Hyderabadghar/Do it your self/Installing Decking

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Safety goggles	Hammer
Hearing protectors (when cutting lumber)	1/4-inch plywood as spacer, as needed
NIOSH-approved dust mask or respirator (when cutting lumber)	Radial arm saw or power miter saw, as needed
Work gloves	Sealer/preservative
Heavy-duty work boots	Chalk-line box
Kneeling pad or pair of knee pads, as needed	Spacers (16d galvanized nails or 8d nails, as needed)
Measuring tape	Fasteners (galvanized nails, deck screws, deck clips, or continuous fasteners, as needed)
Circular saw	Chisel or pry bar, as needed
Lumber for the decking	Saber saw, reciprocating saw, or hand saw, as needed (for notches)
2 sawhorses, as needed	Chisel, as needed (for notches)
Power drill and bits	Caulk (for notches)

Fig. 2

b. Cut and seal ends that will be joined Where possible, you will run the boards wild — install them with their ends longer than they need to be, so you can cut them off later. But wherever a board end needs to be butted — either against the house or against another board, you will, of course, need to make the cut before installing. If the butted end requires a 90-degree cut, you may be able to just use the board as it comes from the lumberyard. But be careful here: Check each end to make sure it is perfect, and watch out for those little cracks that often appear on the ends of boards. Cuts to be butted will be either at 90 or 45 degrees. You'll save a lot of time by making as many of these cuts at one time as you can, rather than cutting a board to length and then nailing it in place before cutting the next board. A radial arm saw or a power miter saw will make this work a little easier but a circular saw will work just fine, too. At this point, give the cut ends of the boards a thorough coating of clear sealer/preservative. For a small amount of work, you will make your deck last longer. (Fig. 2)

Fig. 4

2) Installing starter boards
It's important that the starter board or boards be correctly positioned. The way you do this depends on the pattern you are using. Patterns include straight, diagonal, parquet, herringbone, and V-shaped. Here's how to position that important board for straight decking patterns:

For decking parallel to the house:
Start at the house. Cut this piece exactly to length, making sure you have the right amount of overhang, if any. (If you let it run wild and try to cut it later, your circular saw will bump into the house before it can complete the cut.)

The starter board should be perfectly straight. To make a guide line, measure out from the house, at both ends of the run, the width of the decking board plus 1/4 inch, so that there will be a 1/4-inch gap between the decking and the house to allow water to run past. Chalk a line on the joists (Fig. 4). Attach the board flush up against this line.

If the side of your house bows in and out a bit, plane or cut the side of a straight decking board to make it fit better.

Fig. 6

3) Fastening the decking
a. Position and cut the boards
As you place each racked board into position, make sure the "wild" end hangs over far enough so that when you make your final cut you will be able to remove any little cracks at the ends of boards (Fig. 6).

For some patterns, such as herringbone, you will need to measure and cut at least some of the boards as you go. When possible, hold the boards in place and mark rather than using your measuring tape. For a true measurement, use spacers to give the board's true position as you hold it in place.

Think ahead to when you will make your final cut of the boards that are running wild, and make sure that your circular saw will be able to complete these cuts. This usually means that the one or two boards closest to the house need to be cut to exact length.

Fig. 7

b. Fasten the boards
Fastening with Nails or Screws
Try to keep your nails or screws in a straight row. Install only as many screws or nails as are necessary to keep each board firmly placed and straight. After all or most of the decking is in place, you can go back and install the rest of the fasteners. It will be easier to pull the board up if at this stage you find you have made a mistake or that a board has flaws. Also, with all the boards in place, it will be easier to get your nail or screw lines straight.

Use nails as spacers. Aim for a gap of 1/8 to 3/16 inch after the wood has dried out: If your decking is dry now, space with 16d nails; if it is wet, use 8d nails. In most cases you can just slip the nails in place, but wherever the boards are not tight, you will have to tack some down into joists — lightly, just enough so they stay put for a while.

If you are fastening with nails, angle them towards each other for greater holding power. Make it only a slight angle, or your nail heads will not sit flat on the deck surface. Drive your screws or nails so that they barely break the surface of the board and their tops are flush with the top of the decking. If you are having trouble doing this without making indentations in the wood, use a nail set for the final whack or two.

Whether you are nailing or screwing, drill pilot holes wherever there is a chance that the decking will split: Usually, wherever the nail or screw comes within 3 inches or so of the end of a board (Fig. 7). Take special care at the butt joints. Use a drill bit that is 2/3 to 3/4 as thick as the shank of your nail or screw. Most of your predrilling can be done all at once, after all the boards are in place, so it really does not take much time.

At the butt joints, always drill pilot holes for all four nails or screws. Drill each at a slight angle toward the other board. Drive the fasteners with care, so as not to crack the boards with the head of the nails or screws.

Any small split that appears now will only get larger with time, so take care of it now. Remove the nail or screw and put it in a different location, drilling a pilot hole if necessary. Or remove or move the board, if things look really bad.

Fastening with Deck Clips

Deck clips or continuous deck fasteners allow you to install decking with no visible nailheads or screwheads. They are a bit more expensive than screws and take some extra time to install, but may be worth it if you have beautiful decking boards that you want to show off to their full advantage. Do not use deck clips if your decking is subject to substantial shrinkage or the boards will come loose.

There are several types of deck clips; follow your manufacturer's instructions for correct installation. Some require that you put nails into both the deck board and the joist, while others require nailing into the joist only. Some call for toenailing one side of each deck board, others do not. All of them automatically space the boards.

Fig. 8

c. Straightening as you go
Every third or fourth board, test for straightness. You can do this by holding a taut string line along one edge of the board, or you can just sight down the board.

Inevitably, you will run into boards that are crowned and need to be bent into position. If you've got a really bad piece, one that threatens to crack if straightened, put it in the stack of boards to be returned to the lumberyard.

Most bends can be straightened just by pushing them into position; use a chisel or pry bar for the tougher ones (Fig. 8). Start at one end and fasten as you proceed down the board — don't nail both ends and then try to bend the middle in. Keep all your spacer nails in place until the whole board is straightened. Anchor the straightened parts of the board securely, with two fasteners at each joist if necessary, so the straight part doesn't get bent while you work. Sometimes it works to drive a toescrew through the edge of the decking board into the joist at an extreme angle. Don't do this with a toenail because if it doesn't work, you'll mar the decking when you remove the nail.

Fig. 9

4) Making the final cuts
For the ends where you let your boards run wild, chalk a line for your final cut. Be sure to include the overhang, if any. Set your circular sawblade about 1/4 inch deeper than your decking thickness (Fig. 9). If you feel confident about your skills, get into a comfortable position and make the cut freehand.

To make extra sure the cut will be straight, tack a straight board onto the decking and use it as a guide. Be sure that it is tacked well, so that the circular saw's bottom plate cannot slide under it.

Cutouts for through-posts
If your posts continue upward to become part of your rail system, you will need to cut your decking to go around them. Make these joints as tight as possible and then caulk them so they are water-tight.