Experienced Deck Builders?

[Diggin It]

Build a few decks and you'll see boards shrink every way possible.

Move a few 6x6s and watch ME shrink ... in agony. Tried that with two of them as gate posts. Dug 20" deep holes in tight packed red rock gravel that I had to air chisel out. Then stood them up in the holes and plumbed them. Or so I thought. They weren't gonna be lifted out of those holes again. At least not by me.

 

[timswi]

I've done 45's on 12-16 ft 2x6's and the 45's eventually separated--Shrunk around 1/16" lengthwise. I butt joint them now. Seems to hold together a little better, still not perfect. Landscape timbers are the worst for lengthwise shrinking.

 

[ultrarunner]

The current project is all marine rated composite... full water contact.

Anyone's guess how it will do in the wet Pacific Northwest... all I know is a 13 year old deck, posts, rails, etc... was 100% shot and this was with meticulous effort to keep debris free and full sun.

We have sent Man to the Moon but can a Deck be built to last 25 years in the Olympia WA?

 

[PILOON]

On shrinkage, try cedar.
Once installed a beautiful cedar door and very soon learned all about shrinking/swelling woes.
I eventually needed to plane darn near 1/2" on the width so that we could close it.
Then came dry winter and there was an air gap.

On insulation scales cedar is the best but on shrinkage the worst.
AND, you sure would not want to deck a porch with cedar, a dog nails will make indentations and a ladies high heals will leave their mark.

 

[dalola]

I always thought cedar was one of the more stable woods?

I have a cedar screened porch, I don't notice any issues with gaps/shrinking/expanding. My house has cedar siding as well, 25 years old, still fits/looks great.

I agree it's pretty soft, and would not use it as a floor surface anywhere.

 

[KennyG]

Interesting observations on cedar. When I bought my current house it had cedar decking over PT framing. The decking had been installed tight (no gaps). It seems to have never developed gaps, to the extent water would not drain through the deck. I replaced it all with composite decking because it was rotting. The PT framing was in great shape. I learned that cedar is rot resistant only if it can quickly dry after a rain.

 

[Diggin It]

I would only use cedar for walls or craft projects like bird houses where it sheds water rather than a floor or deck where water can lay on it.

 

[jfh28]

this is probably why a lot of people are going the route of composite decking now....its more stable.......personally I hate the stuff and its very slippery if it gets any ice or snow on it......but it does minimize the shrinking twisting banana boards of treated lumber.......Jack

 

[ovrszd]

this is probably why a lot of people are going the route of composite decking now....its more stable.......personally I hate the stuff and its very slippery if it gets any ice or snow on it......but it does minimize the shrinking twisting banana boards of treated lumber.......Jack

Friend of mine stopped by yesterday. Right shoulder and arm beat up from falling on his composite deck. I consider it slick even if wet.

 

[dalola]

Well, I'm sure there are appropriate situations for the composite decking, but I love real wood. And try as we might, we're not so good at faking it yet. I almost think they would be better off giving the composites some other pattern, instead of trying to fake the wood grain. They really aren't fooling anyone. It also might not be so slippery if they used a better pattern. Just a thought.