ft.) you could save $1,011 by using shorts! No Set Distance ... Professional builders using standard 5 1/2-inch-wide deck boards attach them at each joist with screws set one to two inches from each edge of the board. Jonesy Member. When you’re figuring out decking the number one concern for most people is what kind of wood to use. The stairs should be at least 36 inches wide. If I'm right, in my OPINION 1/16" gaps between such deckboards is unsafe, risking swelling sufficient to close the gaps, stop deck drainage and thus increase the risk of deck damage. decking is installed wet, as is often the case for pressure treated Then lay out 5 - 6 rows of decking boards, cut to length. Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. If necessary, adjust number of deck boards to match in both calculations, and see if different board gaps at each end of deck are acceptable, compared to equal gaps and cutting the last board … The most common spacing measurement between deck boards is 1/8 inch. Being Inattentive to Local Deck Building Code . Click to Show or Hide Citations & References, - 2019/10/16 original source edeck at 1-866-381-4072  http://edeck.com/cumaru-decking/cumaru-decking-installation/, - https://www.wood-database.com/cumaru/ 2019/10/16, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING DECKS & PORCHES, Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURESES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES. Much better than using nails, etc., for spacing. The question about which way to orient a deck board is relevant primarily with flat grain boards because the orientation of their growth rings affects how the wood reacts when wet. By no means do I install flashing atop all of my deck joists; I rely on good drainage from adequate deck board spacing and on air movement thanks to elevation above ground to avoid or at least reduce rot risks on the deck joist tops (of course benefiting too from having used treated wood in the deck construction). None of the installation instructions I've seen for Cumaru suggest a 1/16" gap for board installation.  Instructions for installing Cumaru flooring are offered by quite a few wood flooring and decking vendors. This circular saw attachment will make it easy to widen the gap. Cumaru Deck Board Shrinkage – Air dried hardwood decking can shrink laterally approximately 1/16" or more on 4" wide boards, and up to 1/8" or more on 6" wide boards. Ensure there is a minimum gap of 5-6mm between each deck board. slightly and still leave an adequate drainage space. Generally, an acceptable gap between deck boards is between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch. Whether to leave a gap between pressure treated wood deck boards depends on how dry the wood you’re using is. Questions & answers or comments about deck & porch construction, framing sizing, board spacing, structural connections. Gaps that are narrow (1/8”), can catch debris, specifically on top of the joists, and can be difficult to clean out. That pitch improves its drainage. for water to drain. Still standing this outdoor state is still in use (Summerblue 2020). Watch out: there is also a potential trip hazard if the boards are installed so far apart (and so wet) that as the boards dry in dry climates and weather that their shrinkage opens the gaps to 1/2" or more. When using grooved-edge boards, our hidden deck fastening system installs between the deck boards, fastening them to the joists with no visible deck screw heads on the walking surface. Wide Deck Board Planks by: Editor - Rich Bergman I tend to think that 12 inch wide deck board planks would look a bit odd - more like old pine flooring rather than an outdoor builing material. Joists are commonly spaced at 12” OC, 16” OC, and 24” OC. For a more rigid feel, 12” or less may be preferred. I noticed the gap spacing between the deck boards is quite large, typically 1/2". InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. Decking board PARTS TOOLS NEEDED NOTE: Maximum spacing of deck boards using Hideaway system is 406 mm on center. Screw spacing in deck boards is important for structural and aesthetic reasons. Here’s why these small gaps have a big affect on your deck and tips for getting them just right. Mark-out: If your deck is slightly out of square (different widths), calculate results for both widths, and set out each end to suit. has dried to its equilibrium moisture content. If wood is completely dry when you nail or screw it down it’s likely to stay that way. If the decking is installed wet, as is often the case for pressure treated material, it is best to install the boards tight, letting gaps form as the wood dries.When installing kiln-dried stock, use a 16d nail as a spacer to leave enough space for the boards to swell slightly and still leave an adequate drainage space. When I built my decking (using 140mm wide merbau) I went with about 4mm spacing. Below we note that those steps look a bit slippery too. They have risers (also called toe kicks), treads and railings. That may explain part of the