All Decked Out For Summer
(Page 8 of 10)
June/July 1992
by John Vivian
Or lay sides and cut ends of decking even with the edge of the underlying beam so top of skirt boards will be at floor level.
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Run a bead of caulk around top and bottom of straight-edged 2-by PT skirt boards, then nail them around the beams. Use small-headed finishing nails to attach such non-supporting trim.
Place planks tight against the house, oriented so the grain (visible at cut ends) curves upward in a dome rather dishing in a water-holding cup. Use 16d nails as 1/8" spacers or use spikes for wider spacing. Drive two nails through each plank where it crosses each beam and joist—nails one quarter of the board's width from each edge.
To prevent splitting, drill pilot holes with a drill bit smaller than the nail's diameter through planking and a 1/4" into joists—especially at ends of boards. If you must piece short lengths of decking, stagger the joints and angle nails into pilot holes drilled into the underlying joist.
Wait until all the planking is on before trimming the ends. Snap a chalk line and tack straight boards to the deck to guide your circular saw, and trim all the boards at one time. If plank ends are to be exposed, use a sharp blade and go slow to get a really clean saw cut.
Avoid the most common mistake of both pro and amateur deck-builders: Don't fail to insert water-shedding aluminum flashing
in overlapping strips up under siding and then carry it down over the ledger.
Railings & Stairs
Railings are required on decks more than a foot or two above grade. They are most sturdy if main rail posts are extensions of foundation posts. If rail posts, especially at corners and stairs, are freestanding, attach with metal deck-post fittings screwed through planking into beams.
The caprail is one place you should consider splurging on splinter-resistant, straight-grained cedar or redwood. Rail stock pre-grooved for balusters comes in several styles and sizes—as do balusters. Measure on the job and cut to a snug fit. Don't drive fasteners from top of caprail into verticals. Affix rails atop posts with post caps or metal angle fittings. The lower rail can be toenailed on (nails angled into posts from sides of rails) or (better) supported at bottom by metal angles or plywood cleats. Hold balusters in place with short wooden spacers in the grooves or finishing nails driven through sides of the rails. Space balusters evenly, but follow code specs—no more than 2 1/2" between if small children are to use the deck.
Measuring and cutting notched-plank stair stringers is tricky. Easier is to buy precut stringers from a building supply outlet. (Use three stringers under a stair wider than 4'.) Easier still, for a 4'-wide stair, use a pair of 2x10 or 2x12 PT boards and attach wood or steel cleats to support the stair treads. See the illustration for dimensions.
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