Tearing during composite extrusion? 
Purchased Fiberon Good Life product. I have purchased this last year without issue. The current batch is full what a Fiberon rep is calling "tears" which …

Can I install Trex over Duradek? 
Hi, My deck extends off the second level and is covered with Duradek. I'd like to install a composite like Trex because the Duradek is weathered and …

Is it normal for water to pool on composite Deck Boards? 
Last fall my contractor installed a deck at my home using Fiberon Paramount PVC Decking. I didn't notice any pooling of water on the deck boards during …

Composite deck under covered porch 
I'm replacing a small ground level porch with composite decking. I'm researching all of the different brands and getting overwhelmed. Looking for a little …

Ledger, Bay Window, Chimney Framing Problem 
I have a few questions about framing according to the Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide based on the 2012 ICC standards for deck building. …

Adding a Second Level to a Deck 
The outer edge of my deck is supported on 6x6 beams on P3 Helical Piers. I want to attach a ledger board halfway down the posts to begin the 2nd level. …

Replace or Re-use and Protect Old Beams and Joists 
Replacing my southeast MI 30-year-old deck, was hoping just to replace the surface boards but many of the posts were set too deep and rotted at ground …

Support posts set in concrete footings and part of railing 
I have a 25 year old pressure treated pine deck that is holding up pretty well. It is a raised deck approximately 4 feet off the ground. It is sitting …

Waterproofing top of joists 
Twenty-one years ago I built a cedar deck. This year I'm replacing all the horizontal wood (I left it to the elements for all this time, but now the horizontal …

Cedar vs. PT vs. Composite and 2x6 vs 2x10 
My 16 x 18 deck needs to be rebuilt. I had three builders come out. Guy #1 says cedar isn't worth the expense. It's too soft; and you can't get good …

Why inconsistent gap between boards on new deck 
I have just had a deck installed using the Fiberon system. On one side of the deck, the boards are close together (1/8" maybe). It looks good. Part …

Using 2 x 10 treated lumber for decking 
I am tearing down a large deck and have an abundance of 2 x 10 treated that are in excellent shape. Can I build a new deck that is 12' x 14' using …

Where do I start laying the decking boards 
I have all the deck posts, sono tubes, beams and joists all in place. The deck is ready for the decking boards. Do I start installing decking boards …

How to attach larger ledger board to smaller house joist 
I've attached an image to this posting that may help show the problem I'm about to describe. (Note: the sketch is not to scale) So I started removing …

Do codes allow ledger rails to be used to hold up the joist or are joist hangers now code? 
I am having a deck built & several people have told me that it is not being built to current codes. I have been told that current codes require joist …

Pressure Treated Lumber - dimensional variations in joists 
I am building a freestanding deck - consisting of two rows of 2x12 beams with 2 x 8 joists on 12" centers - deck surface will be 2 x 6 on 45 degree angle. …

Framing a free standing deck 
I'm planning on building a deck in my backyard in the fall, and have everything sorted except for one thing. I decided to go with a free standing deck. …

Custom deck supporting a hot tub 
We are building a 24x24 deck out of Azek (vinyl) deck planks and standard spacing of joists is 16" o/c. The hot tub will range from 4000-4900# filled …

Faded Composite Decking and New Decking 
I am expanding my deck, which is 8 years old in conjunction with a major landscape plan. I used a composite deck material, which has faded significantly …

Should I Use Trex Decking at Ground Level? 
We used Trex decking on our previous deck that was approx 3 feet above ground. We really liked working with the Trex. In our new place we are replacing …

How to build a three-ply laminated 2x10 beam and what fasteners to use 
I am building a ground level deck (max 24" of the ground). It is L shaped and will have 2 long beams (27.5' and 31'). The beams will be 3-ply PT SP#2 2x12's …

Which hidden fastener to use on my Lowes decking?? 
I bought 750 sq ft of Select Choice decking from Lowes along with enough stainless steel "Versa-Clips" by Fasten Master to do the job. After realizing …

Ledger board versus joist size 
My new house has an 8 inch ledger board and I am builiding a large wrap around deck with a plan that calls for 10 inch joists. Is it possible to hang …

Installing support post saddle brackets after concrete cured 
I have the footings poured and cured for a week. The post support saddle brackets were not set into the cement when the footings and piers were poured. …

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Azek decking boards not sitting flush on joists 
My contractor has laid the azek floor boards. The clip system, no screws. My question is should the floor boards be perfectly flush. Some are not, they …

