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I used redwood 2x6s up to 20′ long. Some were markedly warped (but then so am I, so it worked out), most had some degree of slight curve, and a blessed few were dead straight. I made up some 1/4″ spacers from plexiglass and used everything I could think of: a bowrench, webbing straps, pipe clamps, occasinally just a meaty hip. Whatever worked for the particular configuration. The spacers were long enough to span between adjacent joists, which helped balance the sideways pressure.
Overall it came out remarkably even. The spacing is a bit wider than 1/4″ in some places, a bit narrower in others, but the differences averaged out surprisingly well. Down the line I may replace one board whose end has wiggled over to touch the next board, but I’ll see how much it bothers me after a couple of months of use. I suspect I’ll be the only one who would ever notice it.
The longer boards did provide greater leverage for correction than short ones could. I just had to be careful to put spacers where the gap would be pinched. I used the Deckmaster clips, and it meant a lot of climbing back and forth for some of the more interesting boards.
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I used redwood 2x6s up to 20' long. Some were markedly warped (but then so am I, so it worked out), most had some degree of slight curve, and a blessed few were dead straight. I made up some 1/4" spacers from plexiglass and used everything I could think of: a bowrench, webbing straps, pipe clamps, occasinally just a meaty hip. Whatever worked for the particular configuration. The spacers were long enough to span between adjacent joists, which helped balance the sideways pressure.
Overall it came out remarkably even. The spacing is a bit wider than 1/4" in some places, a bit narrower in others, but the differences averaged out surprisingly well. Down the line I may replace one board whose end has wiggled over to touch the next board, but I'll see how much it bothers me after a couple of months of use. I suspect I'll be the only one who would ever notice it.
The longer boards did provide greater leverage for correction than short ones could. I just had to be careful to put spacers where the gap would be pinched. I used the Deckmaster clips, and it meant a lot of climbing back and forth for some of the more interesting boards.
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Gosh, I always thought the longer the board, the easier to bend to the fit/spacing. This speaks of a detail I read about in WOODENBOAT magazine. Seems if you want a board/plank snug at the end, you cut it long, nail it off, and cut to length. This is because it is easy to bend a board into place, except as you get closer, ever closer to the end.
Try bending a 20' into place. Easy. Try bending the last couple of inches into place. Not so easy.
*FX2x4 are way easier to bend than 2x6, but look really wimpy on a deck. Are 5/4 deck boards avilable to you, and would your joist spacing allow their use. . .they are much easier toi bendinto place. I use full length cedar whenever I can. I ripped up some scrap 1/4" ply into bits some years ago and kept them for spacers. Pierce near the top with a d/wall nail or similar. . . it keeps the spacers from falling through when your shifting boards, and makes the spacer easier to pull out when pinched between nailed off boards.A Stanley Wonderbar is all I ever seem to need to convincei wanked boards into line, lever between two spacers to protect the edge from crushing marks.
*Hello,I find the long deck boards easiest to work withfor bending into place. The material of choicein our area (Chicago suburbs) for decks is 5/4cedar decking. I use no spacers and butt the boards tight because the material shrinks soon after installation. Usually the spaces end up an eighth to a quarter-inch wide. Also use this method for treated decking material.Started not leaving spaces after I went back to one of the first decks I ever did. I used the quarter-inch spacer method. Some of the spacesbetween boards you could throw a dead cat through.But seriously some of those spaces were now a halfto three quarters of an inch wide.Mike
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I love the idea of an unbroken deck surface. The deck being built is 18', with the boards running the long way. (I'll be using blind fasteners, probably Deckmaster, but mayber Simpson clips.) 18' redwood is available here, both in in 2x4 and 2x6.
My question: is trying to install decking of this length so that it lies nice and straight, with even gaps, too big of a pain to consider? Boards this long have the inevitable wiggles.
Is 2x4 easier to install straight than 2x6? Or am I crazy to consider installing decking this long? Should I just find a pleasing staggered pattern and install shorter boards?
Opinions and experience greatly appreciated.