Deck rebuild 2023

[Homerboy]

We've lived in our house for 23 years and this deck should have been replaced 24 years ago. Due to time, money and "gusto" constraints, I've just replaced boards here and there over the years and did a half-assed job of it. I was planning on doing about 1/3-1/2 of it this year, but as I started pulling up boards, it was just too far gone and I knew I'd neve be happy with the end product still being 1/2 shitty.

So I started in today pulling up all the screws... there are so damned many. And so many are bent or stripped, it's just tedious and slow.

It's roughly 17x22' I plan on just using cedar toned PT 2x4s. I'll get rid of that railing in the back of the picture. On the other side of that, under that flowering tree, I planed all wild flowers last fall and those appear to be coming up nicely already. I want to put a picture frame border around the deck - 2x6" PT. That's going to be the "hard" part for me. Going to need to add blocking on the 2 short ends and one of them has a corner non-square corner as you can see in the lower right of the picture.

Anyways, wish me luck. I may be back here asking for tips/suggestions/crying/swearing.

 

[BoomerD]

Have you considered something like Trex decking instead of the PT material?

 

[snoopy7548]

Or a swimming pool?

 

[Homerboy]

Have you considered something like Trex decking instead of the PT material?

Composite was my first choice, but just wildly cost prohibitive. We're talking $500 versus $3,000+

 

[Greenman]

If it's in the budget, use a foil faced tape to protect the top of the joists. Also take a look at camo screws for putting the new boards down, it's a much cleaner look.

 

[pete6032]

Are you putting in a new foundation or using the one from the old deck?

 

[Homerboy]

If it's in the budget, use a foil faced tape to protect the top of the joists. Also take a look at camo screws for putting the new boards down, it's a much cleaner look.

I was just looking at that tape. Since the joists are old, and I don't plan on replace (just inspected and overall for 22 years they seem to be in pretty good shape, the tape would be ideal I think, right?

 

[Homerboy]

Are you putting in a new foundation or using the one from the old deck?

same foundation and joists. They are all in good enough shape

 

[Homerboy]

Maybe it's the heat exhaustion talking, but while I was out there ripping up the existing deck I was working on the design/layout in my head.
One thing I thought of possibly doing was since I will be adding a picture frame border, was to overhang it by about an inch from the fascia board, but a channel into the underside of the over hang and rung some LED lighting in it.

Like I said, I might be delusional right now and just thinking out loud, but it seems like it would work? I have the the exterior joists which are 2x8 PT running around the perimeter of the deck. I planned on putting 1x6 PT cedar tone fascia boards the face of those. Then the picture frame wood would be 2x6, overhanging the edge of the fascia by 1" (is that too far?) . Cut a channel in the underside of that 2x6 so the inside edge of the channel is in line with the outside face of the fascia board. get some exterior LED stripping from Amazon and adhere into the channel. It seems like that would work? But would it last?

 

[Greenman]

I was just looking at that tape. Since the joists are old, and I don't plan on replace (just inspected and overall for 22 years they seem to be in pretty good shape, the tape would be ideal I think, right?

It sure wouldn't hurt, and the cost is low enough that it's worth doing.

 

[Greenman]

Maybe it's the heat exhaustion talking, but while I was out there ripping up the existing deck I was working on the design/layout in my head.
One thing I thought of possibly doing was since I will be adding a picture frame border, was to overhang it by about an inch from the fascia board, but a channel into the underside of the over hang and rung some LED lighting in it.

Like I said, I might be delusional right now and just thinking out loud, but it seems like it would work? I have the the exterior joists which are 2x8 PT running around the perimeter of the deck. I planned on putting 1x6 PT cedar tone fascia boards the face of those. Then the picture frame wood would be 2x6, overhanging the edge of the fascia by 1" (is that too far?) . Cut a channel in the underside of that 2x6 so the inside edge of the channel is in line with the outside face of the fascia board. get some exterior LED stripping from Amazon and adhere into the channel. It seems like that would work? But would it last?

