lumber varies a lot in color.

As long as you are using Schaeffer's Deck Sealant...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkmeoYKYctw

Apexcarver wrote: As long as you are using Schaeffer's Deck Sealant... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkmeoYKYctw

I'm at work, so I'm not clicking on that... but is there a reason to really be using this stuff? If not, is there a sealant that I should be using?

Knock on wood, the house that I'm buying that will be one of the first things I do is sealing the deck.

We wentr composite when we redid ours from the 12x12 to the 16x32. Best thing we ever did. Now we power wash it every couple years and call it a day.

Bobzilla wrote: We wentr composite when we redid ours from the 12x12 to the 16x32. Best thing we ever did. Now we power wash it every couple years and call it a day.

Composite is too rich for my blood!

Bobzilla wrote: We wentr composite when we redid ours from the 12x12 to the 16x32. Best thing we ever did. Now we power wash it every couple years and call it a day.

How long has it been down? How is it holding up? We have a composite deck on our roof and the ends are swelling. It was put down one year ago. My parents have a composite deck and it's had its challenges plus it makes a ton of noise when you walk on it. They got white, too, and that makes it uncomfortable to be on when it's sunny. I've seen bowed boards a lot with the composite stuff - while that probably can be put down to poor install (not enough support underneath), it's really ugly looking.

we did ours in 2011. No noise, no swelling. Gets moldy over time between the seams (hence the power washing) on the end with shade. Ours is a tan color that ended up being very similar in color to hte old treated board deck we had. We got tired of replacing a third of the boards each year on the decking because they would warp and snap the screws in half.

I did the design on ours myself and made sure It had the extra support underneath. Not only is it supported every foot by 2x12's, but those are supported with 2 bridges and the house header panel.

EDIT: Only pic I have access to right now:

In reply to mtn:

Its a joke video... Just trying to ad humor.

I did our deck out of ipe - a teak wood. I did it a few years ago and it was cheaper then Composite. I have to wash, sand a stain every few years, but looks awesome. I used hidden fasteners and the decking is only 5/8" thick as it is so dense. it is supposed to last for 100 years and I hope to be there to see it.

I also did a pergola over part of it.

ipe = used for docks in saltwater = overkill for backyard deck (in a good way).

didn't realize it's cheaper than the composite, that's very useful info.

Depends on how you look at it. We never have to sand and stain, so that is a cost (and effort) we never have. Well worth it to us to pay the little more up front.

I toured the place that makes Choice Deck and Moisture Shield composite deck material with one of my classes in grad school (Economics of Environmental Management). It's a neat product, literally is plastic grocery bags, mostly Wal-Mart bags, and saw dust mixed, heated, and pressed through an extruder die.

There's huge profit margin, but it is a pretty resilient product, plus you get to feel good about saving the environment.

Though when I still lived in the region, their sawdust silos would explode about every other year, fine dust, confined space, and static electricity don't mix. I guess if you're replacing silos that often you've got to charge more for your product.

Bobzilla wrote: Depends on how you look at it. We never have to sand and stain, so that is a cost (and effort) we never have. Well worth it to us to pay the little more up front.

that teak will out last all of us with zero maintenance, it will turn a nice light grey (one of the available colors of the plastic decks). it is just that we like the dark brown look of the wood, which requires the extra effort. the benefit of all that work is that the deck gets really hot in the sun, so you have to wear shoes.

If you like teak but not the cost check out Sapele wood. All the resistance, 1/4 of the cost. it's quickly becoming a favorite in boat restoration.

As a former vendor for many of the composites, I prefer TimberTech. It is a solid synthetic. Trex and Veranda are great, but they do have sawdust in them which degrades. Timbertech is basically all plastic.

Last I looked it was cheaper to build a deck with 3/16" aluminum diamond tread than composite decking.

In reply to mattmacklind:

Congratulations on using appropriate lag bolts.

There is no single construction detail more frequently berkeleyed up.

Good job.

oldopelguy wrote: Last I looked it was cheaper to build a deck with 3/16" aluminum diamond tread than composite decking.

I wish I had known that when I did my porch.

SVreX wrote: In reply to mattmacklind: Congratulations on using appropriate lag bolts. There is no single construction detail more frequently berkeleyed up. Good job.

Thanks, as I walk the dogs around the area I take a look at the other decking designs in the area. Some are great, and some are real death traps.

Update...Coming along...

Nice job.

I hate decks. Concrete patio for the win, as far as I'm concerned, and as soon as I work up the energy, I'm going to discard the one my ex wife made me build.

Looks good. How hard was it to locate the joists/studs to attach your deck to the house?