It’s deck-building season, folks. If you’ve had a deck project on the back burner for a while, this might be a good time to start thinking about it.
Remember that a deck requires a building permit and, hence, plans. Whether you design and build the deck yourself or hire a pro to do it, here are some basic guidelines for both economy and good looks:
– Minimize the number of piers. Usually, you can support the entire deck on a pair of widely spaced main girders, each supported by as few as two or three piers. The girders, in turn, support the deck joists. Fewer piers means less concrete work and less chance of errors and misalignments.
– Cantilever the deck. Set the piers back a couple of feet from the deck edges and let both the main girder and the joists cantilever (overhang) beyond them. The cantilever serves two purposes: It reduces the span of the girders and joists, which often allows you to use a smaller size lumber; and it serves to tuck the piers beneath the completed deck so that they’re not as visible. Then, if you like, you can skirt the deck with lattice or lath, concealing the piers altogether.
– Consider different decking patterns. Standard 2×6 spaced decking is fine for Modernist-era houses, but a more interesting pattern might be better suited for traditional home styles. Try using 2×6 deck planks alternated with 2x4s or 2x2s to produce a visual rhythm. Very small-scale decks will look better with narrower decking using 2x4s flat or even on edge to help produce a finer scale.
– Choose deck fasteners carefully. In the past, decking was usually attached with galvanized 16-penny nails, which often worked loose or popped up when the wood shrank as it dried. Today, most better decks use screws to attach the decking. They have several advantages: They don’t pull out as easily, they’re easily retightened if the decking shrinks, and they allow individual deck planks to be removed without damage. They’re easily installed with a good heavy-duty power screwdriver and usually don’t require predrilling.
Screws are available galvanized or with a black oxide coating. I’ve found that the galvanizing usually splinters off the screwheads when they’re driven, inviting rust in the worst possible place, so I prefer the oxide-coated variety. They look better, too.
Since the screws are fairly visible, take care to drive them in neat rows–use a chalk line if you have to. Set the screwheads either flush or just slightly below the surface of the decking (if they’re set too deep, they’ll collect water and promote rot). Neatness is important. Nothing will ruin a deck’s appearance like sloppy, meandering rows of screwheads.
Likewise, if you choose to use nails to attach the decking, lay them out neatly and drive them slightly above the deck to avoid marring the wood. Then go back and set them just below the surface with a nail set.
– Use a guardrail design that matches the style of your house. For example, a heavy, complicated wooden railing might be at home with a Craftsman or Ranch-style home but will be at odds with a Spanish Revival house. Any railings that already exist on the house–on the front porch, perhaps–will provide a good clue to the style of railing you should use on the deck.