Beam Span to Support Deck Floor 
I am adding a 12x12 Hip roof with 6" overhang with a 4/12 pitch over a 12x12 deck. I live in eastern Pa so snow load needs to considered. I want to …

Deck Boards Layout 
How do I lay the deck boards layout out so that the butt joints are not next to each other? The deck is L shaped, the main portion is 16W X 21' 3.75"L. …

Staggered Joints For Decking 
On a 24' x 18' deck using 12' material running the 18' width is it better to stagger the joints or have all the joints on one side of the deck? If staggered, …

Size of footing for second story deck on a hillside 
I would like to build a 2nd story deck on my house. It is located on a hill side and the SW corner where I need to place a post has shown some erosion. …

Building a picture framing border 
I am thinking of building a picture framing border for an existing deck. But my floor deck boards only overhang the deck frame by less than half an inch. …

Footing depth and height question 
How deep do your concrete footings half to be in relation to how tall your sonotube is?

Picture framing a corner cut on deck 
I am framing a deck that has stairs on a 45 degree angle. I want to install picture frame floorboards - two boards wide. For the straight sides I …

Raidata Pine by DreamDex question 
Replacing some redwood decks and considering the use of Radiata Pine by DreamDex. How effective is this product for decks, and what are its spanning, …

Kild Dried lumber and deck railing problems 
I used kiln dried lumber on my deck. I also used it for the railings. They came with a top and bottom baluster channel,with a seperate hand-rail piece …

Western Red Cedar 5/4 x 6 Deck Board Fastening & Finishing 
I've got my two decks all framed up and I'm ready to lay down the boards. When I started out we had planned to use Ipe, but then we added a second deck, …

Novice Deck Builder and Joist Span Question 
Can I use 2 x 6 joists for a deck with 7 ft. spans between beams? Home   >  Framing And Decking Forum   >  Novice Deck …

Best Decking Material for West Coast 
We are thinking about building a new deck and are wondering about what kind of decking material for the deck surface to put down. What will last the …

Span Distance of Deck Joist Framing  
How far out from the house can your deck joist extend before you need a post support under it? I am using 2x10 joists.

Properly spacing deck boards 
I am replacing the boards on my deck as they are beginning to rot and I have several boards that have busted through. When I put the deck in, it was done …

Composite Decking Floor 
What the best choice of composite decking for use as both an exterior and interior floor surface?

Do I need a double Joist...?? 
I'm building a 17' x 17' deck using deck blocks which is at ground level. The trusses & joists are 2x6s. Based on advice given from someone at HomeDepot …

Best way to keep beams vertical on concrete posts 
I'm building a two foot high free standing deck (10 X 15). I've got holes dug for 4 posts per beam for the 15ft width. I'm planning on using 2 X …

Extending Length of Rim Joist on Long Deck 
I am building a deck that will have the rim joist attached with nails to the end of the joists. It is pretty long (40+ feet) and will obviously need multiple …

Why are Joist dimensions are different? 
I purchases 2x8x10 joist lumber from two different places. It turned out the actual joist dimensions are different. Some are 7 1/8" and some are 7 1/2". …

Post Beam Connector to concrete slab 
I am contemplating a deck over an existing concrete patio that is covered with Slate. The concrete slab happens to be 20 inches deep. Can I simply attach …

Steel frame for a deck 
I would like to build a second floor deck on my two story home. I wanted to use steel bar joist and steel i beams to form the frame then apply composite …

Cedar Decking spacing between boards 
I'm about to install cedar decking (1" * 6") across the joists. Should these be laid flush - or with a small gap between. If so - how much gap?

Deck Framing - Beams on top of footing (not enough space for post) 
I am a newbie and trying to build a deck (no experience). The deck that I am planning to build is only 23" above ground. It will be a floating/free …

Multi-level deck 
I have an existing 5x10 PT deck. I want to replace the deck with cedar and then add a second, lower-level deck. The second deck will be 2 steps below the …

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Deck Joists Questions on Free Standing Deck Over Concrete Patio 
My deck is 12' wide. What size lumber 2x8, or 2x10 to use for joists? Also it is 7' above ground on a concrete patio free standing or floating. Can …

What Dimension of Beams and Joists Should I Use? 
I have a space constraint in that there is only 15" between the door into the house and the grade where the proposed deck would go. What dimension of …

Decking Floor Joist Size Question 
I am building a deck 10' X 12' made from pressure treated lumber. The joists will be 16" on center spacing. I need to know what is the size of joist …

