Deck Building Guidelines cont'd

Fastening The Decking

There are several ways to fasten the deck boards to the joists. They can be nailed with galvanized or stainless steel nails, with a ring shank, or they can be screwed, again using galvanized, stainless steel or specially coated screws. You can also use the EC™ deck clip as shown in Diagram EC1.

The quickest and most common fastening method is nailing, either with a hammer or a pneumatic nailer. For 2" x 6" lumber decking, use 16d nails. For 5/4 decking, use 10d nails. For Carefree Decking™, use 10d nails for surface nailing, 8d nails when toe-nailing, and 4d, 6d or 1¼" deck screws when the recommended EC™ clips are used. When nailing, take extra care at the board ends - a nail can split the board. The best way to avoid this is to pre-drill a hole somewhat smaller than the diameter of the nail. Check local building codes for nailing specifications prior to installation.

The usual pattern is two nails per decking board at each joist. Keep them about 5/8" from the edge. If board length is in excess of 8', we strongly recommend the use of the EC Deck Clip™ and blind nailing system.

Stair Installation

Use shorter board lengths along with an approximately 1/8" gap between the butt ends of each step board. This will promote better control of expansion and contraction. Stair board lengths should not exceed 6' in length. See Diagram D4.

Assembly of the Carefree Deck Stairs illustrating that the staggered step joints are acceptable to the eye and allow shorter lengths to be applied.

Railings

Railings are made of several parts. The Carefree railing system has posts for support, with horizontal rails and numerous smaller vertical spindles. The posts are either lapped over the outside of the rim joist or attached between joists on the back side of the rim. The top rail may be composed of several parts, in which case the uppermost piece is called the custom rail cap. Railings often have a bottom horizontal rail. In our Carefree Deck System, the bottom rail has the same lumber profile as the custom rail cap. Recommended carefree railing installation is shown in Diagram R1. Rail sections should be no greater than 4' in length post to post.

Recommended Carefree Railing Installation

*Do not notch 4' x 4' posts.