Whenever customers are planning to build a deck in Suffolk County NY, they want to know if they will need a permit before they start construction. Every town has different codes but most of them are very similar with subtle changes in there in bylaws. Generally speaking when building a deck in Suffolk County if your deck is less than 18” off the ground then you do not need a permit to build. This fact may play a role in how you design your deck because if you plan to build your deck without a permit legally (under 18”) then you will save money on the taxes you would have to pay if your deck were over 18”.
Many costumers who are planning to build a deck in Suffolk county often ask me about what the life span of a wood deck would be, and how can they prolong the life of their wood deck. There are a few factors that play in to this answer. Whether and elements play a large role in the answer to this question.
Direct sunlight duration plays a large role in how well your deck ages. If you get direct sunlight 5-7 hours a day, the sun can evaporate any accumulating moisture. Moisture is the # 1 cause of rot and with out the sun it will take a toll much faster. If you do not get enough direct sunlight it is important to make sure that any moss or mold growth is removed and treated in a timely manner. Moss and mold thrive in shade and damp areas and will promote rot in your decking if it is not addressed. The elements can play a large role in how much your wood deck weathers as well. It is highly recommended that all wood decks be painted, stained or given a clear sealant to protect your wood deck from moisture, sunlight, wind and dirt. I Build myself a red cedar deck and after a year that rich color faded to a grey color. I stained my deck and a year later the stain started to chip and fade. The following year I re-stained and put a clear sealant over the coat of stain and the stain lasted 2 years. From my own experience I would highly recommend using the clear sealant which creates a barrier that will protect the wood for up to a year. Benjamin Moore carries a few different brands and I found that they all work the same. Speak to an employee and they may recommend one more suitable for the amount of sunlight and moisture that your deck is exposed to. Again these recommendations are for decks in Suffolk county NY. Living in the North Eastern region of the country (Suffolk County, NY) we are all subject to a wide range of seasons and variations in temperature. This large variation in temperatures causes all materials including plastic and wood to expand and contract. When a deck is built it is important that the decking boards are properly spaced for a 2 different reasons. The first reason is that if the decking is spaced to close together, when the boards expand they can lift and shift which will alter their position on the deck frame. This will cause irregularities on the surface of your deck. This will also cause the boards to pull up its fasteners. This can lead to exposed nail head and painful accidents.
Another problem that occurs when spacing is to close together is there is no space for water, snow, dirt, twigs and leaves to fall through. Cleanliness now becomes a problem because falling precipitation coming off trees and leaves will deposit sap and dirt. With no place for run off your deck will be covered in dirt and sap creating big clean up jobs every time it rains. Standing water will also lead to excessive mold growth. Any place that sells decking should always provide spacers with the materials. Every product is different and expansion and contraction will be different with every product. This is why the spacers should be from the name brand decking company you bought your materials from. When in doubt you should always call the manufacturer to ensure you are using the correct spacer especiall when you are decking in Suffolk County NY. During the 15 years that I have been building decks in Suffolk County, I have learned to help costumers shave costs especially when it comes to composite decking. Composite decking can essentially be double in cost compared to wood decking materials (Cedar and Pressure Treated.) I found through my own shopping experience that the large home improvement companies such as Lowes and Home depot offer 5-10% off the first purchase when you sign up for their store credit card. 10% can help saves hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the size of the deck and type of materials. Either way this is a great trick to use when trying to cut material costs. Both Lowes and Home Depot offer 5% but do run promotions about 5 times a year so It is a good idea to call and ask them when they will offering the 10% promotions and try to plan your deck project around those promotions to maximize savings.
Stainless Steel Ring Coilated Ring Nails:
There are a few different options for fastening your decking to the frame of your deck. When I build my decks in Suffolk County I like to give my customers all the options to choose from. The first option I always recommend is using stainless steel coilated ring shank nails. There are a bit more expensive because stainless steal is an expensive metal but for an important reason. Stainless steal does not rust which will prevent any rust mark from appearing on the surface of your deck. It will also last the life of your deck so you don’t have to worry about the nails rusting and breaking. When this happens with cheaper fasteners you will begin to get bounces from loosening boards. The ring shank on the nail acts as threads on a screw and provides more grip in the deck from to also help avoid any type of bouncing from loosely fastened boards. The third positive is that the stainless steal ring nails can be installed using a nail gun which will more then double the time in which a deck can be installed and decrease the overall price of the installation of the deck. Traditional Screws The traditional screw was used primarily before nail guns were made available. It provided a tighter installation and a longer lasting hold to keep the deck tight for a majority of its lifetime. Screws have become more obsolete after the nail gun was invented. The negative aspect about using screws are that they hold so tight that when it comes time to eventually replace the decking it is very difficult remove from the frame because the screw heads usually have been stripped, weathered and destroyed making it difficult to unscrew them. In this case each screw has to be individually removed by either breaking or cutting them. This makes instillation for the new decking material more difficult because the tops of the floor joists are not as clean. Stainless steel painted finish head screws: The painted finish head screws are typically used with hard wood installation. Many customers that I have serviced in Suffolk County that have used hard wood request this type of screw. The hard wood decking has a nice finish and customers do not want the clash of a metal colored screw against the rich earth tones of the hard woods. This is where the colored heads become an important