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Not only will this make the surface unsafe to walk in, but it can also lead to a range of other problems like rotting or the buildup of mold and mildew. • Predrilling is typically necessary when fastening any type of hardwood decking. Clips & Fasteners   It’s also critical to remember that wood is a natural material that slightly expands and contracts depending on the humidity and moisture levels in the environment in which the deck is installed. I live in coastal South Carolina. I know what we’d all like. You must also consider that if your deck boards are pressure treated, they will come with some moisture in them and will eventually shrink down. You may want to predrill the screw holes at the ends of the boards to prevent the wood from splitting. Capped polymer and capped composite deck boards, on the other hand, are installed at a minimum 1/8” gap between boards because they won’t shrink from … Wood expands when it's wet. There is no gap. Use a moisture meter to find out how much water is in your wood. In hot dry conditions, wood will shrink. Wood, both softwood and hardwood, is dimensionally stable in length regardless of temperature, humidity or moisture content. During the more humid months of summer, the wood fibers in the boards will soak in more moisture, leading them to expand. Join our email list to connect with us... email This is why it is necessary to leave appropriate spacing between them when building a deck. Check out this post on Combat Archery Tag! Due to the fluctuations in the humidity in the air, deck boards will continue to cycle between expansion and shrinking. That’s why it is essential to make sure you install the decking with the correct spacing between boards the first time. If you are installing air-dried decking during a rainy or humid season you may want to place the boards with a 1/8 inch (3.5mm) gap. However, if the wood has been fully acclimated to the local climate, which can take up to 8 weeks for air dried material, it’s still best to stick with a 1/4 inch (6.5mm) gap to ensure the boards have plenty of room to expand. • The first board you install should be about 1/8" (3.5mm) away from the siding, to account for drainage, expansion and contraction. NWFA Wood Flooring Expo 2012 – What to Know Before You Go, Hardwood Floor Repairs: 5 Tips for Successful Site-Finish Repair, Engineered Flooring - 5 Questions Your Customers Will Ask You, 5 Common Customer Complaints about Hardwood Flooring, Bamboo Flooring – 5 Things You Should Tell Your Customers, Dispelling the Myths - Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest, Nova Decking Products: The Highest Quality, the Best Price, Ipe vs. Cumaru: Comparing Hardwood Decking Materials, Indonesia Officials Reopen Illegal Logging Case, Hardwood Decking Safety Tip: Non-Slip Pads, Rainforest Nations Agree to Take On Deforestation. I still installed them very close because I didn’t want large gaps once they shrink down to size. I'm Robert Sampson and I live in Colorado where I spend a lot of time in the backyard with my family either grilling, playing games and sports, or working on a project to make our backyard a better place to be. This will create acceptable gaps between the boards for water to drain off the surface. However when the shrink they tend to split along the grain where the screws are because the screws won't let the board shrink so it splits instead. In the dryer seasons, they lose moisture and shrink as a result. • Before fastening the boards into place, perform a dry run to ensure the final results will look good and are evenly spaced. Wood Floor Hardness Ratings - How Important Is The Janka Test? Apitong lumber is available. Kiln Sticks. When installing new air-dried decking the proper gap ranges from 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) - 1/4 inch (6.5mm) depending on the environment. We recommend using a full 1/4 inch gap even with kiln dried or fully acclimated 1x4 and 5/4x4 as well as 1x6 and 5/4x6. It was common in the 18th Century for wooden sailing ships travelling from Europe to the tropics to suffer shrinkage of the deck boards. To straighten a crooked board, attach one end of the board to the deck joists, and then pry the other end into place before securing it. There is no reason to put a gap between the ends (also known as butt ends or butt joints) of wood deck boards. Will it damage my deck more? While this gap is fairly small, it is still a crucial component to any good deck. Start installing deck boards at the outside of the deck and work towards the house wall. ", "The prior owner of my house installed 5/4x6 pressure treated decking about six years ago. Or at least very minimally across the width. Ultimate Lumber Calculator - Metric Standard Unit Conversions, Lapacho Prefinished Flooring - A Great Value, Brazilian Cherry Flooring - FSC Certification, Brazilian Apitong Trailer Decking History. When these fibers hold moisture, they tend to expand, making the boards bigger. I got a bunch to go around on my deck and shim. Account for this in the spacing by giving it a little more room between boards. If you’re installing deck boards during the dryer months, you will have to consider that the boards will soak in moisture in the more humid months and, as a result, expand. 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