Hello, I am designing a deck to be built on the NE side of a house in WI. There is a 7′ roof overhang and the deck will be ~6’wide. Having recently visited Japan where many older buildings had a covered veranda made with thick(~4inch) planks I was considering a design using wide(12inch and up) white oak 4 inch thick planks bearing on two rows of beams ~4 ft apart sitting on posts at a height of ~4ft above the ground. I would bolt the planks to the stringers. I have questions about the suitability of white oak planks in this application and is there is a better choice of species. Also would the wide planks offer a good surface for a deck. I would prefer a surface that didn’t have cracks between the boards and intend to slope the deck ~1 1/4 inch per 6ft away from the house.
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I'd can the idea. Why 4" thick? 2" would probably do......... Why white oak? This is a really heavy species of lumber......plus water will probably trap itself where the plank sits on the beam and rot in time......or at least get buggy.
remember that wood shrinks/ swells with humidity...the wider ....the more it swells
cedar/redwood ..............work better and if I'm not mistaken the Japanese use cedar a lot for what your describing
White oak is a somewhat rot resistant wood, and would do well as long as it drains and has air circulation.
I missed something ... is this oak going to be a sub-floor? You mention cracks between the boards ... unless the oak is dried well before installation, it's going to shrink and crack.
The roof overhangs 7 ft and the deck will be 6 ft ... so that means the deck will be completely covered, right? I like the idea of the thick boards ... it will ghive a very solid feel. But I also wonder if you couldn't get the same results from thinner planks. A 2" thick oak board is pretty substantial. 3" might be a good compromise. have you found a source for the boards? I bet they are expensive.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
White oak will do well, particularly if you observe ordinary precautions in installation. Do not under any circumstance accept red oak as a substitute. It is totally unsuitable for this purpose. White oak is not very expensive in my area, but I expect it may vary according to location.
Another suitable, and relatively inexpensive choice is cypress.
The project sounds over built, but that might be an attractive look.