too-tight boards and no drainage - someone didn't realize that synthetic deck boards, unlike (usually wet) treated lumber decking, will not not shrink and open up later. Shrinkage will be less on kiln-dried (KD) boards. Space between decking planks. A 1/4" gap between 6-inch wide boards can give as much as 1/2" total gap if the boards are installed damp or wet and then dry  out - a bit more than desired - as your question suggests. Below is a photo of the stage in use [image file], courtesy Lon Church, Summerblue Arts Program. The original construction, installation and long term performance of this outdoor performing arts stage floor are described in a series of articles beginning. These deck boards are Trex™ or another synthetic decking material. What do you think? Tweet. x 12 ft. Pressure-Treated The 1-1/2 in. Original Source: http://timbertownaustin.com/wood-projects-and-profile/proper-deck-board-spacing, Posted on March 24, 2015 by Ben Roberts, This Is What Ipe Looks Like After 12 Years. The bright yellow color was easy to spot and was an added plus. (133mm) to 5-3/4 in. Discussion in 'Builders' Talk ' started by Jonesy, Sep 15, 2004. Deck stairs are typically made from 2 x 12 stringers spaced about 12 to 16 inches apart. JOINING TWO BOARDS IN A RUN. I infer from your question that your Cumaru is to be used as an exterior decking. I do think becasue they were cut the untreated edges drew in even more water. What's the maximum deck joist span? Some things I’ve read say to space the boards with a 16d nail, another article recommends a three-eighths inch gap. (1.58mm) spacing ... That proved to be way too wide for my composite deck boards! Protector™, is available from Grace Construction Products. Share. The density of water in solid form is slightly less (0.9167 g/cm3) than in liquid form but the total number of water molecules does not change when snow melts. However, that doesn't always work for wide timbers like your 135mm ones. 405 4Th Avenue, Two Harbors, Minnesota 55616, United States Email: Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. This stage, built with 5/4 tongue and groove flooring, has no between-board drainage, but the deck is pitched slightly forward, towards the audience for performance reasons. Avoid many of the pitfalls that plague homeowners building decks. On 2017-01-22 by (mod) - Back deck floor 12 by 16 what gap size. How can I widen the spaces between my deck boards on my 3 year old cottage deck? Thanks for an interesting and important question.Â. Fire Control – Deck boards that are widely spaced will spread fire more quickly. Deck and floor board spacing diagram: Only Mark Every. Joist and Deck Board Spacing Guidance. x 5.5 in. I didn't realize why the smaller spacers were flexible for a while, but you can add them to the 3/16 and 1/4 pieces as needed, which I did to compensate for the varied board … I have read hardwoods do not take in enough moisture that make them swell but will rather shrink. I would follow the specific hardwood seller's recommendations on spacing; Unless you have different instructions from the provider of your specific Cumaru decking, you should use a 1/4" gap for deck board spacing for Cumaru decking, though you might be ok with 3/16" for more-narrow deck boards. But what you may need to focus on first is the spacing between the deck boards. If we install a typical 1×6 Ipe decking board today using our weather conditions of 90% humidity and 96° while assuming the wood is 5.5″ wide, it will maintain that width through the heat and humidity; however, as we draw into the fall season, both the heat and humidity begin to drop. An email has been sent to your selected email address. Treated Lumber – Usually treated lumber will have some shrinkage so you can butt the boards almost right against each other during installation. In my OPINION that hazard is uncommon unless your deck users include frequent stiletto-heeled shoe wearers.Â. Reading online I found that ideally the spacing should be 1/4". As the sap and moisture dissipate from the material, it will have a natural tendency to shrink. The folks at YellaWood, recommend using an eight penny nail between rows to create adequate consistent spacing. This can be clearly seen in the side view image of the steps. The deck boards were too tight from day 1 and have been sliced with a circular once. Spacers – Individual spacers are a simple way to create a good size gaps between boards. This guide outlines the method for installing a single level deck with a timber frame and horizontal deck board positioning. The author of the article recommending the wider gap says that water and debris will fall through more easily and air will flow easier through the wider gap. Extra spacing is also important between board ends and where boards meet a wall when decking runs perpendicular to the wall. In this video I offer up two deck repair options to assist Lydia, from Toronto, on creating wider gaps between the boards of her three year old cottage deck. The eighth-inch spacing provides for a safer surface for walking. For green material that is fresh and may still have some sap, 1/8 inch spacing is the more desirable of the two. Leave Gap: If the pressure treated wood has been kiln dried after treatment (KDAT), leave a 1/8” gap (the thickness of an 8-penny nail) between the boards when attaching, since the wood will expand slightly over time. AdvantageLumber, decking & flooring supplier, 601 Ohio St., With heart cut and edge grain boards, the issue of warping is very … Those damages are most-often found at interior floors installed without sufficient perimeter allowance for the dimension changes that will occur across the board widths of the entire floor.