I've never used the LED tape lights outside, but I don't see why they wouldn't last. You will need to use something along with the adhesive strip to hold the lights in place, that stuff fails when it's inside on a smooth base. Outside on raw lumber I doubt it would last a month.

 

[Homerboy]

I've never used the LED tape lights outside, but I don't see why they wouldn't last. You will need to use something along with the adhesive strip to hold the lights in place, that stuff fails when it's inside on a smooth base. Outside on raw lumber I doubt it would last a month.

Yeah, I figure some clear silicon caulk or something. I'm not sure what strips I could use. Digging through Amazon

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Composite was my first choice, but just wildly cost prohibitive. We're talking $500 versus $3,000+

This is what I did and at the time it was like a few dollars more per board vs PT wood.
This has the scalloped bottom which makes the ends look odd, you can build a frame around the deck to avoid that, I didn't bother because it was beyond my skill set and generated a lot of waste. Really easy to work with this stuff and remember to add an additional $200 or so for the hidden fasteners.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-Enhance-Naturals-1-in-x-6-in-x-16-ft-Rocky-Harbor-Grooved-Edge-Grey-Composite-Deck-Board-RH010616E2G01/310569119

Stuff is great, it does need to be cleaned more often than wood but that cleaning is trivial as in soap & sponge a bad area or two then hose off the rest. Really easy to push snow off it too and for whatever reason there is "grip" on the surface even when covered with snow or ice. I am not sure why.
Trex does get hotter than wood but its not as bad as some people make it out to be, I can walk across my deck bare foot in the summer but it is uncomfortably hot to stand in one place. I would never burn my foot on the deck, it doesn't bother my dogs feet.

 

[Homerboy]

This is what I did and at the time it was like a few dollars more per board vs PT wood.
This has the scalloped bottom which makes the ends look odd, you can build a frame around the deck to avoid that, I didn't bother because it was beyond my skill set and generated a lot of waste. Really easy to work with this stuff and remember to add an additional $200 or so for the hidden fasteners.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trex-Enhance-Naturals-1-in-x-6-in-x-16-ft-Rocky-Harbor-Grooved-Edge-Grey-Composite-Deck-Board-RH010616E2G01/310569119

Stuff is great, it does need to be cleaned more often than wood but that cleaning is trivial as in soap & sponge a bad area or two then hose off the rest. Really easy to push snow off it too and for whatever reason there is "grip" on the surface even when covered with snow or ice. I am not sure why.
Trex does get hotter than wood but its not as bad as some people make it out to be, I can walk across my deck bare foot in the summer but it is uncomfortably hot to stand in one place. I would never burn my foot on the deck, it doesn't bother my dogs feet.

Yeah, I'd love to go that route. But it's nearly 3xs the price of cedar tone PT.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Yeah, I'd love to go that route. But it's nearly 3xs the price of cedar tone PT.

I was forced to do mine at the height of the pandemic, I remember cruddy quality boards as in many appeared warped and/or having excessive knots or cracks in the wood made the choice easy for me. There was like a $5 difference per board at the time.

 

[Homerboy]

I was forced to do mine at the height of the pandemic, I remember cruddy quality boards as in many appeared warped and/or having excessive knots or cracks in the wood made the choice easy for me. There was like a $5 difference per board at the time.

Funny you say that as that's when I REALLY started shopping around. At the time, the price difference was only like 10% more for composite. But wood has dropped a lot since then.

 

[Homerboy]

Ok I need some help with the gap calculation for the boards in the field
I have the picture frame laid out and the inside to inside measurement is pretty much 127" spot on. The boards are 5/5" wide.
That comes to basically 23.09 boards would fit in perfectly. But obviously I need some spacing between.
So, that being said, I'm looking 22 boards. But, and maybe it's just too early for me in the day, I can can't figure out what the spacing would be.


