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. Being a Suffolk County Deck builder, I have had a great amount of experience installing several different types of railing systems. The most important thing about a railing is that it keeps your guests and children safe from falling off the deck. It is also important to make sure people have a stable railing to grab onto in case of a slip, trip or fall. In order to ensure a railing has the proper strength the rail posts must be bolted to the decking frame using (at the smallest in diameter) 3/8 x 6 inch carriage bolts with washers and nuts. You should use at least 2 bolts per post. Be sure that the hardware are galvanized to prevent rust and corrosion. After all rail posts have been attached, you would now want to add 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 supports pieces in between your frame joints (depending on the size of your joists) that the rail posts are attached to and the adjacent joist to create support so it eliminates a week and wobbly railing. A support piece should be put in place next to every rail post that is bolted to the joist. This simple addition will greatly improve the strength of your railing.
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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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