So first things first, totally appreciate the channel! It was a big help when I went to redo my deck boards last spring. The ONLY thing that I think needs to get cleared up with this video in particular though, is the 3:00 mark where he's talking about how the wood will dry and how to lay the boards accordingly. When using pressure treated boards, I did them all crown up like he said, and they ALL dried opposite to the way described in the video.... so now they hold water and will thus have a reduced lifespan...So if you're watching this and wondering which way to lay down your boards; A) In most cases just pick the best side if it's pressure treated, and B) lean more toward Crown Down (so that the boards dry in a way that will have the water drain off more easily).
I’ve never built a deck, and my first one is a 650 sq ft monster around our above-ground pool over a significant grade. The deck near the house is four feet. On the far side, it’s over six feet. I’ve spent hours wondering what I was thinking. It won’t be perfect, but it will be solid and ours. Many commenters have given praise to your channel. After watching hundreds of other DIY videos, your content, delivery, and production values stick out as exceptional. This was a stellar, valuable thirty minutes... my shipment of deck boards arrives on Tuesday, and watching your video makes me excited for it to come instead of dreading it.
These are the best deck tutorial, instructional and DIY friendly videos. This gentleman is without a doubt very talented and explains this information so easy. And he does all this while literally showing you throughout his project. I haven’t had to rewind or rewatch his explanations 30x like I’ve done with other videos.
Watched this on a whim, thinking I already knew what I needed to know before starting installation. Clearly I was wrong. Learned a lot, thanks very much.
Thanks for the tips, especially burning in the screw and showing how to straighten a board by yourself. Building a deck by myself, and this will help. Keep it up.
These little tips and tricks are the difference of a complete novice and a seasoned pro. seriously make life easier and a world of difference in the finished product. Thank you for the contribution
Building a 65m2 deck, his vid has given me the confidence to do the job (I'm a65 yr female DIY) this guy really knows what he is doing, and shares his knowledge. Thanks Jeff from me in Australia!
What I love about Jeff is it's the real world stuff. The slick shows always fade to black for the tricky stuff - like doing a plunge cut with the jigsaw. Fade too black. When the commercial's over, oh, miracle of miracles, they're ready to go to the next thing. Jeff, you're The Man.
Just getting boards down on my deck, no doubt all the tips have helped a lot. So far so good, it's a huge deck, one row takes 1 1/2 hrs to cut fix. Got 40 rows to go. But they look great, and it's actually smooth work. Built a jig to keep the screws lined up, looking good. Will be finished in a week. Thanks for the great tips
I love all of your videos. They're informative, yet light-hearted, which I really enjoy. This one made me chuckle a little at 26:40. You just finished explaining why you should use your second hand palm force on the back of the driver to keep the bit from skipping off, and then immediately drive a one-hander in while saying "that's when disaster strikes". Luckily, you didn't need to edit the next few seconds out. lol
No bullshit, every single new video gets better and better. Editing, content, camerawork, flow; it's all becoming just as good if not better than high $ TV. Keep up the good stuff
Wish I had seen this channel when me and my dad resurfaced my dad's deck. Although in this video I thought there was going to be tape on the joists? To help with any future rot that must happen. Love the videos they are very useful and have given me many ideas for my future projects.
All great info. I always thought it was best not to overdrive the screw into the wood. Do you agree? I think the screw looses some of it's holding power and it gives moisture a place to sit. So I strive to dive the head at or just below the top surface of the wood.
Jeff - You have no idea who awesome these videos are to me. I'm an IT Engineer and I don't have the know-how nor the time to invent methods for home projects. You should charge for these buddy. Thanks so much!!
Great video. I knew some of the tips you put out, but several of them I didn't. Helped a lot. Thanks. I've been restoring decks for about 4 years now and I love it every time I learn something new to make the job easier or better.
We try, sometimes finding the right balance between right and cost effective and environmentally responsible can be difficult. Especially when we have to consider our clients budget.
Great video. Must watch for a diyer building a deck. I’m a carpenter in training, and when we build decks we use our hammers and pry bars/nail pullers rather than screwing a 2x4 into the framing to close those gaps. Seems a bit quicker, but we always have those in our pouches at all times. Just have to be careful not to damage the top and visible side of the deck boards. I would also like to point out that what I have been taught and my experience, to leave the gap like Jeff did in the video when installing cedar boards. Cedar swells, so you need that gap. We use mostly brown pressure treated, and it shrinks so we install the boards tight together, and the boards shrink to open a gap within 1-3 days. Anyone else have similar experience with different materials?
Truth is many homeowner's don't have the strength to do that. plus I didn't want to show a technique that frequently results in damage to the boards. Cheers!
