Laying a deck with Merbau not straight

[MichaelGT]

I am laying a deck 2m x 4m approx 60LM.
For the first time.
Just had delivery of timber from NHS Cardiff NSW.
The timber is flat not cupped or warped but is not straight.
The pieces in question are just under 4m in length.
Hope photos are a help.
Is this normal and how can the boards be laid side by side without cutting shorter pieces?
Any advice would be appreciated.IMG_20211119_110729.jpgIMG_20211119_110658.jpg

[TermiMonster]

One method is to lay every 5th board, using a string line or similar, and you need to pull it (the deck board) straight. Make sure these are perfect. Then you lay the infill pieces, and basically, you use the fixed pieces to pull or push these straight, as you go.
You can use packers of cut up ply or even thick nails as spacers, if it makes it easier.
Hope that makes sense.
TM

[MichaelGT]

Yes logical, non lateral thinking maybe. I can see the concept. Just tried pulling 2 boards together in the workshop and the principle works well. Thanks much appreciated.

[Bohdan]

Just did a similar deck. Used bar clamps and spacers to pull the boards straight starting from the outside edge and working towards the wall. Last board was positioned with wedges and spacers.

[MichaelGT]

Yes all makes sense. Thanks
Just need a few bar clamps?

[Chris Parks]

Floors used to be laid with joist clamps but I guess those days are long gone.

[riverbuilder]

Just use plastic packers and the every 5th board stringline method.

[Chief Tiff]

Make sure you alternate the direction of the bent planks; you don't want them laid like this ))))))) or all the bending forces will accumulate and can cause the bearers to distort. lay them like this: ()()()()()

[Chris Parks]

I use several short pieces of angle iron because they lay flat on top of the preceding board and they are hard to lose. Thin plywood nailed to blocks of wood work the same.

[Wrongwayfirst]

Yes all makes sense. Thanks
Just need a few bar clamps?

You don’t really need clamps the boards will bend fairly easily. You can use an off cut of 90 x 35 or whatever is at hand about 300-400 long screwed sideways onto the joist as a lever. Work your way along the joists moving your lever along, rinse and repeat and for the last board in your set of 5 a chisel or timber wedges will do the trick. I used this method with 135 x 32 blackbutt.
cheers

[Beardy]

It is quite normal for them not to be straight. Just lay your first row to a line and then use spacers and lever or clamp the boards to pull them straight. I find it is easiest to have the bow out in the middle of the board so you are only pulling the centre in rather than trying to do both ends so is much quicker

[petebalf]

For spacers i used 4 or 5mm nails in blocks and slipped them between last and next plank to be screwed. A foot jammed against the centre of the run brings the plank up tight to the nail block and then screw it down.