Publication Date:
Mon, 2004-09-20 19:00
Article Image:
Company: The Fence and Deck Doctor Submitted by: John F. Wilder Jr. Second place in the The Vermont American Built by Hand contest (pro division) |
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| The builder of this project opted to not use screws or deck fastener hardware products to fasten the deck boards, both for aesthetic reasons and to reduce the amount of labor involved. A polyurethane construction adhesive was used to glue down the deck boards, and the builder claims this technique saves about ten manhours of labor and eliminates rotting between the deck boards and the joists.
The builder ordered extra-long decking for this project -- 18- to 20-foot boards -- to provide a deck with no joints, the rationale being that rotting eventually sets in at the joints. He advises that if joints are necessary, to bevel them, then glue them together to make the joints almost invisible. Bolts in the railing posts were covered with custom wood caps, made from the same species of wood as the deck. This technique makes for almost invisible caps that have to be tapped in with a hammer because of the tight tolerance. The process elevates the deck to the level of furniture making without a lot of time and effort expended, the builder says. |
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