Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Length of Boards to Use for Deck

hi all,

i've got a deck in which the boards have become warped or cracked. it was built in a diagonal pattern. i've decided to use my time off over Christmas to pull up all of the old boards on the deck and replace them with new boards. the dimensions of the deck are 12' 1/4" x 51'. i want to place 12' boards in parallel across the length of the deck.

someone mentioned to me that i shouldn't do this as the boards will warp easier if they are that long. so my question to you all is, should i do this or stagger the boards. for example, cut a 4' board then a 8.25' board for each row along the length of the deck. will this cause any seam issues?

here's a picture of the current deck. any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll157/footballer2008/1477bc05.jpg?t=1228843700

I always stagger the joints. It looks better, but I do not think it has anything to do with the deck boards warping whatever way you do it. I always staggered the boards randomly leaving the joints at least two joist apart from row to row and three to four rows between. That's just the way I do it, some people like to see a pattern.

I think its all about the crown of the boards when they are put in. That and maintenance, which I have to say, the pics you posted don't show much of. If you do the long-short thing, keep it standard all the way down, seen that, looks pretty good (IMO of course..lol)

dre1988,

Your deck boards are "warped and cracked". That's what happens when you use wood for the decking. The length of the boards really doesn't matter. If they are wood, they are going to warp, crack, split, check, splinter, ...

Maybe that's why I haven't had a customer request a wood deck in over 5 years. You won't have those issues with a composite or vinyl deck.

Your deck is 12X51 and you want to use all 12' boards to redeck it with, placing the board in the 12' direction? That will work, and you'll have no waste, except for maybe a small ripping at each end. And if you strip a bit over 1/2 the decking off and play with the layout of the deck boards, you could probably eliminate the ripping as well.

The direction your floor joists run will determine the orientation of your deck planks. I would just imagine (might be wrong) that your floor joists are perpendicular to the length of the deck, meaning they are roughly 12' long. This would mean your deck planks would need to run the long dimension... 51'. If that's the case, you'd probably want the longest length possible, perhaps 16'. You'd also need to install them arrow straight for the deck to look good, difficult to do, but not impossible. But yes, if the joists run the other way, 12' would work well.

IMO, you always want to use the longest length of board possible, and I have no idea why you'd want to use lots of shorter pieces and have lots of joints. That would look worse than any cracking, IMO. If it's your own deck and you have the time, you could predrill and slightly countersink your fasteners to reduce splitting.

Just to add my $.02 worth, if I understand correctly (as sleeper aludes to) you're suggesting putting the boards crosswise to the long dimension. Everything I've ever heard or read recommends against this whether it's a deck or hardwood flooring. It's just more eye-appealing for the boards to run the long dimension.

It appears that some are diagonal and some straight. I agree that running them length wise(51') wood look best(staggered joints). Cup DOWN! I started using screws and that seems to help. I also started using composite which eliminates it, but a bit more expensive. Pay me now or pay me later!! Money well spent I'd say!!

I had a builder installed deck with the last house, it was 10' deep and about 24 long, so the boards were put down perpendicular to the house (maybe for drainage or cost). Added 2 more levels and all 3 were put down differently. I don't think its that big a deal how they are put down, as long as it is done correctly.

I was in that place 16 yrs, and never had a decay issue, so a well maintained wood deck should be fine. They still don't make composite structural parts. What happens when the rot resistant wood fails in 30 yrs? I know, if it is done with the correct piers and standoffs it should be fine, but has anyone here been building decks for 50-100 yrs?

thanks for the tips guys. this was my 1st deck and i didn't know i had to do maintenance.

lenghtwise it is! project starts this weekend as i'm off work until 01/02/08. i'll be back for more advice.

dre1988,

Now that I have reread your post, you have to follow the framing, or do a lot of blocking, or add some joists. A wood 2X6 will only span 24" as a deck board. Any more than that and it will be springy or bouncy.

Gunguy45,

I appreciate what you are saying about building the framing to last as long as the decking. It makes no sense to install a deck board with a 20 or 25 year warranty on a frame that will only last about 15 years tops. The weakest part of a deck frame is the joist tops. They collect dirt and water which causes them to rot, causing the deck boards to pull loose. One solution is to cover the tops of the joists with Vycor or something similar BEFORE the decking is installed. Now your framing will last as long as the deck boards.

@ Lefty...yep, thats what I was saying. And it depends on where you live as well. I think we've had maybe 1 inch of rain here this year, if that much. Guess why the old rundown shacks along the freeways and highways here are still standing. Some of them have been abandoned since WWII.

110 degrees and 10% humidity will dry out wood pretty quick. Now if only I could find any dry treated wood to do outside projects, I'd be OK. Don't think they've ever heard of SYP or a kiln around here. It's all redwood or cedar.

Gunguy45,

At the risk of getting off of the subject that dre1988 is talking about, yeah, it HAS been a dry fall in the west. Haven't had any rain here in over a month, Lake Shasta is down 155+ feet, and good wood is almost impossible to come by. (SYP isn't going to cross the Mississippi coming this way, and redwood will never cross it going the other way.)