Would there be any significant problems in using 6 or 5 x1 rough sawn timber for decking boards? It would be treated, and joists spaced as appropriate.
The surface would then be sanded smooth.
I cant seem to find any local suppliers of 'proper' deck boards which are smooth sided (at a reasonable price) , and I have some rough sawn timber available.
Splitting may be a problem, but I'm not sure how much of one it would be.
dg
Originally deck boards were smooth and are still used in the USA. I can't see a peoblem.
Wickes, B&Q etc all sell deck boards with one machined face & one smooth face - just lay them smooth side up.
No worse than a normal deck board surely? Seal the end grain & use the right screws - I use the Wickes green ones.
I've built loads of decks, let me know if you want any advice.
I admit that my experiance of decks is limited, but in the last 6 months having been house hunting I've come across quite a few. And without exception over the winter months they were slippery (to the extent of being very dangerous in a couple of cases). Bearing in mind these were in gardens of houses 'on the market' so any cleaning should already have been done, it confirms my own view that decks are a sub-optimal method of providing patio type spaces in the English climate. How even the best deck will be after a few years would be quite a concern.
AWEM
AWEM
"Andrew Mawson" wrote
Just one more example of the current fad sweeping the nation, in which style (of the moment) is everything and funcionality/fitness for purpose goes by the wayside.
Phil
Along the road from us a place has just had an extension, growing family by the looks, and they stuck a deck on. It faces south but there is an 8 foot hedge beyond and it sits close behind the steep bit of hill. So in a Scottish winter it won't see any sun. Smooth wood by the looks. I just hope it is only tears before bedtime when a little someone runs outside and goes for a Burton and not a rush to casualty.
Peter
=================================== Timber has been used for centuries as decking in different forms - foot bridges, landing stages etc. so you shouldn't have any problems. The general rule is that it needs to be properly ventilated so make sure you get an air flow under and through it.
Cic.
There are always fads.
Who remmebers the lining of perfectly good panelled doors with hardboard back in the late 60's ?
Cheers
Tim
hardboard
Still got some on the top floor of our house ! Never did get round to opening them up !
AWEM
And bannisters; and thank goodness for it - much good stuff was preserved undamaged.
Ah well, it's a nice flat surface for some wipe-clean Fablon imitation wood.
Owain
Decking does look a bit crap when people go well over the top. My neighbours had nearly the entire garden done and 4 years later they are ripping it out. It's like when having bare floorboards used to be fashionable, or painting skirting boards black and fitting a cieling fan! Decking rots and it does go slippery, it goes all discoloured and just looks cheap and nasty. I don't know anyone that chooses decking to put in a garden.
The problem with using such wide boards is that if you screw them down with more than one screw across the width then you are restricting the movement of the timber and it will split. However with boards as wide as you want to use if you only use one screw without something like tongue and grooving and overlapping them they will cup and twist. That is why the decking boards the sheds sell are narrow.
Peter
Avocado bathrooms anyone?
Your website says
"Properly constructed decking is NOT slippery by the way. The decking boards sold by most of the national DIY chains have square grooves machined into the surface of the wood. This means that your foot only contacts half the surface of the board. In addition the groove will fill up with dirt, making the surface slippery.
The deck boards we use have the surface machined away leaving ribs proud of the surface."
The difference between these two is a bit too subtle for me - can you explain it?
Very functional if the lady of the house is fond of avocado face-packs.
Always choose furnishings that match the colour of the dirt.
Owain
Hi,
I /think/ it's because algae grows most easily on a porous surface, and a lot of decks are left unfinished or oiled. Overhanging vegetation and a lack of any sunlight are big contributing factors.
I have a deck finished with wood stain that hasn't been cleaned since I put it in 2 years ago. It gets walked on daily and is never slippery due to algae, there is a little in one corner that is always shaded, so I might clean it this summer :)
It's also made of 'commercial' decking with 6" wide boards, each with
4 grooves. As long as I reapply stain every 4 years it should last indefinitely. If I do get bored with it I can reuse the boards for garden furniture or planters.cheers, Pete.
Drill oversize pilot holes & dont clamp the screws down hard, enabes some movement.
NT
True, but a bit fiddly for all the planks of a deck wherever they cross a bearer.
Peter
I'll do me best guvnor! The shed deck boards have square 'grooves' cut into the surface of a board, so if you look at the end section it would resemble the crenels & merlins on a castle wall. Or crenellations if you prefer.
Proper deck boards start at 30mm and have the surface machined away leaving a series of ribs proud of the surface. The ribs remain at 30mm the rest of the bosrd ends up as 28mm.
HTH
I use 150mm deck boards with 2 screws per board & no problems. First deck (mine) built in June 2000 is still A1.
Trust me, with the right boards they are not slippery!
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