Deck Material Suggestions

I have been in the decking business for 20 years. I have done design, sales and project management. I currently manage a Lumber Yard - selling materials. My experience is that treated material is better designed for framing and not the deck surface. In Colorado the treated decking material available is not "appearance" grade. I recommend Cedar for inexpensive wood decking because it has a better appearance. As far as composite decking goes, there are many options for about the same price as 5/4 cedar decking. The obvious advantage is no maintenance. All the composite decking manufacturers now offer plastic coated composite with a warranty against fading. Some are about the same price as 5/4 cedar. I don't know about what is available where you are, do some research and find a plastic coated composite decking - it will be a 5/4 thickness, and spend some time making the framing level. That is the most important part of building a deck using composite decking. Composite decking is not structural and will bend to whatever the mounting surface is underneath.
Feel free to message if you have questions. Like I said, I have been doing this a long time and have had excellent results on every house I have used it on. Good luck with your project.

 

Couple of questions on the GRK screws.
1. How resistant to rust are the heads?
2. Do the heads raise a burr in PT? (I plan to make the heads flush with the tops of the boards.)

 

Yes, expensive for sure but if it works like it’s intended, will be well worth it.

Actually, this weekend i started the process of replacing the deck on my outbuilding for exactly this reason. I did NOT use the joist tape the first time and water got down there and rotted the hell out of the jost material to the point where it would have been unsafe pretty soon.

This deck is not on my house, it’s on my workshop where i do my woodworking, projects, etc. So this will be a good test case to try-out the prodouct and see how it does over the years.

I’m not sure if it will help but i took some progress pics this weekend as i was working. These give a visual to some of the topics discussed in this post. And, i’m just doing it DIY style, i’m not a licensed contractor:

This the Grayco joist tape, it’s 4” wide and sticky as hell. After i saw it, made me wonder if ice and water shield would work the same way:



Here’s a few pics to show what my deck looks like. It’s 4’ on one side and 5’ on the other side. So, not that big but makes my workshop area that much bigger and i use every inch. Should have made it even bigger:








I still have to add blocking between the joists and then i’ll apply the joist tape. We had rain last night so i want to let it dry-out for another day or two before i put it down.

For supports, I went with 4x6’s, they are cheaper than full 6x6 and i can cut with my miter saw.

Joist hangers - use them and use them correctly. Attach with nails, not screws. I’ll post a good video for you about attaching them as a follow up to this post

 

Going back to the joist tape and possible water instrustion issue. Here’s how bad the damage was:



Ok, there’s one important note here, someone was building a home across from me and i got to ‘salvage’ some of the joists from inside the home. I thought it was so awesome to get this material for ‘free’ but it was really stupid. I think they were roof rafters so they had a bunch of nail holes in them. I did NOT use the joist tape when i put them down and they were not pressure treated.

Anyway, it was really stupid to use them but again, since they were free and across the street, it made sense at the time.

I’m surprised that they lasted the 4 years that they did.

Anyway, i doubt you would make this many mistakes in a row but i did and i guess it’s worth noting in case it will help anyone avoid this in the future.

Obviously, it’s crazy to use anything but pressure treated for outdoor use. I knew that 4 years ago but did it anyway..

 

The GRK deck screws are awesome and will counter sink on their own and sit nicely flush. They are coated with Climatek for exterior use with PT and should not rust. Here’s a description of the deck screw which explains all the features they have and the little cutters under the head to stop burrs:

“GRK R4 self-countersinking screw has a new under head with saw-blade like cutting teeth and six self-contained cutting pockets. Together these features act like a circular saw blade, transporting the "drill dust" away from the edge of the screw hole while cutting a perfectly clean hole into even the most brittle materials without cracking any surface treatment.

This design further enhances the R4's versatility by allowing the fastener to be installed without countersinking into even the hardest woods. The screw head closes the hole off with precision, leaving no damaged fibers around the head.

R4 screws which are 2" and longer have a four threaded CEE thread that enlarges the screw hole for the non-threaded portion of the fastener. This technological advancement allows the wood to settle easily and increases the screw's drawing strength, reducing the friction on the screw shank and lowering the driving torque.

The R4 is a multi-purpose screw that can be used in all woodworking and plastic applications. Because the head has a 90 degree angle at the underside, the screw fits perfectly into the pre-countersunk holes of hardware fittings such as hinges or locks. Stocking of different screws is no longer necessary because the R4 is a very versatile screw. These screws work great in wood, plastic, particle board, sheet metal, cement fiber board, composite decking, wood decking, melamine and much more.”

 

I have not noticed any rust at all. They are meant to be sunk below the surface, most spots the wood seemed to "grow" around the screw head and you can barely tell where the screws are. Not sure how it would work out being flush but I'd still try the grk over any other brand for your purpose.

 

Did you use bugle head or trim screws?

 

Grk r4 deck screws
They have a little drill bit at the tip, then threads, then reverse threads to clear wood shavings and open a path for the screw head to sink. Once sunk you can barely see the screw head. This is I'm PT wood that I'm talking about.