Thanks Jeff. I like the tips on burning in the end screws and tilting the jig saw. I am replacing the flooring and railings on a 25 year old deck soon.
I was looking for a video on laying composite deck over an existing deck frame support. But, I couldn't stop watching this! Great job! I learned some very useful tricks. And the presentation and instruction is on point!
I like doing the deck boards a little bit different. I screw down my first board dead straight using a chalk line. Then i work out the gap for about 6 board widths and chalk that line. I fill inbetween the 2 straight boards with decking and i use little wedges and i hammer them into the gaps until it looks like all of the gaps are the same. Its a great way for straightening boards too as the wedges are held firm by the 2 screwed down boards and it seems to go a lot faster than this way. Everyone has there own way theyve learnt or a way they prefer so each to there own
this video was great, I am doing my deck tomorrow thinking I could just put it up and did not think about the gapping.... glad I watch this first Thank you.
I have used a car scissor jack to push the hockey stick deck boards into position. It worked great, but I like the fulcrum idea as well. You can also use a wedge and another board to move deck boards that are a little warped.
I love your channel. Your a practical craftsman. So many contractors want to do everything to absolute perfection - not me- just do a great job with practical consideration.
Your the best that's happened to TH-cam, Happy Father's Day. I've noticed that you use a speed square as your spacer, I like that. Over time, what do you estimate the contraction of the boards to be? Here in the southern part of the lower 48 using 5/4 treated wood, the shrinkage is quite noticeable after one or two seasons. I've started using 2x6 treated with greater success and not too much difference in price. Enjoy your honest down to earth videos.
Thanks ozzie, in this case we expected the boards to swell not contract. the lumber was from the inside warehouse at homedepot and was quite dry. Plus we were installing in the shade with little wind. plus the deck was close to the ground with a full skirt. This is why we used the speed square. after a couple of days the wood was back to its plump self and the deck was almost no gaps.
This is one of the best videos I've seen to help the novice weekend handyman and the tips are so useful. I've learned more from this one video than I have by watching 20 others. Often it is the little things that make or break a job, and this really covers the details. Kudos!.
Another great video. I used to have my own Handyman and built lots of decks. That was 10 years ago and now retired. Now it is time to build myself a deck. Your videos show a similar method that I used and you remind me how to do it right. Your tips and tricks are great and have helped me quite a lot. Keep up the great videos.
I don't think anyone out there builds to your standards. Wow, I wish you lived closer to Toronto! Very impressed with the care you are taking. The one thing that would make this deck look beautiful is to use the Shadoe Tracking system!
Is there a reason not to use some water covering (sorry I forget the term for the stuff that tops and seals the decking base below the treads) on the re-used decking?
This is a very informative video but it seems like there is conflicting info on whether to lay the boards crown up or down. If the boards will dry and bend opposite of the direction of the grain, shouldn’t you always lay them “smiley side up” so you don’t get pooling water?
Once again, Jeff, Happy Fathers Day. And you too Max since you're the father of your pets. And Happy Fathers Day to all of the deserving fathers reading this!
Thanks Sandi, very kind. Sorry for the late response, I am in Eastern Europe studying the building techniques here. And the brewing techniques. Cheers!
Wow, Jeff. You're in Eastern Europe attending The School for Building and Brewing sponsored by the builders of the Leaning Tower of Pisa? I think you need to come home!
Just found this site, am now subscribed. Found it in time to learn some really valuable tips using like 3”screws on existing framing structures, looking at the grain and installing bowl up, then the 2x4 fulcrum tip, which I know I’ll use as I start shortly a partial deck replacement. Thank You !
You're awesome and a life saver, man! Just about to lay my boards on my new 16x20 deck and had everything delivered... ( Equals not so good pickings).you've helped me with laying laminate flooring, vinyl flooring, and now decking. A BIG THANK YOU!
Man, this was just worth watching for that tip on how to straighten the bent decking boards alone. Thanks for the top tips man, great video and I will keep this in mind when I tackle my own project.
just built my cedar deck..45- 16 footers.. the crown issue..yeah.. you WILL have a few if not a bunch where they just have to be upside down..the good thing with real wood..after a couple years you can sand off any curling...which is way better than dealing with nasty knot holes or damage on the face
Great idea on using the square for consistent distancing between the boards. Will be using it when I build mine.. thanks for the video and all the tips!
Love all your videos, they have been super helpful thus far. Do you have a video about laying deck boards when you need to use multiple lengths? My deck is 42' long, so I'd love to hear any tips you have about doing a proper layout on larger decks!
With the PT shortage they are rushing out junk IMO - just got a delivery with 6" (5 - 1/2") boards ranging from 5 1/4 up to 5 3/4 - really makes it fun to keep things aligned!
