Dear Fine Homebuilding Readers and Experts:
We recently had a very large mahogany deck installed using a nail-less system (plastic biscuits set into the spine of each plank) It has been in since December, we moved in in May.
The boards have cupped considerably, making walking uneven and uncomfortable. Water stays in the channels, and all in all it has turned out quite unsatisfactory.
What is the problem: Too much moisture in the wood upon installation? The wrong wood? The wrong grade of wood? The wrong nail-less system for the type of wood we picked?
Who should we speak to first? The contractor? The supplier of the wood? The nail-less deck system company?
Any insight would be a great help in deciding our next move. Island living is damp to say the least, so we need to get this right before trying this again!
Thank you very much, Cecile on Nantucket
Replies
Wood is wood. The supplier probably has
nothing to do with your problem. Likewise
the contractor, assuming he installed as specified
by the nail-less system manufacturer. Ask the
manufacturer first. How wide do they recommend
the deck boards should be? If you use something too
wide, no system will work. Mahogany is as stable
as any wood, probably better than most.
Maybe put a sprinkler under the deck to keep it wet?
(NOT serious about that, obviously.) The problem is that
the top is too wet and the bottom too dry. That has to
be remedied somehow. Find out if the contractor installed
according to directions and if the "system" is right
for your situation. Then go from there. A damp location
should not in itself be a problem.
thank you, I am obviously quite ignorant anpit this subject, will use your thoughts as my first lesson!
Cecile - It's fairly well-known, and discussed in the past in this forum that (1) Meranti decking has a tendency to cup (2) It must be sealed before installation and (3) you don't install it with anything other than face fasteners (screws).
T. Jeffery Clarke
Edited 6/27/2002 8:52:34 PM ET by Jeff Clarke