Decks are basic construction–just a platform with row after row of boards and thousands of nail heads glinting in the sun. That’s true if you slap down pressure-treated 2-by-6s that often cup, trap water, pop their nails and make the deck look like something that washed up on a beach. But it’s not hard to add some slick and interesting touches.
– Even deck spacing. Almost anything that leaves about an 1/8-inch gap for drainage will serve as a deck-board spacer. But it’s handy to use the same nails that you’re using to fasten the boards, generally 10-penny (3-inch) for 2-by material. One will always be handy. Lightly tap a nail into each joist next to the last nailed board. The next board will slide up against the row of nails, which you can lift out by hand and use to fasten the lumber. Every few rows, it’s also wise to measure back to your first straight board to be sure that the lumber is running square to the house.
– Controlled nailing. To save time, most contractors use a pneumatic gun and zoom along–pow, pow–shooting nails into the lumber. It’s much faster than hand nailing. But like many construction improvements, faster makes life easier for carpenters at the expense of quality, or in this case general neatness. There are so many nails that the surface looks more orderly and just better if they track in straight lines, maybe to a taut string. It also helps if the nails are about the same distance from each edge of each board. You don’t have to break out a ruler every time. Just use some handy gauge–maybe your thumb. It may seem like splitting hairs, but really uniform nailing makes a deck look more finished.
– Pneumatic versus hand nailing. The grain patterns and density of deck boards vary, sometimes a lot, but pneumatic nailers always deliver the same punch. That can produce some nail heads that ride slightly above the deck and others that sink into it. The raised heads have to set by hand and the sunken nails leave fractured holes where water collects. Nailing by hand you can set each nail head flush–adding an extra blow when the wood is harder and easing up when it’s softer. But will most contractors do this? No.
– Nail-free decking. Clip systems such as Ipe Clip, Deckmaster and many others require more time and attention than nails or screws but create a smooth deck surface free of fasteners. Most systems (for wood and synthetics) attach clip hardware to the joists and then lock the deck boards to the fasteners.
At 50 cents to a dollar a pop, using hundreds of hidden fasteners even on a modest-sized deck can add up. And if you’re paying a contractor, the extra installation time will cost even more.
It’s a slick construction detail and reduces maintenance too. But if you’re laying a bare-bones pressure-treated platform, eliminating nail heads isn’t going to make it an award-winner in House Beautiful. If you’re springing for cedar, redwood or some other great-looking lumber, no nails is a finishing touch that really showcases the investment.
– Deck edging. On a typical layout, the long side of a deck gets full-length lumber with a finished edge. That leaves a short edge or two showing the rough end grain of each board. Those rough ends soak up moisture that fosters decay; they also can look kind of ragged. The simple solution is to nail a piece of trim across the exposed ends, a 2-by-2 for instance. It shields the end grain from the weather, reduces twisting and cupping and creates a clean edge.
– Special layouts. On a small deck, a simple layout with boards running parallel to the house is generally best. On larger decks think about running the boards at an angle or making a partial box design, even though it’s more work. Install a double joist running out to a corner at a 45-degree angle and you can join boards along its length, with one row running parallel to the house and the other running perpendicular.
With some extra framing, you might like a stagger lap over the double joist–a basket-weave pattern with boards overlapping each other’s ends at right angles.
There are a lot of possibilities, and in every case it’s wise to do a dry layout (no nails and no cutting) to get a realistic idea of the design.
