Check with the manufacturer to ensure you’re installing the decking the way they recommend, so everything is perfect.Ĭomposite decking requires extreme care when installing, both in hot and cold climates. Don’t hope that you’re using the correct fasteners. As mentioned earlier, it is extremely important to read and follow all installation instructions when using man-made materials. These man-made materials all have very different characteristics than wood. They offer low-maintenance benefits and a variety of aesthetic options. Most are composed of wood-plastic composite, capped composite, vinyl, or aluminum. There are over a hundred different man-made decking products currently on the market.
Wood has some beautiful natural characteristics, but also requires considerable maintenance. People used redwood, cedar, pressure-treated pine and even some exotic hardwoods. Bottom line, never underestimate the importance of proper board spacing! Material Usedįor many years, decking was primarily wood. The 2圆 is going to expand and contract more because there’s more wood or composite decking in play. Working with 2圆 deck boards can be problematic compared to working with a 5/4 by 4-inch board. If the decking instead expands, the decking boards could close the original 1/8” inch gap. Thus, if you create just a small 1/8” inch gap when installing the boards, the gap could grow to one-quarter inch when the decking shrinks. The same is true for the adjacent decking planks. This means that, along each edge, it might shrink or expand 1/16” inch. Imagine the deck board might expand or contract just 1/8” inch across the surface where you walk. The wider the deck board, the more it’s going to expand and contract. Factors that Impact Deck Board SpacingĪ major factor in deck board spacing is the size of the board. Pay very close attention to the air temperature as well as surface temperature of the decking as you work with it. It’s vital that you read, comprehend, and follow the precise written installation instructions provided by the composite decking manufacturer. Composite decking expands and contracts due to temperature changes, rather than changes in moisture. Plastic expands and contracts differently than wood.
Composite decking is made with a significant amount of plastic. Should you be working with composite decking, you have similar expansion and contraction considerations.
#Spacing trex deck boards install
At the same time, you need to be very aware of the moisture content of the wood as you install it so that when it does dry and shrink, the spacing gap will not be too big! You may ask, “Why space deck boards?” Because the wood expands and contracts the greatest amount across the surface that you’ll walk on, you must be sure that you don’t create too little space that could prevent proper drainage or cause other issues. The importance of deck board spacing can’t be overemphasized. Different wood species have different coefficients of shrinkage as they dry. For example, a 16-ft pine board could potentially shrink around 1/8 to 3/16” in length, and ¼" in width as it dries. Wood doesn’t expand or contract equally in all directions. Traditional wood decking, be it treated lumber, redwood, cedar, or an exotic rain-forest species, needs to be spaced so the wood can expand and contract with changes in moisture content. Ventilation below the deck is also enhanced by the gaps between the deck boards, but this is only important in ground-level decks. Larger gaps, such as 1/4”, allow more of this material to fall through the deck.
Gaps that are narrow (1/8”), can catch debris, specifically on top of the joists, and can be difficult to clean out. The primary function is to drain water from the deck. Spacing between deck boards provides a few critical functions.
#Spacing trex deck boards how to
You may think you know how to install and stagger deck boards, but the only way to truly determine this is by reading and comprehending the written installation instructions offered by the decking manufacturer. One of the main reasons is to make sure you don’t void the warranty of your decking should you make a mistake at this point. But the spacing between deck boards is critical for many reasons.
You’re nearing the end of the project and it’s normal to want to get the job done as quickly as possible. Deck board spacing is an extremely important step to build a deck.
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