Wow I really wish I heard of using the square as a spacer. I used nails that I hammered into the joists to use as my spacer. Also buying the boards too long is a crucial tip. My lumber had some splits on the ends that ruined some pieces. Jeff as always thanks for the video. It was just 9 months too late.
Seam-free is lovely if you can get 20' boards and your deck is under 20' wide/long. What do you do when you're re-doing a 32' deck? Pretty sure 32' boards would make for a very expensive deck. . .
Jeff you've just inspired me to build my deck .... and I am building it now....with your helpful tips and shared knowledge 👍For this reason I have a question for you ... where can I get 20ft decking boards in Ottawa? thanks.
Great video series! I just finished fixing up an old deck and didn't know where to start! I followed your direction and can't thank you enough! Nothing better than having a cold one on a nice level and structurally sound deck! Cheers!
Hey Jeff, I just finished building a 12x25ft cedar deck. I ended up mitering 45 degree angles at the ends and took your advice on the rings facing down like a rainbow method for the crown facing up and noticed after a few weeks the boards are starting to cup pretty significantly. Now I didn't install all the boards this way, luckily about 1/3 of the remaining part of the deck was installed with the rings facing up and are crowning on the top. I ended up sanding the raised edges down with 40 grit sand paper and a pneumatic sander but still have slight warping. What would you suggest I do in this case as flipping them is not an option (obviously because of the 45 degree cuts). Both sides and edges have been double coated with penetrating oil. Any advice would be greatly appreciated sir. Thanks again for the video and the tips to help me get through this project.
Hey Jeff just curious on your opinion. I’ve seen other instructional videos where they said to install decking with no gap at all between boards because the wood will shrink when it dries and create a gap over time. Do you disagree with that or is the spacing necessary because you are using cedar instead of pine?
autiger621 I had the same question in my reply. I spoke with my boss, and his reply was that when you’re using cedar, like he is in this video, cedar will expand and close those gaps. Most of the decks we build we are using the brown pressure treated. They shrink and installing them tight to one another works because it only take 1-3 days to shrink and open those gaps. This is what I’ve been taught, and so far the only deck material I’ve used has been the PT brown, and it has shrunk to open up the gaps every time. But keep asking questions and keep getting info, it will only serve you better in the future. Anyone else care to comment on similar experience with different materials?
Great question first you need to take into account 2 things... What is the moisture content of the boards going down and second what is the climate that the wood will be sitting in. If you are going in wet then no gap can be beneficial but only if you are in a dry climate. This deck was built in the shade and close to the ground with dry wood from the inside of the home depot. Since the warehouse is climatised and the deck was built early in the season it was dried out. Secondly the ground constantly provides moisture to a deck close to the ground. There is also very little wind in that spot so the wood in this case actually expanded after installation. If you have wet wood and a dry climate with sun exposure then i would suggest installing the wood tight and let the drying process finish the look. Cheers! both types of wood react the same.
Mr. Thorman I really liked your video on building a deck. I am rebuilding my deck that is 6' x 28' long. I am replacing it with redwood decking, and pressure treated joyces. I am completely staining the joyces and redwood decking before i install them. Since i can not find 28 foot 2x6 redwood planks i am having to butt them up on the joyces since they have already been stained will that keep the wood from rotting.Thank you for the tip on crowning that i did not know and it was a very big help. I am using the camo gun and love the clean appearance it provides. Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you very much Michael Diapoulis.
TIP: When building such a nice deck using redwood. Why not use "joist tape" to seal the top of the joist from taking on anymore damage over the years. For such a cheap add will add years to your deck.
In part two (I think) you showed builders tape which I assumed you were going to use to protect the joists from water damage. Why did you choose to not to use it (or anything) to protect them?
You mention using long boards to avoid joints on the joist. I'll be replacing my deckboards this summer and I have an extremely long deck easily 20-25 feet. What do you suggest I do?
The explanation of how the board will cupp is backwards. The board will shrink and warp in the opposite direction of the rings in the wood. If you look at a dry deck board from the end grain you can see the rings in the wood. They should be curving upwards, like they are forming a smile. You can easily remember which is the right side up by thinking smiley side up. .
Your videos have helped me so much man. My girlfriend and I have been remodeling the house the right way thanks to your videos and other great videos. Off to lay down some redwood deckboard and stairs!
Jeff, two questions. New deck build w/ psi treated lumber. On the floor boards, w/ crown the right way, say there is a knot facing up. Any recommendations to slow down the rot? fill the knot w/ clear silicone or maybe wood filler? And if just going to use Thompson's water sealer, how soon apply the water sealer once deck is built?
