decking 5/4 PT

[hubops]

Sorry for the non-political topic .. ;-)

We are completely replacing our back deck and expanding it a little from 12x20 to 16x22. Existing is 2 x 6 PT on 16 inch centers - our first plan & estimate has 5/4 PT on 16 inch centers. Anyone here with real-life experience on this ? Even though it meets code, I'm a little concerned about - - springiness/strength/durability with 5/4 ? Also - I hope to have hidden screws/nails rather than going down through the top of the 5/4 - any advice on this ? John T.

[Marilyn Manson]

5/4 bullnosed PT on 16" centers has been used for decks for as long as I can remember. That's how I built my deck 30+ years ago. It's still solid as a rock and there has never been a hint of "springiness."

Heck, the new composite decking, such as Trex, etc. is a lot more flexible that PT wood and is used all the time this days. 5/4 also.

Why aren't you going with a composite?

Here you go...

(I use Kreg Pocket Screws for all sorts of projects. I'd probably try that jig if I had to rebuild my deck.)

DAGS hidden deck fasteners. Lots of options.

You could also get ambitious and route a slot in the edge of your boards and use the hidden fasteners that are made for pre-slotted boards. A lot of the composite material is slotted.

[hubops]

Thanks for your reply and the Kreg link.

12 ft. Trex is $ 50. ft. PT = $ 13. John T.

[Marilyn Manson]

So it's a matter of cost. Certainly a reasonable answer. ;-)

Is this DIY? If not, what have the contractors suggested for hidden fasteners with the PT decking?

[hubops]

Deck company - with all permits & inspections & stuff. I said I wanted hidden fasteners but we didn't get into exactly what he uses. It's starting to look like next year now .. We wanted a ~ 10 x 12 roofed area but are re-considering that idea and might just buy a pre-fab gazebo .. John T.

[gfretwell]

When I was looking at prices like that I went with Ipe.

[hubops]

12 ft. IPE 5/4 x 6 = $ 107.

iirc that's about 3 - 4 x the price of my interior solid hickory pre-finished hardwood floors ...

John T.

[Jim Joyce]

I built 3 decks in my yard this year, each of them using 5/4x6 PT pine boards on 16" centers. As others have said, that's how decks have been built since nearly forever. I see that you're not going to use composite due to the cost, but you should also know that composite usually needs a shorter span than PT pine, like 12" instead of 16". The additional joists would also contribute to the overall cost.

My decks are 7x16, 7x23, and 4x28. My wife wants one more, a triangular thing that'll cover a soggy corner of her garden. Decks are relatively easy, so I built each of them myself rather than bringing someone in to do the work.

I've seen other people use hidden fasteners, but I like the look of the screws as they run in long straight lines.

[gfretwell]

Once you get up into the neighborhood of high end plastic decking, Ipe becomes a good alternative and you can use wider spans that PT. Ipe will last longer that most residents.