Â, I have different concerns for Cumaru installed indoors than for the same wood species installed as outdoor decking.Â, Indoors the Cumaru Brazililan Teak flooring dimensional change - gaps or buckling concerns include shrinkage gaps as the Cumaru wood flooring dries further from its original installation; shrinkage gaps can show up months to a year later and of course vary depending on the building's indoor humidity level while expansion pressures are more subtle, sometimes showing up as minor bulges or buckling in the floor but in extreme cases as a ruined floor that lifts from the subfloor as we illustrate, Outdoors a concern for Cumaru teak flooring isn't going to include buckling or floor upwards explosion but rather a reduced deck life and poor drainage if the deck boards are installed so closely together that when the boards expand further they touch,closing off drainage and thus retaining still more moisture, thus reducing deck life.Â. Too little room in-between deck board spacing and your deck boards could buckle when they expand. Without it rot is more likely, mold can build up easily and slick boards can become hazardous. Many jurisdictions following the International Building Code, which requires a minimum 1/8-inch spacing between boards. Below is the same Summerblue Arts Camp performing stage seventeen years later, in February 2018. Also see our BOOK REVIEW of that book. Manual for the Inspection of Residential Wood Decks and Balconies, by Cheryl Anderson, Frank Woeste (Forest Products Society), & Joseph Loferski, October 2003, ISBN-13: 978-1892529343. wood that has partially air-dried, it is a judgment call. Where board ends meet a wall, leave a healthy 1/2-inch gap to ensure the material can expand and contract without coming into contact with the wall. You can calculate the spacing so that you don't have to slice the final board lengthways. If adding additional framing, be sure to keep all boards level and in plane across the tops. Falling Through the Cracks – Walking across a deck can prove hazardous if board spacing is too wide. A standard deck staircase stringer will have been manufactured to take a single 6in deck board as the riser, and two deck boards as the treads – allowing for a slight nose over the front edge of the tread. Attach decking boards. A convenient way to get consistent spacing is by using a 6-penny or 8-penny nail between each course of decking; the width of the nail is 1/8 inch. Edeck.com, 141-I Route 130 South Typical Cumaru supplier instructions note that that wood can be expected to shrink another 1/16" to 1/4" (depending on board width) and to expand another 1/8" (or more). The 5-inch wide Cumaru pre-finished wood flooring - an interior floor shown here and sold by AdvantageLumber.com is cited & discussed here. If the gap in between the deck boards is too narrow use the Saw Guide by Lounsbury Products. DECK BOARD GAPS & SPACING FAQs - questions & answers about gaps between deck boards, posted originally at the end of this page. The goal is to have about an 1/8-inch gap (the diameter of an 8d nail) between boards after the decking has dried to its equilibrium moisture content. Deck & Porch construction details & procedures. Women’s heels, people’s toes, small paws and more can slip through and cause an injury. Joists spaced 16 inches on center will take both 5/4 and 2-inch deck boards (which are actually 1-1/2 inches thick). I think Thompson's water seal is a nice product and one I've used from time to time. Share. If we install a typical 1×6 Ipe decking board today using our weather conditions of 90% humidity and 96° while assuming the wood is 5.5″ wide, it will maintain that width through the heat and humidity; however, as we draw into the fall season, both the heat and humidity begin to drop. If you have 24 OC joists, I'd definitely stay with the 2X decking. To prevent this, it is recommended that decking boards be placed with a space between the rows ranging from 1/8 to 1/4 inch. If the floor joists that span the length of your deck are installed too far apart, the boards on top will sag. Falling Through the Cracks – Walking across a deck can prove hazardous if board spacing is too wide. Thank You Mark Morsching, Everflashing, Tel: 800-550-1667, Email: Summerblue Arts Camp., Two Harbors MN, Lon Church, Director, c/o: Two Harbors High School between beams or slab etc). x 5-1/2 in. Rot – Deck boards that are spaced too tightly together are more likely to trap dirt, debris and moisture, which is the perfect mixture for making rot. Composites – Composite deck boards will have basically no shrinkage so they need to be spaced with gaps from the get go. This deck has been there since 1981 and it may well be that originally it was built properly and over years the boards shrunk as they dried. However the risk of buckling or of loss of drainage when the boards are fully expanded in wet weather is perhaps the determining concern.