Other materials try to mimic wood, because wood is worth mimicking. This pivoting pressure washer wand enables me to keep the high-pressure water jet at a low angle to the work for effective rinsing. And unlike denser materials they don’t retain nearly as much heat in the summer, like a stone patio for example. In case you didn’t notice, I’m a big fan of building wood decks, from beauty to ease-of-use, to good-for-my-soul carpentry. Because I’m a fan of the over-build, I’d use four, two in front, two in back. You can use two through the face of a beam and into the shoulder cut of a 6×6, as shown in the photo detail. You have to check the code reports because not all screws are rated for this, but the brand I use, Spax PowerLags are. One place structural screws have not found a home until recently is in the post-to-beam connection and in guard posts. They go in faster than thru-bolts and other hardware I’ve used. Using structural screws is like welding the wood together. You can rip ‘em in with an impact driver, and it’s like welding the wood to itself. They’re insanely awesome for ledger boards on decks and anchoring pergola girders to their posts. Once the stuff of timber garden beds and cordless drills letting their smoke out, they’re now the go-to for most pros. The world of what I call the ‘structural screw’ has come many-a furlong in recent years. Gun nails work, but hand nails really drive the joist into place. Since starting the nail when the beam is in place can be a headache and a finger-smacker, I sometimes start them before I roll the joists into place. While I often use screws for deck connections, when I do use a nail it’s often for connecting a joist to a beam. The longer nails criss-cross in the ledger and make an awesome connection with major pull-out resistance. What you’re supposed to do is use a 16-penny nail for the angled hole through the joist into the ledger. That mistake is using the same nails for the angled holes as the face-nail. Starting nails or screws before rolling a piece of lumber into place is a real time-saver. There’s a mistake nearly everybody makes installing metal hardware, namely joist hangers. One thing I really like to do is make them from built-up or ‘laminated’ posts. Conversely, I used 1×4 for a privacy screen on a duplex home. I built up “I”-posts with 2x lumber to create custom pergolas on a custom deck. In other landscapes, they work as what I call static busters, say, for example where you don’t want a wall between you and your neighbor, just something to break up the line of sight. They’re awesome for everything from a subtle division between yards (think: zero lot line homes) to creating a sense of a space (think: Niche for a grill or seating area). I mean smaller pergolas integrated into the guardrails. So if you’re building a deck and want a look as natural as the surroundings, look at round posts. And they have truly signature style: The round shape is pleasing and the grain just leaps out of the lumber. They have sensational structural integrity, which I love. Mainly Southern Yellow Pine, they’re (1) gorgeous and (2) awesomely versatile. Strong and structural, I’ve used them for decks, docks, fences and retaining walls. Round posts, aka ‘pilings’ are ideal for creating a custom look. They’re called ‘poles’ or ‘round posts’ in other parts of the country. One of my very favorite things to work with is round posts. I’ve built lots of decks, playgrounds, docks and retaining walls. So here are some tips I use from design to carpentry. No matter how big a deck is, it’s the trim details and fundamentals-yes, that includes tools, glorious tools-that transform projects from cringe-worthy to the creative carpentry I get so much satisfaction from. A lot more.īecause I’m a contractor and a carpenter, I find that decks are part layout, part site work, and fast framing where thoughtful design, dialed-in trim details, beautiful materials, and fun carpentry bring life to a pile of lumber. I think it’s because a well-crafted deck is more than a box and some boards on the back of a house. Why do I love building wood decks so much? Alternative Heating & Fireplace Inserts.
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