I have a deck that is 30 feet by 12 feet. It is about 15 years old , and I am going to replace just the decking. I am far from a professional . I was thinking that I wood do it one board at a time. The old deck was screwed down. So I think I could use each board as a template for the next one. Do you think I would run into a problem doing it that way. Thanks in advance.
If the joists are pressure treated they won't rot where you have joints. When I rebuilt my deck it was virtually impossible to get any boards longer than 12 ft that were straight enough to use without heavy use of a planer, so at some point I gave up and used shorter boards. The deck was originally built 30 years ago with shorter boards also and in very rough and wet weather in Canada, there's no problem with rotting joists. BUT the board ends may rot, so I needed to do some work to cut those ends and replace some boards after about 15 years.
Good Morning, if you don't have lumber long enough to cover the total width of your deck. Do you recommend to alternate the pattern of your lumber or do you prefer to have all the joints between two lumber on the same joist. Thank you!
I would change the framing so I could install the wood without joints. you can also install 2 tiers so you keep the spaces defined by different heights.
Jeff, excellent tutorial! Especially like the burning in reverse on the end of the boards. I noticed no pilot holes anywhere else. Do you find cedar is less likely to split than pressure treated? I'm getting ready to lay a deck with pressure treated and figured pilot holes would be necessary before driving in deck screws. Thoughts? Thanks.
If I have to put some boards down that are crowned the wrong way but don't have construction adhesive, any other techniques I can use? And how long until it would become a noticable problem? Replacing my mom's deck, but she plans to sell the house in a year and it's PROBABLY doing to be torn down for the land
This maybe a silly question, but how to you work out the deck boards to were you don't end up having a rip board or have to use a wider board? Do you lay them out to see how they are going to come out, then adjust the overhang to accommodate for what you need to gain or lose?
the post on either side goes into the frame. This creates a triangle and is super strong. I simply screw the post on an angle on each side just beneath the finished floor board height. Looks like magic and is crazy strong. Cheers!
Those deck boards look like 1x6 ...my first and current decks are I’m using 2x6 throughout...Am I wasting money by not using 1x6? Thanks for your superb deck series! Stairs from hill to new deck next...I’ll be searching for your outside stairs tutorial next! Chas
So first things first, totally appreciate the channel! It was a big help when I went to redo my deck boards last spring. The ONLY thing that I think needs to get cleared up with this video in particular though, is the 3:00 mark where he's talking about how the wood will dry and how to lay the boards accordingly. When using pressure treated boards, I did them all crown up like he said, and they ALL dried opposite to the way described in the video.... so now they hold water and will thus have a reduced lifespan...So if you're watching this and wondering which way to lay down your boards; A) In most cases just pick the best side if it's pressure treated, and B) lean more toward Crown Down (so that the boards dry in a way that will have the water drain off more easily).
I’ve never built a deck, and my first one is a 650 sq ft monster around our above-ground pool over a significant grade. The deck near the house is four feet. On the far side, it’s over six feet. I’ve spent hours wondering what I was thinking. It won’t be perfect, but it will be solid and ours. Many commenters have given praise to your channel. After watching hundreds of other DIY videos, your content, delivery, and production values stick out as exceptional. This was a stellar, valuable thirty minutes... my shipment of deck boards arrives on Tuesday, and watching your video makes me excited for it to come instead of dreading it.
These are the best deck tutorial, instructional and DIY friendly videos. This gentleman is without a doubt very talented and explains this information so easy. And he does all this while literally showing you throughout his project. I haven’t had to rewind or rewatch his explanations 30x like I’ve done with other videos.
I liked the use of the square as a consistent spacer
Watched this on a whim, thinking I already knew what I needed to know before starting installation. Clearly I was wrong. Learned a lot, thanks very much.
Thanks for the tips, especially burning in the screw and showing how to straighten a board by yourself. Building a deck by myself, and this will help. Keep it up.
Thats a good trick using the square as a spacer. Learned some new things from this one. Awesome
Awesome, Cheers!
These little tips and tricks are the difference of a complete novice and a seasoned pro. seriously make life easier and a world of difference in the finished product. Thank you for the contribution
Building a 65m2 deck, his vid has given me the confidence to do the job (I'm a65 yr female DIY) this guy really knows what he is doing, and shares his knowledge. Thanks Jeff from me in Australia!
Cheers Jacquie, have fun with your project.
What I love about Jeff is it's the real world stuff. The slick shows always fade to black for the tricky stuff - like doing a plunge cut with the jigsaw. Fade too black. When the commercial's over, oh, miracle of miracles, they're ready to go to the next thing. Jeff, you're The Man.
The little tips and tricks are the gems of this video!
Thank you, we try our best to give information that will help. Cheers!
