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Airflow Below It's important to create opportunities for airflow beneath low-level decks. If the design calls for skirting, enclose the area below with open lattice, or use vertical boards with at least 3?4-inch gaps between them. Space the deck boards a minimum of 3?8 inch apart.outside flooring materials When the deck is low and air circulation is limited, frame the substructure with .60 pcf treated lumber. Stairs The bottoms of stair stringers are very susceptible to rot where they touch the concrete. One way to minimize the risk is to treat the stair stringers with Jasco's Termin-8 (www.wpcfloorforsale.com), an oil-based sealer that has 25 percent copper naphthenate. Another thing you can do is shim the bottom of each stringer off the concrete using small pieces of composite decking. As a serious professional, you're not only building decks, you're also building a name for yourself. If you plan on still being around in 20 years, wouldn't it be nice to have your works of art still standing as a testament to your fine craftsmanship? And don't be shy about advertising the fact that your decks are built to last! ? Kim Katwijk is a deck builder in Olympia, Wash., and a board member of NADRA (North American Deck and Railing Association). Linda Katwijk is Kim's wife and helps him put his many years of experience and expertise into words. This article was reprinted with permission of JLC The Journal of Light Construction.Some decks need major overhauls after less than 10 years. outdoor deck railingOthers stay strong and good looking for decades. What's the secret? Well, besides the obvious first choice of suitable lumber (we recommend either a naturally durable species or preservative-treated lumber), a lasting deck is put together with strong, durable fasteners, and it gets regular applications of a penetrating finish to repel moisture and to minimize the effects of the weather. Although the structure of a deck is a lot like the skeleton of a conventionally framed wood house, a deck doesn't have the stability of sheathing, and there's no roofing and siding to protect it from the elements. That's why decks require extra care and attention to detail. As wood researchers at the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, my colleagues and I have studied lumber, construction techniques, fasteners and finishes. From this research, we offer some recommendations for building decks that last.Start with good connections�CIn wood construction, connections often limit strength: so many common failures of deck construction lead back to connection performance. Proper connections of deck joists to beams, beams to posts and decks to houses are critical. Because fasteners and hardware in wood decks can corrode, it's prudent to minimize dependency on them.outdoor balcony flooring Wherever possible, joists and beams should bear directly on posts. This type of connection requires more vertical space, but it's more reliable than transferring load through fasteners. There are a number of ways to connect beams to posts (drawing left). Two-by lumber can be used as a beam if either set directly on top of the post or let into a notched post. This notched connection only works when the posts are 6x6 or better because notching a 4x4 post with 2x side member leav.
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