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Today's decking products offer homeowners many choices that save work, are friendlier to the environment and allow the homeowner to customize a deck for professional results.
Building a deck can be a simple or a complex task, depending on factors such as site location, customization or craftsmanship. In response, Punch Software offers a variety of home and landscape design programs that allow the homeowner or designer to not only show the dimensions of the deck, but also show the deck using 3D modeling that can incorporate the actual terrain, and show the deck or decks as they would appear when finished. For this project we kept it simple, using the deck templates included in the Punch Home Design Platinum Edition. Choices of decking, railing and design layout can be changed, and the homeowner can instantly see how the changes affect the overall appearance of the deck as it relates to the house and surrounding landscape. With the design approved, we were set to begin.
Posting Up
After tearing down the old deck, our first task was to lay out the foundation post locations and mark those with landscape paint. I used a laser line generator to ensure that the post locations would be square. The traditional deck building technique would be to use concrete piers. Instead we opted for the Oz-Post system that when combined with the Oz-Deck plates, allowed us to set posts in minutes using a Hilti 905 demo hammer to drive in the post systems. When that wasn't large enough to break through a large rock, we used the Bosch Brute Jack Hammer which handled that task with ease. The major concern with using the Oz-Post system is keeping the post receptacle square and level when driving it in. However, in this case, keeping the system square was made easy by the use of a two-way post level. This system offers not only quick installation, but also protects the treated lumber post from ground contact, helping prevent decay and rot.
Oz-Post is seen here used with the Oz-Deck system to create a faster method of installing posts.
Material Matters
For our posts, we chose 4-by-4 pressure treated pine manufactured by Top Choice and available through your local Lowe's Home Improvement Store. For joists, beams and stair stringers, Top Choice was selected for its consistent quality and lack of defects. If you want your deck to be straight and level, you will save yourself time by choosing quality lumber that has few, if any defects. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing you have installed a joist into a deck frame that has a flaw on the nailing surface which your deck boards will attach to. This is my first building experience with composite decking, but my guess is that once the deck boards heat up in the summer sun, they will become flexible and will conform to flaws in the joists. Prevent waves in your deck surface by using good quality lumber, and inspect all sides for flaws and straightness. Also, the deck lumber we removed from the old deck was the older pressure- treated formula. Today's pressure-treated lumber is a safer formula.
Top Choice Lumber as seen here is being used in the deck's construction.
One of the products available that simplifies stair building is the Universal Stair Bracket (USB) available from GoPro Construction. The USB allows the builder to select the rise over run for the individual project using its brackets, which are pre-marked for various applications. The markings make assembly much easier for novice builders. The USB system also allows a 2-by-6 stringer to be used rather than a 2-by-12. By using the smaller dimensional lumber, the builder saves cost and conserves precious resources. The Universal Stair Bracket can be used on interior stringers, allowing composite decking to be used without sub-treads of wood being used. Where our specifications for Fiberon decking called for stringer separations of no greater than 16 inches, we added two internal stringers to achieve the 48-inch width of our stairs, and that gave us 12 inches of separation between each stringer.
Notice the 2x6 stringers being used with the Universal Stair Bracket. In this photo you can also see the internal stringer using the USB system.
For the decking itself, Fiberon's Tropics slotted 6-inch decking in the mahogany color was chosen. The decking color mimicked color variations found in natural lumber, and even the texture effectively mimicked tropical woods. One of the most attractive features of composite decking is its consistency and lack of flaws, even in longer lengths of up to 20 feet used on this deck. The Fiberon Tropics Series comes pre-grooved and accepts a variety of invisible fastening systems. The Phantom Fastener system is made to work with this series and is a fine system, but the homeowner chose a new biscuit system.
The Invisifast Biscuit from MM Products, a clear biscuit made of Lexan for durability. The biscuit systems used on decks work the same as the biscuits used in woodworking. Except on decking, the biscuits join the lumber by using screws instead of glues used in woodworking and furniture making. We were pleased with the speed of installation using the Invisifast Biscuits, but were even more impressed by the strength of the system. The biscuits are clear, allowing the underlying wood to show through, minimizing their visibility when viewed from the top. Another advantage of the biscuit system is that it allows you to remove individual boards without cutting lumber; just remove the screws, which are easily accessible from the top side of the deck.
The BoWrench from Cepco Tool is a great tool to bend stubborn deck members into position. Plus, it locks in place, freeing your hands to fasten the lumber.
Railing System Caps it Off
For the railing system, Fortress Iron basket pattern was chosen along with the Oz-Railing System. The Oz-Railing system attaches to the top side of the deck, simplifying installation. The system installs quickly, merely requiring a hole to be drilled into the 4-by-4 post base so it fits over the metal post, on the metal plate, that attaches to the deck. After inserting the 4-by-4 posts onto the plate, fasten the plate to the posts using four lag screws, and install the posts with the Oz-Railing system attached to the top side of the deck with six lag screws. Cutting notches into the decking boards is not required, simply screw the base plate to the top of the deck, and make sure you have sufficient blocking underneath the deck surface to accept the lag screws and distribute the load.
All that was left to finish the railing was to attach the Fortress Iron railing system to the posts using a simple metal receptacle that is sized to accept the predrilled top and bottom rails. We installed the bottom rail first. The rail is predrilled to accept Fortress Iron's variety of spindle shapes, so this was simply a matter of recreating the pattern we built using the railing designer program on the Fortress website. Insert the spindles in the order you choose. Lay the top rail over the spindles making sure the spindles rest securely in the correct holes, then fasten the top rail to the post using the metal receivers that fit neatly over the ends of the top rail. This completes the railing. The finished product has the look of a custom-made, professionally installed railing system and the added security of the Oz-Railing system to keep the posts in place.
Maine Ornamental's Solar Post Cap in the pewter finish is used in our decking project.
As a finishing touch, we chose the Maine Ornamental solar post caps in a pewter color. The pewter color matched the black railings, and the post caps maintained a classic look even during the daytime. We capped all of the posts with these solar lights so that after the sun went down, the deck could still be enjoyed without the harsh lighting of the old flood lights that are so often used in outdoor lighting. The solar lights sufficiently light the deck without being overpowering. They also add a measure of safety when entering the house from the deck after dark, as the lights come on automatically at dusk. Another feature the homeowner liked was the ability to turn the lights off using a switch located on the light housing. Because sometimes you just want to enjoy the ambience of the starlight alone. Maine Ornamental must have thought of that also.
Product Sources
Cepco Tool
www.cepcotool.com
1-800-466-9626
Fiberon Decking
1-704-463-7120
www.fiberondecking.com
Fortress Iron Railings and Fences
1-866-323-4766
www.fortressiron.com
GoPro Construction Solutions, LLC
1-877-577-4142
www.GoProConstruction.com
Maine Ornamental
1-866-780-3507
www.postcaps.com
MM Products Invisifast
1-866-766-9427
www.invisifast.com
Oz-Post
1-866-422-0751
www.oz-post.com
Punch Software
1-800-365-4832
www.Punchsoftware.com
TopChoice Lumber available at Lowe's Home Improvement Centers
www.lowes.com
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