Just getting boards down on my deck, no doubt all the tips have helped a lot. So far so good, it's a huge deck, one row takes 1 1/2 hrs to cut fix. Got 40 rows to go. But they look great, and it's actually smooth work. Built a jig to keep the screws lined up, looking good. Will be finished in a week. Thanks for the great tips
That burn-in tip is pure gold.
Wish I had seen this before I batted .500 when affixing cedar screen frames this weekend.
I love all of your videos. They're informative, yet light-hearted, which I really enjoy. This one made me chuckle a little at 26:40. You just finished explaining why you should use your second hand palm force on the back of the driver to keep the bit from skipping off, and then immediately drive a one-hander in while saying "that's when disaster strikes". Luckily, you didn't need to edit the next few seconds out. lol
No bullshit, every single new video gets better and better. Editing, content, camerawork, flow; it's all becoming just as good if not better than high $ TV. Keep up the good stuff
WOW, now that is a comment. Glad to hear that we are getting better. We sure as hell are trying. Cheers!
Wish I had seen this channel when me and my dad resurfaced my dad's deck. Although in this video I thought there was going to be tape on the joists? To help with any future rot that must happen. Love the videos they are very useful and have given me many ideas for my future projects.
All great info. I always thought it was best not to overdrive the screw into the wood. Do you agree? I think the screw looses some of it's holding power and it gives moisture a place to sit. So I strive to dive the head at or just below the top surface of the wood.
Jeff - You have no idea who awesome these videos are to me. I'm an IT Engineer and I don't have the know-how nor the time to invent methods for home projects. You should charge for these buddy. Thanks so much!!
No worries Erick, we are very happy to help folks do a better job with the DIY. Many people can't afford to hire help the way things are going!
Great video. I knew some of the tips you put out, but several of them I didn't. Helped a lot. Thanks. I've been restoring decks for about 4 years now and I love it every time I learn something new to make the job easier or better.
Best video on TH-cam
Nice to see someone who takes a pride in doing things right.
We try, sometimes finding the right balance between right and cost effective and environmentally responsible can be difficult. Especially when we have to consider our clients budget.
I’m building a patio. I’m only building it it because I watched your videos. Thank you for the confidence.
Great video. Must watch for a diyer building a deck.
I’m a carpenter in training, and when we build decks we use our hammers and pry bars/nail pullers rather than screwing a 2x4 into the framing to close those gaps. Seems a bit quicker, but we always have those in our pouches at all times. Just have to be careful not to damage the top and visible side of the deck boards.
I would also like to point out that what I have been taught and my experience, to leave the gap like Jeff did in the video when installing cedar boards. Cedar swells, so you need that gap. We use mostly brown pressure treated, and it shrinks so we install the boards tight together, and the boards shrink to open a gap within 1-3 days.
Anyone else have similar experience with different materials?
Truth is many homeowner's don't have the strength to do that. plus I didn't want to show a technique that frequently results in damage to the boards. Cheers!
Thanks Jeff. I like the tips on burning in the end screws and tilting the jig saw.
I am replacing the flooring and railings on a 25 year old deck soon.
Those are some really great tips! About the burning of the wood... and with having the curved wood being pulled back... Really good tips!
I was looking for a video on laying composite deck over an existing deck frame support. But, I couldn't stop watching this! Great job! I learned some very useful tricks. And the presentation and instruction is on point!
If you do you will need more joists. composite is usually better with12 " span
Happy Fathers Day Jeff! You doing amazing job by educating people and sharing your pro tips and tricks. Keep it up. Thanks.
Thank you, we are having a blast helping people. Cheers!
I like doing the deck boards a little bit different. I screw down my first board dead straight using a chalk line. Then i work out the gap for about 6 board widths and chalk that line. I fill inbetween the 2 straight boards with decking and i use little wedges and i hammer them into the gaps until it looks like all of the gaps are the same. Its a great way for straightening boards too as the wedges are held firm by the 2 screwed down boards and it seems to go a lot faster than this way. Everyone has there own way theyve learnt or a way they prefer so each to there own
this video was great, I am doing my deck tomorrow thinking I could just put it up and did not think about the gapping.... glad I watch this first Thank you.
I have used a car scissor jack to push the hockey stick deck boards into position. It worked great, but I like the fulcrum idea as well. You can also use a wedge and another board to move deck boards that are a little warped.
I love your channel. Your a practical craftsman. So many contractors want to do everything to absolute perfection - not me- just do a great job with practical consideration.
Your the best that's happened to TH-cam, Happy Father's Day. I've noticed that you use a speed square as your spacer, I like that. Over time, what do you estimate the contraction of the boards to be? Here in the southern part of the lower 48 using 5/4 treated wood, the shrinkage is quite noticeable after one or two seasons. I've started using 2x6 treated with greater success and not too much difference in price. Enjoy your honest down to earth videos.