Using Wide Decking Planks 
My hubby and and I have decided to finally replace our deck. The previous owners never maintained and powerwashing split the wood terribly. Anyway, …

Temperature needed to bend scalloped bottom Trex Not rated yet
Hi, Am borrowing two Heatcon strip heaters and want heat a scalloped bottom 10' piece of Trex (Enhanced Basic .92 thick) so I can bend it for my deck. …

Green Piece Exposed In Composite Wood Board Not rated yet
We had a new deck installed in November, and the contractor did a great job with it. We noticed something weird though yesterday when we were outside …

Lighting for deck steps Not rated yet
Looking to add low voltage recessed lights on my trex deck steps. Would really like to have the option of changing colors of lights. Any suggestions on …

How do you fix this? Not rated yet
750sq ft trex deck 5yr old. Deck frame is 9 yr old, inspected prior to trex install. I have one 2x10 joist that has rotted and the trex hidden fasteners …

Homeowner in Ruidoso NM Not rated yet
Has anybody ever tried laying trex or any number of composite decking products directly on top of a treated wood deck? All of the door sills are sufficiently …

Would composite material such as trex be strong enough for my swim spa? Not rated yet
Our brand new swimming spa leaked water during its first weeks of use during winter. We are concerned for our actual structure made of wood (it's protected …

Trex color enhancer Not rated yet
We have a new Trex deck and we chose our color(Spiced Rum) based on online pics. We saw the sample and it really looked more dull than the pics showed. …

Historical composite pricing  Not rated yet
Wondering with price of lumber skyrocketing if we've seen similar price increases on composite decking?

Composite decking on metal Not rated yet
Composite decking started warping on metal deck and spiral staircase. Pulled up the composite on the top. What can I do in order to keep it from happening …

Existing composite decking warped Not rated yet
Bought a home with composite decking on platform and spiral staircase. Boards were warping and coming off. I’m sure moisture in between the composite and …

What make is this synthetic decking?  Not rated yet
My husband and I have been looking for ages to match this decking into our cabin but we cannot find it. It was put on by previous owners and no paperwork …

Best composites Not rated yet
What would you recommend as the best composite?

Gapping questions Not rated yet
I’m about ready install timber tech pro and I’m concerned about gapping. I have a few qts: 1. I have watched many videos and looked at many photos …

Recommendations for framing for screening on top of Trex Not rated yet
For the sake of my question I’ll describe my starting point as follows: Simple arbor on top of a Trex deck. The arbor is a cube. 8’ x 8’ x 8’. The ceiling …

What's the right way of unloading the PVC deck plank  Not rated yet
I'd like expert advice if this is something defecting the PVC warrant? The truck delievery dumped the support materials (Beam, Posts and IPE stringers) …

Most scratch resistant and realistic looking boards Not rated yet
I live in the Northeast and was wondering what decking material would have the least maintenance, most scratch resistance and realistic look. The deck …

Builder Not rated yet
Im try to match Trex decking to natural Mahogany wood. Home owner has a natural mahogany porch, and enclosed deck, and they want Trex decking on a small …

Newbie builder. Not rated yet
I have Fiberon boards, 2 of them are damaged underneath on the groove. The bottom portion of the groove is broken. Being the bottom is it ok too still …

To cover or not to cover? Not rated yet
Hi guys So I have trex composite decking and was wondering what is the best way to protect it during the winter. I see a lot of comments about covering …

What I Learned About Composite Decks Not rated yet
In no particular order: Composite wants straight joists; it is not as forgiving as wood. Irregularities will show. Shimming may still be necessary. …

Best material to build deck at High Elevation Not rated yet
I have a cabin that sits at 9,600 ft. elevation. We are able to use the cabin approximately 4-5 months per year. The balance of the time on an annual basis, …

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Composite Decking on Patio Cover Not rated yet
I am thinking about replacing the wood slats on our patio cover with composite decking slats and have some questions: - Is there a tongue and groove decking …

Brite Manufacturing Hidden Fastener Boards Not rated yet
I purchased a house which has a 48 x 8" hidden fastener composite deck on the rear of the home. There are several boards which are damaged or not fastened …

Brite Manufacturing Hidden Fastener Boards Not rated yet
I purchased a house which has a 48 x 8" hidden fastener composite deck on the rear of the home. There are several boards which are damaged or not fastened …

How do I get stains out of my decking? Not rated yet
I have some areas with white stains that I wonder if comes from the pool or hottub. Is that normal and how can I get rid of it or prevent it?