Edit: Ok if I break this down I think 22 boards with a 6mm (roughly 1/4") gap should do it.

 

[BoomerD]

Ok I need some help with the gap calculation for the boards in the field
I have the picture frame laid out and the inside to inside measurement is pretty much 127" spot on. The boards are 5/5" wide.
That comes to basically 23.09 boards would fit in perfectly. But obviously I need some spacing between.
So, that being said, I'm looking 22 boards. But, and maybe it's just too early for me in the day, I can can't figure out what the spacing would be.


Edit: Ok if I break this down I think 22 boards with a 6mm (roughly 1/4") gap should do it.

IMO, just start at the outside edge...farthest from the house. That way, IF you have to rip one of the deck boards to fit, the cut edge will be up against the house where it will be less visible.

 

[Homerboy]

IMO, just start at the outside edge...farthest from the house. That way, IF you have to rip one of the deck boards to fit, the cut edge will be up against the house where it will be less visible.

right, that would be the "easy" way to do it. But due to the picture framing I have a partial board (ripped) already against the house. So I have inside to inside to deal with and calculate.

 

[Greenman]

right, that would be the "easy" way to do it. But due to the picture framing I have a partial board (ripped) already against the house. So I have inside to inside to deal with and calculate.

It's not going to work unless your lumber is precession milled and all the same moisture content. I've built dozens of decks and would never attempt to work out exact spacing. Boomer has it right, start at the front and work toward the house. Rip the last board to fit.

 

[Homerboy]

It's not going to work unless your lumber is precession milled and all the same moisture content. I've built dozens of decks and would never attempt to work out exact spacing. Boomer has it right, start at the front and work toward the house. Rip the last board to fit.

Right, I get that's how it would normally be done, but as you can see in this picture, the border board against the house has already be ripped down. So I was measuring the inside to inside of those two outside boards of the picture frame.

Please ignore the mistake on the blocking in that front section on the right. I thought 2x4 width would be enough, but the border board covered most of it. I've since added some additional blocking to support the fields boards once I lay them.

And yes, my flowering tree right above the deck is currently raining pink flower petals non-stop

 

[deadlyapp]

View attachment 80649

View attachment 80650
Right, I get that's how it would normally be done, but as you can see in this picture, the border board against the house has already be ripped down. So I was measuring the inside to inside of those two outside boards of the picture frame.

Please ignore the mistake on the blocking in that front section on the right. I thought 2x4 width would be enough, but the border board covered most of it. I've since added some additional blocking to support the fields boards once I lay them.

And yes, my flowering tree right above the deck is currently raining pink flower petals non-stop

I don't see why the picture frame affects the final rip? If you really want to be anal about it, find your center and work from your center, out, and then rip your final two boards to ideally, the exact same width (give or take a quarter inch, but nobody will notice.

 

[Greenman]

View attachment 80649

View attachment 80650
Right, I get that's how it would normally be done, but as you can see in this picture, the border board against the house has already be ripped down. So I was measuring the inside to inside of those two outside boards of the picture frame.

Please ignore the mistake on the blocking in that front section on the right. I thought 2x4 width would be enough, but the border board covered most of it. I've since added some additional blocking to support the fields boards once I lay them.

And yes, my flowering tree right above the deck is currently raining pink flower petals non-stop

Pull the border board that's against the house.

 

[BoomerD]

Pull the border board that's against the house.

While I get the idea of the border board, placing/spacing the rest of the boards will be difficult...and he might end up with an awkward rip somewhere that it will really be noticeable.

As far as spacing the decking, get two speed squares:

use one on each end for a relatively even spacing. (Depending, of course, on the straightness of the lumber.)

 

[Greenman]

Or use the camo screw system, it sets the spacing and provides a semi hidden screw.

MARKSMAN Pro® - CAMO Fasteners

www.camofasteners.com