Decking Boards

I have this theory that most decking boards are laid upside down!

The boards sold in the sheds have square grooves machined in one face like these

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boards I buy from a local timber importer (Bats Timber) have smaller grooves machined in one face & on the reverse they have the surface machined away leaving ribs proud of the surface. I always lay them this way up.

The photos here make it easier to understand;

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from reading several (American) books on decking the square grooves are for stress relief and help stop the boards twisting, so the 'shed' boards should be laid groove down giving a flat surface to walk on.

This would be typical of UK sheds who often sell products without any knowledge of how they are meant to be used.

The boards I use are laid rib side up.

I think this has lead to the false impression that decking is slippery when wet or dirty. If laid square groove up they would be, your foot only contacts half the surface area of the board. Rib side up they are non slip.

Am I on the right track here?

Reply to
The Medway Handyman
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It's a dreadful marketing-speak phrase which should be buried.

I try to avoid products that are sold "in-store" or even worse "instore"

If I ever find out who invented this, they will have something in store for them....

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Logically that would be true. The point also is that the grooves have to be machined on the *correct* side for this to work - i.e. prevent cupping.

I took a look at some shed decking boards not long ago, and the grooves are on random sides so stress relief was not the intent, or if it was, they didn't know how to do it properly.

I suspect that their intent is to have grooved side upwards as a decorative feature.

Ah, but if the boards are slippery, they can sell a decking varnish with particles in it to make it non slip. Chug-ting.

I think so. However, I'm not convinced that your supplier intends other than that the boards should be reversible for different patterns.

Reply to
Andy Hall

In message , The Medway Handyman writes

I honestly don't know - but I'm glad you're keeping busy as a Handyman, I'd be worried if you'd gone into photography ;-)

Someone

Reply to
somebody

Take a look at the boards I've used, which are perhaps cut differently to the ones you're talking about:

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were from a long-established local sawmill (Bendrey Brothers -
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who ought to know what they're talking about. Anyway, they made it quite clear that the differing face cuts were purely for decorative value and hence can be used (correctly) either way up.

As I say though, I'm not sure if there's any significance in the fact that the cuts are not quite what you've pictured.

Mathew

Reply to
Mathew Newton

Meow... but LOL anyway!

Reply to
John Rumm

"David Bailey? Who's he?"

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

In a previous era, a well known photographer goes as a guest to a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

Eventually he is introduced to Helen Mirren's understudy.

ER2: Ah. (looking at camera bag). I see that you're a photographer..... My brother in law is a photographer.

Photographer: That's a coincidence, Your Majesty. My brother in law's a queen.

Reply to
Andy Hall

My daughter works for London Ambulance service as an EMT. On a call once with a gay Paramedic to a hugely fat African guy who insisted they carry him to the ambulance.

The Paramedic told him he would have to walk and he went off on one. He claimed that where he came from he was called a prince & should be carried.

The gay Paramedic retorted that where he came from he was called a queen & therefore outranked him, so he could walk to the ambulance!

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

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