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Deck Building Advice
- Fitting Decking Boards
Fitting Pre-Treated Decking Boards
- Laying in patterns or at a 45° angle efficiently utilises any length purchased.
- It is a good idea to overlap the subframe and cut to desired length in a straight line or curve, if required.
- If deck boards need to be joined, butt them end to end but take care to stagger the joints so they don't align from row to row.
- Fix boards with corrosion resistant screws, or for the very best results use stainless steel screws (2 screws 15-20% of its width in from each edge of the board). Structural fixtures and fittings should be specially coated or of hot dipped galvanised material.
- It is advisable to pre-drill pilot holes near the end of boards to avoid splitting.
- Decking board screw length should be 2.5 times the thickness of the decking board.
- When laying Q-Grip decking it is advisable to keep things simple and orientate the boards at either 90° or 45° angles to the supporting joists to minimise cutting. It is advisable to carefully establish and cut each Q-Grip board to length before fitting.
Treated softwood decking should be surface dry and laid with no less than a 6mm gap between boards (this allows for seasonal shrinkage or swelling). Maintain this gap when fitting boards around newel posts for a neat finish whilst still allowing water 'run off'.
It is advisable to loosely lay treated softwood decking components, ie. in particular deck boards, out on the finished sub frame prior to securing them. The longer they are left to become surface dry the less the effects of shrinkage will be apparent after fixing them. The timber can also be cut and sanded more easily when dry. Note: If the boards are allowed to fully dry out prior to fitting, the gap between boards should be increased to 9mm to allow subsequent expansion in the wetter seasons.
Pre Drilling Pilot Holes in Decking
Cutting Deck Boards to the Desired Length
Staggered Deck Board Joints