UltraDeck Quickcap questions... Not rated yet
I was designing a deck using Menard's deck design software and started using the UltraDeck Quickcap but found out it was for resurfacing an old deck and …

Looking for the brakets for this rail. Not rated yet
I bought it on facebook and do not know the manufacturer or style. The guy said he got from Lowes yet I asked a guy at Lowes and he said no.

Looking for the brakets for this rail. Not rated yet
I bought it on facebook and do not know the manufacturer or style. The guy said he got from Lowes yet I asked a guy at Lowes and he said no.

PLEASE HELP ME1 Not rated yet
I recently purchased a sizable amount of Menards top quality decking from Menards (UltraDeck Fusion Composite) and hired a professional deck contractor …

homeowner Not rated yet
im hearing that trex decking cant be installed on a floating substructure.i want to use ur product for a floating deck with trex can we do this.i cant …

Estimator  Not rated yet
I have a repair I am doing on a high end deck and am having problems finding a match to the existing composite deck boards. I can't find a manufacturer …

Fiberon Paramount no stain and fade warranty?  Not rated yet
But it says lifetime performce warranty. Anyone ever used there PVC decking? How do it hold up to fading? I can get it for the same price as Trex (top …

Setting Foam in Place of Concrete for Deck Posts Not rated yet
Has anybody used post setting foam in place of concrete for post footers? Editors Comments Yes, you can use the new foam that is available to stabilize …

Joist Spacing Depending on Deck Board Dimensions Not rated yet
I have a 10x16 foot deck that I'm about to replace the decking and railings on. The deck was built before I bought the house and they used 16 foot …

Attaching Railing Post to a 4x8 Beam and Flush 2x8 Joist Not rated yet
I am rebuilding a front porch with composite, and reusing the framing. The framing connects 2x8 joists to a 4x8 beam directly. Most of what I see puts …

5/4 x 6 over existing deck following original pattern or change direction Not rated yet
I have a deck that I want to cover with 5/4 x6 and I'm wondering if I should copy the existing pattern... angle pattern or is it OK to do a more linear …

First Time Deck Builder Using Different Sizes of Beams Around Pool Deck Not rated yet
I have different size beams I need to connect on the center of a post. How do I ensure my beams stay the same height? The reasoning for the different …

What Constitutes A "Free Standing" Deck? Not rated yet
I paid to have a "free standing" deck with a rear support beam and rear support poles. What we got is a fully attached deck with a beam and support posts …

Spacer between dobie metal bracket and 4x4 PT support post Not rated yet
My deck design uses dobie concrete blocks embedded in concrete piers for mounting 4x4 support posts. A contractor friend told me to put a piece of …

Ledger Board Overlapping Siding Below It Not rated yet
My contractor installed my ledger board with about a 1/4" to 1/2" overlap on the bottom edge over the HardiePlank siding. They said this was intentional …

Rooftop Deck - Rail Posts on Low Profile Frame Not rated yet
I am building a rooftop deck on a slightly sloped roof that will require the joists at the high point on the roof to be only 1.5" deep. What is the best …

Adding on to composite deck to match color Not rated yet
I want to add on to my existing deck, but am unable to find anything that matches the color of the existing deck. Current (ground-level) deck is gray UltraDeck …

Deck support Not rated yet
I'm planning a deck shown in the attached sketch using ledger boards, but the 2x10 joist span on the left side is too long at 16.5' (between outside beam …

How to Anchor Deck Support Posts Where There Is A High Water Table? Not rated yet
We are putting in an above ground pool and wish to put a deck and pergola around it. Our problem is we have a high water table. About 6' below ground. …

Free standing 10' high balcony on century home Not rated yet
I have just purchased a 162 year old house and need to add a small (8' w by 5' deep) balcony/raised deck under a second story pre-existing regular door. …

Is it OK to use 5/4 PT decking on 45 degree angle to 16 Not rated yet
I'm replacing the surface of a 300 s.f. deck. The previous material was 2x6 PT but built with tongue and groove system that held water and caused lots …

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Adding on existing deck Not rated yet
I have a 12 x 10 deck. the deck comes off the house 12' and is 10' wide. I would like to add on the deck and make it 18' off house x 16' wide. My question …

Building a Deck and Preventing Water Damage Not rated yet
I have a few questions about building a deck and preventing water damage. I am concerned about framing the deck, beams and how to prevent rotting of the …

How to attach an extension to my deck? Not rated yet
I need some help on how to attach an extension to my deck. I have a 4ft(D)x 7ft(W) deck off my back door at the cottage I would like to add on another …