part of the deck. The colored heads can be matched to the color of the hard wood so that it’s hard to notice the screws if they are counter sunk and positioned flush to the decking surface. This results in a beautiful finish on the deck top for the customer who wants to go the extra mile and who appreciates the subtle details. Clip fastening system: A trend that I have been seeing in decking in Suffolk County is the clip installation system. The clip system has become a popular choice in the last 10 years. The clip system only works for certain composite decking that is manufactured with a groove cut into the sides of the decking board. This grove is needed to secure the clip in between the boards and as the screw that is attached to the clip is tightened the board is set in place. The beauty of the clip system is that the screw and the clip are hidden in between the boards so you will not see any fasteners at all. This process is more work for instillation so in turn may elevate the overall cost of the deck but is a nice way to fasten you deck for a nice clean finished look. Composite decking:
There are many materials to choose from that have good track records and have eliminated the problematic issues with composite decking. Trex, Timber Teck, EverGrainmand Choice Decking by Loews are all popular brand names you can trust and choose from. Each company offers a wide variety colors, and textures to fulfill your visual desire. Wood Decking: Soft Woods: The most common wood used in Suffolk County is red cedar. As an experienced deck builder, I always recommend using red cedar if a customers elects to go with wood. The reason that red cedar is so commonly used is because of its rich color, pleasant fresh smell and most importantly its ability to evaporate moisture quickly. Cedar is a very porous soft wood that has a naturally dry disposition, which resists mildew. Moisture is what causes rot and leads to the decay of many woods that are left out in the elements. Cedar has a lifespan of about 15 years but this depends on a few factors. If your deck gets direct sunlight everyday this will prolong the overall life of the deck. Direct sunlight will help evaporate any moisture produced by the elements. On the flip side of this if your deck gets direct sunlight all day long this can have the opposite effect on the wood by removing all the moisture. This can create, warping, cracking and twisting. The color will become very grey and weathered. All these things can be avoided by properly treating the decking surface every two years by painting, staining or ceiling the wood. The second most popular soft wood that is used for decking in Suffolk County is pressure treated wood. I would highly recommend this wood if you are looking to save some money on material costs and if you plan on painting your deck. Pressure treated wood is saturated with chemicals that will prevent it from rotting and keep bugs such as termites from eating it. It will last the life of a home if properly maintained because of these properties. Pressure treated wood has a grey color to it so it is not as appealing visually as a red cedar in its natural state or colored composite material. Hard Woods: Ipe and mahogany are the two most popular hard woods used for decks in Suffolk County. They are both very similar in that they have rich brown colors and have hard wood properties. They will not be dented or scratched easily. I know for many pet owners this can be a concern. A large dog can mark, dent and scratch soft wood with their nails with heavy traffic around a door area or in front of the stairs so this is desired reason for hard wood. Ipe is close cousin to mahogany but is from Brazil. There are a few negatives when considering these hard woods. First they are both considerably more expensive then cedar or pressure treated wood. Second, because of its dense property it is hard to install with screws and nails. In most cases this wood has to be hand predrilled and screwed which can take twice the installation time. Third, the dense nature of the wood produces an effect where the moisture is draw out of the board primarily through the end of the wood. After a board is cut, it must be sealed with a special finish. If it is not sealed properly then the ends of the boards with split and splinter over time. If treated and installed properly hard woods will add a beautiful and durable finish to your deck. The intension of my blog is to inform my readers about all the details no matter how big or small that have an impact on the outcome of your deck project.
Introduction: Throughout the many years I have been building decks in Suffolk county NY, I am often asked by homeowners about which important details they should consider when planning the design of their deck. There are many details and aspects of the early design stage such as materials, functionality, style, size, color, pricing, fasteners, longevity, maintenance, stairs, railing, lattice, post caps, benches and several others. My goal is to focus on each of these topics in detail to equip my readers with the knowledge to make the best choices. The early problems with composite decking: Mold: The choice for decking materials has grown considerably in the last 20 years. Many composite decking companies were started after Trex came out with the first marketable composite decking product twenty years ago. The problem with the first composite decking material was that manufacturers used saw dust combined with plastic to give a more desired natural look while providing the longevity of a plastic product. In theory this was a good idea but the problem that many consumers ran into was that over time the decking would develop spotting from mold growth. The organic natural of the sawdust contributed to this problem. Over the last 20 years, manufacturing companies have ironed out these problems by primarily moving to an all-plastic product to eliminate the spotting problem. Strength: One of the other major problems customers ran into in Suffolk county over the early stages of composite decking manufacturing, was that the rigidity was not strong enough to span 16 inches on center. 16 inches on center is standard building code for the spacing of floor joists on all decks in Suffolk County especially in Brookhaven. As a result of this rigidity problem 2 things happened in cases of replacement decking (applies when an old deck frame is replace with new decking materials.) One, the decking planks would sag or droop in between joists to produced a wavy look to what should be a flat surface, essential ruining the deck. Two, the customer would now have to reposition the joists at 12 inches on center to support the rigidity and counter the drooping. Although this would fix the sagging problem it would add additional costs to reframe an existing structure. |
AuthorI have been building decks for 15 years and have used most materials and techniques. I want to share my experience with my future costumers to ensure you do your project the right way. Archives
March 2016
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