Jerry Simon Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Is this a new-fangled way of installing cedar deck floor boards - with no spaces in between the boards? Any thoughts? Click to Enlarge 44.31 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 There should be gaps between the boards to allow for water runoff. I was always told a 1/4 to1/8" gap between boards. I have also been told that if the boards are wet/swollen, they could be installed flush and that when they dried they would shrink and the gaps would be there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickSab Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 For dry boards, the thickness of a carpenters pencil. Wet wood a 16 penny nail will work. To install with the floorboards tight will cause buckling if the wood was even moderately dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kibbel Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Any thoughts? You could mention that the Western Red Cedar Lumber Assoc. specifies that decking planks be spaced 1/8" apart to accommodate drainage and expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 I've never laid down a cedar deck but, have always installed treated decking as tight as I could get it. After two days of the sun beating down, it always opens to at least 1/8 to 1/4". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Morrison Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Yeah, not to mention that when the slider threshold is level with the deck, it becomes the point of entry of much water in snow country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Treated, I pack it as tight as it can be packed. In a year, there's a space that's just about right. Cedar, I use a case hardened finish nail, which also happens to be about the diameter of the previously mentioned pencil lead, maybe a tad thinner. That's just about right in a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 I've noticed that on decks where surface boards are pushed tightly together, there are more problems with premature rot and fungal growth. It's hard to figure out how much of a gap to leave. I would prefer to install any surface boards when they have a high moisture content, and then leave a decent gap from there. That way, the deck boards can "breathe" and drain better during the wet season. If I saw a wet deck where boards were tightly butted together, I'd write it up. Oh yeah, I write up decks all the time that are flush with exterior door thresholds-- bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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