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Deck Boards Done Right

Keep an eye on the stringline, and have a handful of spacers and a board straightener within easy reach

When it comes to decks, Mike Guertin has built enough of them to make it look easy. In this article, he outlines the basic process he uses to build a deck. Guertin's first step is to protect the deck's joists because even pressure-treated wood can be vulnerable to rot. He also prefers to work from the rim toward the house, which allows him to be sure that full-width boards are placed at the posts, where they are most visible. Guertin uses deck spacers to keep the deck-board layout even, and he is sure to use blocking to support the decking if it changes direction. This article includes a sidebar on the advantages to using an auto-feed screw gun for deck work and a sidebar on board straighteners.