I’ve always followed the rule of using a 16d nail or something of the sort to get about a 1/8 space between deck boards when I install them (acq treated).
on my current project I’ve brougt in some help who have much more experience at deck building than i do, and they insist that there is no need for spacing… the deck boards will shrink plenty after installation, and if you did space them, you will wind up with huge spaces latter on.
who’s right? what do you all do?
Replies
What material are you using for decking?
If using pt, then butt them tight, they will shrink significantly as they dry out.
it is presure treated, acq, severe weather decking.
I'll but them tight from now on... heck of alot easier to install that way.
thanks
drbg... it depends on the material and your climate
if it's kiln dried then they should be spaced to drain and keep debris from clogging the spaces
the narrower the material, the more important it is to keep your spacing and nailing patterns more exact for sake of appearance
with Ipe' and Merante we use an 8d galv comon spacer
with Trex and the composites you HAVE to follow the mfr's requirements.. which is always spaced and the spaces are LARGE
with SYP PT, they will shrink, but we always space them anyways with an 8d..
if you come back to a deck that was not spaced you will find dirt and leaves clogging the spaces and lot's of mildew.. better to space and let the debris fall thru
if you don't want spaces, use a T&G material
short answer... space and don't use PT
It depends on the decking material. Some is stable, some will shrink, some will expand. The materials can be green, PAD, or KD, which will make a difference how they behave. I did a meranti deck and used 3/16" spacers. After a few days of rain, there was no gap left and the decking swelled enough to push a couple of the railing posts. I've also done some PT decks that shrunk to 3/8" gaps after installing tight. I've got a couple PT boards on my own deck that shrink in length every year. They actually pull out past the two nails in the joist. Lumber doesn't normally do this. We used spikes as spacers back before PT lumber was available, mostly with spruce or cedar and it worked fine. These days there are many different choices and one part of the country may get KD meranti while another region sees it PAD. It then becomes a matter of your experience.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Tight for treated.
Mike