Â, On 2019-08-21 by (mod) - coated joists with Thomson's water seal. Covers all the necessary surface area, hiding any substructure components or sawed ends you don’t want visible. If your deck is slightly out of square (different widths), calculate results for both widths, and set out each end to suit. ... Pine needles and other debris are building up between the deck boards and I’m concerned about moisture build-up and rot. To help you save money on your next project, we’ve put … I used tiling spacers to get it consistent. Deck joist spacing should never exceed 16” on center (with the exception of MAX deck boards, which allow for maximum 24" on center). Joist spacing also determines how thick your deck boards must be. Deck joists are typically spaced either every 12 inches or 16 inches on center. But that is more or less an aesthetic observation. 2 in. Additional details about deck flashing and more deck flashing images are. Start by deciding the location of your deck, bearing in mind factors such as sunlight and privacy. Rip cutting lets you customize the width of your deck board. - 2019/10/16 original source edeck at 1-866-381-4072  http://edeck.com/cumaru-decking/cumaru-decking-installation/. David Grudzinski, Advantage Home Inspections, 24"o.c. That means on an average sized deck (430 sq. Trex Enhance Naturals 16-ft Foggy Wharf Grooved Composite Deck Board. A house is only as strong as its foundation, and a deck is only as strong as its frame. STEP 7. This circular saw attachment will make it easy to widen the gap. The 1-1/2 in. If you don't like the wide deck board Gap gaps you'd have to remove and reset all of your boards. The width of a nail head is just about right. But you also don’t want to leave too much space between the decking boards. Within a given wood species or decking product, the thicker the board, the stronger it becomes, relatively speaking. Photo (left) courtesy of Mark Morsching, Everflashing, shows an Everflashing stainless-steel flashing product installed over the deck ledger. Cumaru Deck Board Expansion – Hardwood decking may expand by as much as 1/8" on 6" wide boards and 1/16" on 4" wide boards during times of high moisture, thus proper gapping is recommended. This article series discuss best porch & deck construction practices, including choice of framing materials, decking or flooring choices & installation, how to select and use deck and porch structural and flooring fasteners, actual deck & porch framing construction details & connections, deck joist & beam span tables, how to build leak-proof rooftop decks, construction of covered & screened porches, deck & porch railing construction & materials, choices of finishes and stains for decks & porches, and past & current deck lumber preservative treatments with related health & environmental concerns. Trouble is I have no idea what the gap should be betwene the deking planks, or why. There are also plenty of jig options if you prefer to buy one. Proper spacing allows moisture to drain off the deck between the boards. Additional metal flashing is in use to protect the deck joist top from rot. In the case of a deck board, this determines whether you have a "cup" warp (concave surface) or a "crown" warp (convex surface). Model #FW010616E2G01. the boards are tight fit(no space) and also tight fit to the edge wood board( the wood board sit on top is metal capping). Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. I have found differing opinions as to how wide I should space these boards. The goal is to have about an 1/8-inch gap Dry material should be spaced a full 1/4 inch apart to prevent damage to the boards as the material absorbs moisture. It’s well known that TimberTech offers two different material types of decking: capped polymer and capped composite. If the Cumaru Deck Board Gapping – Allow a minimum of 1/8" gap between board widths on 4" wide decking, and 3/16" gap between board widths on 6" wide decking for drainage, airflow and expansion. They are so tight if you look from below you see no light. gaps form as the wood dries. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. How to Stagger Deck Boards. DECK BOARD GAPS & SPACING at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. You can build your own custom stringers or buy pre-cut stringers at Lowe's. Many sellers of hardwoods instruct to space at 3/16 – 1/4”. To learn more from Steve, visit https://baileylineroad.com/. They offer 1/8 th inch or 3/16 th inch spacing, which is in line with what is recommended for laying deck boards. Is it ok to space hardwoods that are kiln dried at 1/16”? (the diameter of an 8d nail) between boards after the decking This system includes a few simple components: More Boards – Decking that is spaced closer together will have more boards. Both sizes have their pros and cons. When installing kiln-dried stock, use a 16d nail as a Trex Enhance Naturals 8-ft Toasted Sand Square Composite Deck Board … So, for 24 o.c. 433. doubt, it is best to err on the side of leaving a little extra My friend coated joists with Thomson's water seal. This will add to the overall weight but provide a little more structural integrity. In this case, some space between the boards is a good idea because the wood can actually expand slightly over time. This precision also creates perfectly consistent spacing between the boards for a flawless look across the entire deck. If there is a post near the house, you may need to remove the next-to-last board, then install the two last boards at the same time. x 5-1/2 in. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also, Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com. If in The wide majority of decks and deck frames built in the United States feature pressure-treated lumber as the deck framing material. Answer + 1. Fasteners provide 6 mm gap when installed correctly. Heart Cut and Edge Grain Boards. As discussed in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction: 'When securing the decking, it is Unfortunately, the only better solution that's in the same price range (Jig-a-Deck) is only available with a 1/4" spacer, which is too wide for the green (wet, swollen) lumber sold at most lumber stores, which will shrink after installation to the point that your 1/4" spacing grows to 1/2". Your measurements and layout need to be accurate, not only for the primary deck surface but for the smaller parts, like your deck stairs. space for the wood to swell when wet. Steps to protect deck joists from rot. The deck board spacing gauge worked great on spacing my deck boards. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hillman-Deck-Spacer-Tool-48480/205477904 material, it is best to install the boards tight, letting Item #1217528. The wider your joist spacing, the stronger decking board you need. Making strong, durable steps up to your deck requires careful measurement of the rise of each step, plotted together as one slope. Spacing between deck boards provide a few critical functions. Continue reading at DECK FLOOR LAYOUT or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. the area is 16'x20' range and he made into 4 section, 16'x5' each. 2. If the width varies by more than 1/4 inch, plan to rip-cut the last board to roughly follow the house’s contours. Spacing on a deck refers to the small edge-to-edge gap between decking boards, not the ends of the boards. x 12 ft. Pressure-Treated Hem-Fir Lumber is ideal for a variety of applications, including decks, landscaping, stair support, walkways and other outdoor projects where lumber is exposed to the elements. spacer to leave enough space for the boards to swell Annotated decking diagram. Maintains consistent spacing between boards (12” to 16” on center, depending on the board type, desired foot feel, and deck design). The Sweet Spot – Most people agree that 3/16” is a good gap between boards. - Ed.]. Board: Show in Diagram : Running Board Measurements. If you’re using nails pre-drill on a slight angle, as this will ensure the nail holds the board on tighter. If in doubt, it is best to err on the side of leaving a little extra space for the wood to swell when wet. Decks always must be built to be structurally sound and built to code; that part is never debatable. If necessary, adjust number of deck boards to match in both calculations, and see if different board gaps at each end of deck are acceptable, compared to equal gaps and cutting the last board … To compensate for the drainage worry, we made sure to slope the stage (from back towards the front or audience side) - and the stage pitch became a theatrical feature. to continuous wet conditions or the buildup of leaves and The table below shows figures for domestic applications (uniformly distributed load 1.5kN/ m2) and commercial applications (uniformly distributed load 4.0kN/ m2). piece of plywood and a scrap 2×4 cut to the width of your joists. We have an acquaintance that needs to close or fill in the gap between the boards on their deck floor, this must be done from the topside as we can not gain access to the underneath side (less than 10" of clearance) they are screening the deck and want to eliminate insects from coming up through those gaps between the boards. Water Drainage – Adequate gaps are needed for water drainage. That damage ranges from minor buckling to literal explosion of hardwood flooring in extreme wetting conditions. Cumaru is about twice as hard as oak, average in dimensional stability. This can be achieved by laying strips of felt paper But too many homeowners make deck building mistakes that can ruin their enjoyment or compromise their safety.