Thanks ozzie, in this case we expected the boards to swell not contract. the lumber was from the inside warehouse at homedepot and was quite dry. Plus we were installing in the shade with little wind. plus the deck was close to the ground with a full skirt. This is why we used the speed square. after a couple of days the wood was back to its plump self and the deck was almost no gaps.
This is one of the best videos I've seen to help the novice weekend handyman and the tips are so useful. I've learned more from this one video than I have by watching 20 others. Often it is the little things that make or break a job, and this really covers the details. Kudos!.
Thanks Andy, we really appreciate it. Cheers!
Another great video. I used to have my own Handyman and built lots of decks. That was 10 years ago and now retired. Now it is time to build myself a deck. Your videos show a similar method that I used and you remind me how to do it right. Your tips and tricks are great and have helped me quite a lot. Keep up the great videos.
Thanks Andy, Enjoy your retirement. Cheers!
One of the best videos I've used to date. My deck looks awesome. Thanks for the assist.
one of the best videos on decks that i ever seen, you are a profesor, thank you.
Some of my best friends are Canadian. What a helpful video. TH-cam gold.
I don't think anyone out there builds to your standards. Wow, I wish you lived closer to Toronto! Very impressed with the care you are taking. The one thing that would make this deck look beautiful is to use the Shadoe Tracking system!
Been a carpenter for over 40 years nice video
Is there a reason not to use some water covering (sorry I forget the term for the stuff that tops and seals the decking base below the treads) on the re-used decking?
This is a very informative video but it seems like there is conflicting info on whether to lay the boards crown up or down. If the boards will dry and bend opposite of the direction of the grain, shouldn’t you always lay them “smiley side up” so you don’t get pooling water?
That is what I was just commenting
No. all old carpenters put crown down.
Once again, Jeff, Happy Fathers Day. And you too Max since you're the father of your pets. And Happy Fathers Day to all of the deserving fathers reading this!
Thanks Sandi, very kind. Sorry for the late response, I am in Eastern Europe studying the building techniques here. And the brewing techniques. Cheers!
Wow, Jeff. You're in Eastern Europe attending The School for Building and Brewing sponsored by the builders of the Leaning Tower of Pisa? I think you need to come home!
LOL truth is I got a little wonky while I was there. I think it was the brewing part of the trip. Cheers!
Just found this site, am now subscribed. Found it in time to learn some really valuable tips using like 3”screws on existing framing structures, looking at the grain and installing bowl up, then the 2x4 fulcrum tip, which I know I’ll use as I start shortly a partial deck replacement. Thank You !
You're awesome and a life saver, man! Just about to lay my boards on my new 16x20 deck and had everything delivered... ( Equals not so good pickings).you've helped me with laying laminate flooring, vinyl flooring, and now decking. A BIG THANK YOU!
Man, this was just worth watching for that tip on how to straighten the bent decking boards alone. Thanks for the top tips man, great video and I will keep this in mind when I tackle my own project.
Good job man. Thank you for all nice
details. Where do you buy 20' cedar deck board in GTA?
Learned more types in this video than 20 others put together. I Subscribed.
Thanks, we appreciate that. Cheers1
just built my cedar deck..45- 16 footers.. the crown issue..yeah.. you WILL have a few if not a bunch where they just have to be upside down..the good thing with real wood..after a couple years you can sand off any curling...which is way better than dealing with nasty knot holes or damage on the face
Great idea on using the square for consistent distancing between the boards. Will be using it when I build mine.. thanks for the video and all the tips!
just be careful not all squares are the same thickness. cheers!
Love all your videos, they have been super helpful thus far. Do you have a video about laying deck boards when you need to use multiple lengths? My deck is 42' long, so I'd love to hear any tips you have about doing a proper layout on larger decks!
With the PT shortage they are rushing out junk IMO - just got a delivery with 6" (5 - 1/2") boards ranging from 5 1/4 up to 5 3/4 - really makes it fun to keep things aligned!
Wow I really wish I heard of using the square as a spacer. I used nails that I hammered into the joists to use as my spacer. Also buying the boards too long is a crucial tip. My lumber had some splits on the ends that ruined some pieces. Jeff as always thanks for the video. It was just 9 months too late.
when you buy lumber with splits it is a sure sign that it is dry. always easier to cut than to try and fix.
Seam-free is lovely if you can get 20' boards and your deck is under 20' wide/long. What do you do when you're re-doing a 32' deck? Pretty sure 32' boards would make for a very expensive deck. . .
Awesome video Jeff! Currently don't have any interest in building a deck but still learned some things I didn't know before.
Knowledge is power.Cheers!
