Replies

1. 
   andy_clifford | Nov 29, 2000 06:52am | #1

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   spacing cedar planks...I'm up to the same thing and thought about taking a long plank 10-12 ft or so and driving about half a dozen or more 8d nails in every foot and a half or so about 3/4' in from the edge of a 1x6 and lying it down onto the one already nailed in place with the nails butt up aginst it and sliding the new plank up against that one. after its nailed down pull up the fabricated board and place it next to the nailed down one and continue that way through out the whole deck.
   Andy Clifford
   (Clifford Construction of Cold Spring Harbor NY)

1. 
   Wes_S. | Dec 01, 2000 07:22am | #2

   *If you are intent on spacing your decking , make some wedges (5/16" to nothing x 1-1/2" wide x6 " long) ,drill a small hole @ 3/16 ( ctr of wedge ) &slip a nail half way through Insert these as you would your nails .these are easier to pull out when cramming a crooked deck board straight . As for straightening problems , whatever works without denting ( I.E, anything goes get creative ,use your imagination, lever w/ a long stick of framing off the rim joist against various lengths of stock to get the best purchase. BoWrench is a wonderful tool that you can buy or rent (see ad in FHB) my supplier lets me use it gratis.Good Luck Steve

1. 
   Ann_Berg | Dec 08, 2000 06:41pm | #3

   *We did a cedar deck, and saw several clever ideas. One is to drill holes in small blocks of wood, and insert doweling the thickness you're planning. The problem we encountered with almost everything we tried was exactly what you-all have described; doweling getting stuck, breaking off, nails falling through, nails marring wood, etc. We finally used a couple of cheap, lumberyard yardsticks which were the right thickness, and broke it into 1' pieces to place between the boards. That way, we could wriggle out if it got wedged, and because it was an inch wide, it stayed in pretty well. We now also have a Bo-Wrench, but we didn't have it when we did the deck, and it would have been helpful.

1. 
   Pro-Dek | Dec 08, 2000 08:06pm | #4

   *We put the top of the curve toward us,start at the butt joint,use black Stanley speed square for spacing,and work our way down till the dang thing is straight,or we have lost all our speed squares.:-)

1. 
   Pro-Dek | Dec 08, 2000 08:17pm | #5

   *Forgot to mention we use our catspaw to pry with. Just pound it into the joist and pry toward yourself and nail. We gun our decking down with 2 3/8" galvanized ring shanks.

2. 
   Steve_Bermont | Dec 08, 2000 08:17pm | #6

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   >I'm installing 5/4 x 6" knotty cedar decking on an exterior deck and spacing the boards apart the width of a 10 penny nail, 3/16", at every joist.
   >Does anyone have tips or tricks for setting the spaces between the boards that would move the work along faster?
   >Also, any suggestions for straightening bowed deck boards as we lay them down. Currently, we're prying against a screwed down block or using wedges.