Decking tips required

[Al Kilgour]

Hey Guys I am currently in the process of building my first deck and just wanted to know if anyone has any advice that might come in handy.

So far i have put up all the stumps, bearers and joists and they are all in steel not timber. The reason i chose to use steel is this is our "dream home" and we plan to be here for a very very long time.

My plan now is to use 90mm Merbau decking and screw it into the steel joists. I will counter sink all the screws obviously so they are flush with the deck.

Questions:

1. Are there any other types of timber that i should consider other than Merbau? Obviously i want something the is nice looking and long lasting.

2. Are there any tips to laying the decking that i should be aware of?

Thanks in advance.

[silentC]

Are your joists Duragal? Reason I ask is that OneSteel doesn't recommend that timber decking is screwed to their steel joists - they recommend twist nails from a coil nailer.

[Loki429]

"Are there any other types of timber that i should consider other than Merbau? Obviously i want something the is nice looking and long lasting."

Have a look at this recent post regarding timber types: https://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=55656

I'm in the process of obtaining pricing for timber decking now and am finding the alternatives to Merbau are not that much more expensive, plus you will be supporting Australian industry. Hopefully you will be able to find a suitable "renewable" alternative too!

[Al Kilgour]

SilentC: The joists are RHS Gal if that means anything. I am not very good with "tradey talk"

Loki429: Thanks for your help mate.

[silentC]

Duragal is a brand name for zinc coated steel sections manufactured by OneSteel. It's light weight stuff - wall thickness typically 1.6 to 2.0 mm. For some reason that no one has been able to fathom, OneSteel have recommended that screws not be used to fasten hardwood decking to steel joists. I imagine it is something to do with moisture ingress but not sure of the specifics. They recommend that decking is nailed using hardened steel twist nails. I'm not sure how this affects your situation.

[Spelunx]

I have just done a decent sized deck, and there are a couple of things I would advise:

Buy a pair of knee-pads, they cost me $12, and allowed me to do decking for 3 days straight. Without them I never could have managed.

Always buy the best possible tools you can afford. They make the job easier and much, much less frustrating.

You will always be better at something towards the end of the job, therefore start in the least conspicuous place and work from there.

Take your time, and think the job through.

More practical tips are:

Use a string-line every metre or two to make sure all your boards are even across the job.

Never have consecutive joins on the same joist.

And lastly:

Buy some knee-pads!

Goodluck!

[Connollys]

Hi Bud,
You have quite a good selection of timbers to choose from. A couple of excellent timbers are Spotted Gum and Swan River Red both have great color and will last very well. The key to getting long term results is to oil well to begin with (two coats) and then no more than six months apart, that way the weather wont damage the timber and the color will last. As far as fixings go, contact Able Air in Coburg they should have what you require there at 150 Gaffney St Coburg ask for Lou. Hope thats been of some help.

Cheers

Craig

http://www.connollys.com.au

[Al Kilgour]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I think getting knee pads is a great idea and also starting the job in an inconspicuous spot is good advice.

One more thing: What size gap between boards is percieved as the best?

[Loki429]

Hi there

On decks I've built in the past I've used quite a small gap - basically I just used a nail as a spacer when nailing down the decking.
On my current project however it is in a Level 2 fire zone and the gaps have to be a minimum of 5mm!

You also need to evaluate the moisture content of the boards as they may shrink as they dry up leaving you with bigger gaps.

[Spelunx]

One more thing: What size gap between boards is percieved as the best?

I used 3.5mm nails.

Make up spacers by driving the nails through a small piece of scrap timber, that way they can sit between the decking, as you put them down.

I made up five or six of them, because you will lose a couple as you go....

[silentC]

Spacing should be around 4 or 5mm but it's best to work it to fit the boards so that you don't have to rip the last one.

Nail down every fourth or fifth board using a chalk line and then fill in the gaps. Use wedges to evenly space the intermediate boards and then nail/screw them off.

[mic-d]

Hi Al, maybe too late but I posted some tips here a while ago:
http://woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=42091
Cheers
Michael

I now have made up a kit with 3mm alum angle spacers and a drilling jig that self-centres over the joist for consistent staggered nailing. tile spacers are not a bad idea either.