Jeff you've just inspired me to build my deck .... and I am building it now....with your helpful tips and shared knowledge 👍For this reason I have a question for you ... where can I get 20ft decking boards in Ottawa? thanks.
Great video series! I just finished fixing up an old deck and didn't know where to start! I followed your direction and can't thank you enough! Nothing better than having a cold one on a nice level and structurally sound deck! Cheers!
Hey Jeff, I just finished building a 12x25ft cedar deck. I ended up mitering 45 degree angles at the ends and took your advice on the rings facing down like a rainbow method for the crown facing up and noticed after a few weeks the boards are starting to cup pretty significantly. Now I didn't install all the boards this way, luckily about 1/3 of the remaining part of the deck was installed with the rings facing up and are crowning on the top. I ended up sanding the raised edges down with 40 grit sand paper and a pneumatic sander but still have slight warping. What would you suggest I do in this case as flipping them is not an option (obviously because of the 45 degree cuts). Both sides and edges have been double coated with penetrating oil. Any advice would be greatly appreciated sir. Thanks again for the video and the tips to help me get through this project.
Excellent video love your tips, I just have to bring it up and I hate myself for it but umm.. where is that rubber tape???
Hey Jeff just curious on your opinion. I’ve seen other instructional videos where they said to install decking with no gap at all between boards because the wood will shrink when it dries and create a gap over time. Do you disagree with that or is the spacing necessary because you are using cedar instead of pine?
autiger621 I had the same question in my reply. I spoke with my boss, and his reply was that when you’re using cedar, like he is in this video, cedar will expand and close those gaps. Most of the decks we build we are using the brown pressure treated. They shrink and installing them tight to one another works because it only take 1-3 days to shrink and open those gaps.
This is what I’ve been taught, and so far the only deck material I’ve used has been the PT brown, and it has shrunk to open up the gaps every time. But keep asking questions and keep getting info, it will only serve you better in the future.
Anyone else care to comment on similar experience with different materials?
Great question first you need to take into account 2 things... What is the moisture content of the boards going down and second what is the climate that the wood will be sitting in. If you are going in wet then no gap can be beneficial but only if you are in a dry climate. This deck was built in the shade and close to the ground with dry wood from the inside of the home depot. Since the warehouse is climatised and the deck was built early in the season it was dried out. Secondly the ground constantly provides moisture to a deck close to the ground. There is also very little wind in that spot so the wood in this case actually expanded after installation. If you have wet wood and a dry climate with sun exposure then i would suggest installing the wood tight and let the drying process finish the look. Cheers! both types of wood react the same.
Would be nice to get some tips on using composite decking boards as well, Fiberon vs Veranda vs Trex, thanks.
Amazing work Sir, i made my entire deck looking at your videos and tips
Great tips. Done some decking last year & had some really warped boards.
they definitely exist more frequently!
Hands down the most helpful video on decking I've seen yet! Thanks a bunch.
Cheers!
Mr. Thorman I really liked your video on building a deck. I am rebuilding my deck that is 6' x 28' long. I am replacing it with redwood decking, and pressure treated joyces. I am completely staining the joyces and redwood decking before i install them. Since i can not find 28 foot 2x6 redwood planks i am having to butt them up on the joyces since they have already been stained will that keep the wood from rotting.Thank you for the tip on crowning that i did not know and it was a very big help. I am using the camo gun and love the clean appearance it provides. Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you very much Michael Diapoulis.
Butt joints will work fine with the camo system. Sounds like you have covered your bases quite nicely. Enjoy your superior quality build. Cheers!
TIP: When building such a nice deck using redwood. Why not use "joist tape" to seal the top of the joist from taking on anymore damage over the years. For such a cheap add will add years to your deck.
In part two (I think) you showed builders tape which I assumed you were going to use to protect the joists from water damage. Why did you choose to not to use it (or anything) to protect them?
Thanks, this old dog actually picked up some tips that will come in handy. Thumbs up!
Great video!! out of the 100's of decking video's I've seen. This one is the most comprehensive and useful.
great to hear. Thanks!
I wish I would find this video BEFORE starting a deck :) but luckily I'm only halfway through so still can apply all your advices. Thanks a lot!
Cheers!
It's really very kind of you to share your knowledge and experience. I have learned a lot. Thank you !!!
Had to watch this twice. Great job Jeff...u Always cut it clean
Thanks dude, almost back from holidays. got a thousand comments to get too.Cheers!
You mention using long boards to avoid joints on the joist. I'll be replacing my deckboards this summer and I have an extremely long deck easily 20-25 feet. What do you suggest I do?
This is by far your best video. I really enjoyed this one.
Thanks larry, Max is helping me get better and better.
