Constructing a new deck is a great opportunity to improve the outdoor living space in your house. But before planning and starting to build your deck, it is important to read these 5 useful deck building tips about amenities, maintenance, materials, and assembling to allow for a smooth and effective process.
1. Use fasteners
One of the most common mistakes when building a new deck is to save your money with low-quality screws, which might corrode easily. This will discolor your deck and shorten its life, especially with pressure-treated woods. Even when your deck isn’t pressure-treated, it might be attached to pressure-treated joists and beams. When an old deck gets rickety, it is often caused by failing fasteners rather than the wood.
Coated or stainless-steel screws, particularly designed for pressure-treated woods, would resist corrosion and enhance the lifetime of your deck. Though widely used, electroplate-galvanized screws are not suitable for decks.
2. Consider decking materials
Homeowners have more material options for decking now than ever before. If you are a fan of real wood, redwood, and pressure-treated cedar can be a tradition, good choice. But hardwood is becoming more popular, and several options are available, including jarrah and ipe. Compared to composites, they have a greater longevity and provide a rich, luxurious look that you can’t get with other materials.
If you are looking for something different, synthetic and composite materials like vinyl are considerably revolutionizing this industry. Despite a higher price than wood materials, they are able to last for decades and require little maintenance. More importantly, the look is really different from wood surfaces, so it depends all on your personal taste.
3. Build levels
Need more space? Do not just construct a bigger deck. Instead, build 2 or 2 levels as they will allow your party guests to gather in small groups, which gives a cozier setting for relaxation. A second or third level does not only multiply your entertaining and living space but it can also break up the unattractive and long flight of stairs that can be found on some elevated decks.
4. Precise notching
The most precise method to cut deck boards around the posts is to put it in a fixed position against the posts and directly transfer the location of the posts onto it. While measuring the notch depth, make sure check all sides of the posts. There is often a twist in the posts that would make the measurements not equal. In addition, it is always better to cut the notch with a jigsaw.
5 Dead straight trimming deck boards
Beauty comes from the details. While trimming your decking, using a board to guide the saw might leave a crisper edge than a steady hand would make. In case you use a 3×3, make sure to sight it down from one edge to allow for a perfectly straight cut. You will need to trim off the last 2 boards freehand. Keep in mind to mark the whole cut by using a chalk line and apply steady, straight motion on the saw.
Final thoughts
Overall, it often takes as little as several days to as long as several weeks to complete a deck building process, depending on the complexity and size of the design and weather conditions. Though these tasks are quite simple, they require a lot of technical techniques and skills that many homeowners aren’t yet familiar with. Therefore, it’s better to have this project done by professional experts.
So if you are planning to build a deck to improve the look of your house, do not hesitate to call us at North Shore Home Works for a consultation and quote. With a team of experienced craftsmen, we can offer recommendations and services based on your specific budget and needs. (847) 409-5507