• Decks Limited can service the client from start to finish. If a homeowner does not have a specific design; Decks Limited can handle the design. Typically, I use 4" x 6" support posts, and all 2" x 10" treated framing products. My preference is to use dry framing products, thus less stress on fasteners. Regardless of the decking product a homeowner selects, I am very selective about the type / brand of fasteners that are used in a deck project. I learned very early as a deck design build contractor that these two facets of a project go hand in hand and are very crucial to the life of a project.
• Submitting plans / drawings to the local building department ensures that the project is designed and built to code.
• If a homeowner selects treated wood as a decking choice, each facial cut that will be seen is “rounded over for a more preferred appearance. If 5/4" decking is selected, 2 1/2" deck screws are used to fasten the decking to the frame. If 2" x 6"decking is selected, the top side of the plank is selected and both top side corners are rounded over slightly to give an appearance of a softer feel to the plank. In addition to, 3” deck screws are used to fasten 2 x 6 decking to frame. Typically, #1 grade decking is the homeowners preferred choice for 5/4" and 2" x 6" treated decking.
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Blocking is also an important part in the framing process of an outdoor retreat. I add blocking to the floor joist to any project that is 10’ and over out from the house. This helps tie the entire project together, but also helps keep the floor joist from turning under, which in turn stresses the decking fastener. Blocking is also installed on all rail post. All beams get bolted to the support post as do the rail post to the floor joist, and the ledger board (or header) gets lag bolted to the house with the appropriate flashing.
• Since the inception of “hidden fasteners” (Timbertech was the first man made decking product that I am aware of that started using hidden fasteners in 2006), I have not faced screwed a vinyl or composite deck since! The use of a hidden fastener gives the ultimate clean install look of hard wood flooring. The Conceallok Hidden Fastener of Timbertech is my preference. But, again I want a dry framing member to install this fastener.
• With every new material design concept comes a slight draw back. Each deck board that is selected to use a hidden fastener is grooved on each side to accept this fastener. This leaves an unwanted appearance on the end grain. I was the first in my field to alleviate the unwanted look, and then transform this appearance to a new level by installing a bullnose on the endgrains. Another option is to picture frame the entire deck project with one deck board of the same color. The same concept can be used only using two deck boards of a contrasting color. This can be seen in the Decks Limited photo galleries. This is all standard practice for Decks Limited, nothing less.