Hey Jeff, one thing about the cupping in lumber. It usually cup in the opposite direction of ring. Btw love your trick straighting the board
This close to the ground we don't get the drying out process so that is why it is upside down.,
True
The explanation of how the board will cupp is backwards. The board will shrink and warp in the opposite direction of the rings in the wood.
If you look at a dry deck board from the end grain you can see the rings in the wood. They should be curving upwards, like they are forming a smile. You can easily remember which is the right side up by thinking smiley side up.
.
Great video! And that burn trick! Brilliant!
Great video. What kind of boards are these? Are they pressure treated cedar?
Your videos have helped me so much man. My girlfriend and I have been remodeling the house the right way thanks to your videos and other great videos. Off to lay down some redwood deckboard and stairs!
I truly appreciate the the tips and tricks you shared. Thank you for taking your time to do this!
This guy is amazing. Love his videos. Real friendly too.
Your my favourite DIY TH-camr 👍 Excellent video as usual.
Great trick for putting screws on end of the board. Learned a lot from you.
Happy father's day.
Thanks Max, working alone sometimes is nice and peaceful, but always nice to have "a second pair of hands" Cheers!
Jeff, two questions. New deck build w/ psi treated lumber. On the floor boards, w/ crown the right way, say there is a knot facing up. Any recommendations to slow down the rot? fill the knot w/ clear silicone or maybe wood filler? And if just going to use Thompson's water sealer, how soon apply the water sealer once deck is built?
I have a deck that is 30 feet by 12 feet. It is about 15 years old , and I am going to replace just the decking. I am far from a professional . I was thinking that I wood do it one board at a time. The old deck was screwed down. So I think I could use each board as a template for the next one. Do you think I would run into a problem doing it that way. Thanks in advance.
Jeff you da man!!! Your tips and tricks are golden!!
Thank you Alain, we appreciate that! Cheers
If the joists are pressure treated they won't rot where you have joints. When I rebuilt my deck it was virtually impossible to get any boards longer than 12 ft that were straight enough to use without heavy use of a planer, so at some point I gave up and used shorter boards. The deck was originally built 30 years ago with shorter boards also and in very rough and wet weather in Canada, there's no problem with rotting joists. BUT the board ends may rot, so I needed to do some work to cut those ends and replace some boards after about 15 years.
Another awesome video! So many tips and explained in layman's terms
Thanks Justrin, the channel is designed to help homeowner's so that is our goal. Cheers!
This was a fantastic series Jeff! Thank you. I learned a lot and I am sure many of us DIYers did. Keep up the good work.
Good Morning, if you don't have lumber long enough to cover the total width of your deck. Do you recommend to alternate the pattern of your lumber or do you prefer to have all the joints between two lumber on the same joist. Thank you!
I would change the framing so I could install the wood without joints. you can also install 2 tiers so you keep the spaces defined by different heights.
Jeff, excellent tutorial! Especially like the burning in reverse on the end of the boards. I noticed no pilot holes anywhere else. Do you find cedar is less likely to split than pressure treated? I'm getting ready to lay a deck with pressure treated and figured pilot holes would be necessary before driving in deck screws. Thoughts?
Thanks.
One of the best videos i have ever seen. Thank you Jeff!
Nice spacing trick with the square.
Love how you explain everything, Amazing video Sir
Thanks Topher, Max is helping me get better at that. Cheers!
If I have to put some boards down that are crowned the wrong way but don't have construction adhesive, any other techniques I can use? And how long until it would become a noticable problem? Replacing my mom's deck, but she plans to sell the house in a year and it's PROBABLY doing to be torn down for the land
This maybe a silly question, but how to you work out the deck boards to were you don't end up having a rip board or have to use a wider board? Do you lay them out to see how they are going to come out, then adjust the overhang to accommodate for what you need to gain or lose?
Jeff I noticed that the corner post is mounted on top of the support post. Can you please explain how you do this? Great series 👍👍👍
the post on either side goes into the frame. This creates a triangle and is super strong. I simply screw the post on an angle on each side just beneath the finished floor board height. Looks like magic and is crazy strong. Cheers!
'this is a knife' at the end!!! you bloody legend!
right mate, all good then. Cheers!
Those deck boards look like 1x6 ...my first and current decks are I’m using 2x6 throughout...Am I wasting money by not using 1x6?
Thanks for your superb deck series! Stairs from hill to new deck next...I’ll be searching for your outside stairs tutorial next!
Chas
Awesome quality video, love the effort of you guys are putting into getting better quality sound and videos.
Thanks for noticing. Cheers!
Thank you for this very informative video. You are truly a professional. How do you feel about synthetic floor boards. Nice job.
Great tips on straightening out the boards
Thanks glad to help!