Fluted decking...Up or down?

[billbeee]

Hi all,
Getting back to the topic, after that little sidetrack by brickie) here's my take on it.

Going for the lower end of the price range an architect once specified Selangan Batu hardwood decking.

So with about four packs on the job I say to the owner before we start, "which way up", "smooth side up" sez he.
I then lay out about six boards smooth side up for him to look at.
At least two of them have patches of rough saw marks on them because the boards are a touch on the thin side.
"That's no good, you will have to cut the bad bits out". So I explain to him that these boards are all like this, they are milled with the best looking face to be the reeded side. They go through the six header and the bottom cutter is the reeded one, any variation in timber thickness shows up on the so called smooth side.

When he was given the option of having smooth side up and paying 15% extra for waste, he saw my point and we compromised. We put ever 5th. board reeded side up. (the rough patches out of sight). It looked OK too. Everybody happy. Ten years later it still looks OK.

We always whack heaps of preservative on both joists and boards before fixing and I've had no comebacks whichever way we lay them.
We do it the way that the customer wants. I quite like reeded up.

When asked why I usually say that it holds a lot more decking oil and allows more of it to soak in.

You say you want the interface between the boards and the joists to breath, so how come you don't apply the same logic to every other external timber to timber joint?

To my way of thinking it is personal preference, nothing else.

Cheers
Bill.

[UteMad]

How funny heres me thinking the topic would have died in the a#rse with the first reply of reeds face down but obviously not......

This might have to go with the topic of screws or nails which never seems to end either LoL


Billbee don't you allow 12 - 15 % wastage anyway due to random length and rubbish bits? Time is money i will go even higher on wastage just to know i have no quality concerns and chuck the leftover on the ute for next time.. Can understand DIY trying to use every last piece but not tradies... It comes down to how long do you waste getting in the ute to get another piece and at what inflated price will you pay to get it close to the job your on... I build a deck once and to put down a board that is sub standard is a waste of my time cause if the customer refuses to pay until its replaced its a bigger waste of my time than leaving the board out and putting in a good one to start with...My way of looking at it i spose but not necessarily the right or only way


cheers

Utemad