It ain't 'fine', but I say it counts!

[wtnhighlander]

You may have noticed that my project posts have been a little, well....non-existant, of late. Life happens, day job, home refurbishments, yada, yada.

 

Well, I was so proud to have worked wood today, I had to post something.

 

Hand-cut notches for the first course of flooring to fit around the support / handrail posts on my deck reno.

 

Hurray for small victories.

[Eric.]

DIY projects...the epitome of lemons and lemonade.

[Denette]

DIY projects...the epitome of lemons and lemonade.

 

When life hands you gators, make Gatorade.

 

Smelling sawdust for the first time in a while is a wonderful feeling.

[Eric.]

Just now, Denette said:

Smelling sawdust for the first time in a while is a wonderful feeling.

Even when it's pine...if that's all you can get.  I love the smell of turpentine in the morning. LOL

[Coop]

We realize that now being a mod, you have to be more selective on what you post! Hopefully you used pocket screws and not nails? 

[Llama]

I see you kept your layout lines for that true craftsman look. As we all know, only dovetails that have the scribe line count

 

[wtnhighlander]

We realize that now being a mod, you have to be more selective on what you post! Hopefully you used pocket screws and not nails? 

Scres, shmews - that baby is friction-fit!

[wdwerker]

I screwed the top on my grill table from below 20 years ago. No hole in the top prevents water from getting in. Other than weathering gray they are good as new.

[TerryMcK]

Nobody will notice the screw holes apart from you.

[RichardA]

Go for it Ross. At least it's a useful project.

[SawDustB]

I used the camo hidden fastener system with my cedar decking 5 years ago. The screws go in diagonally through the edge of the board, so nothing shows on the face. It is intended for 5/4 decking, with a particular tool for 4 inch and 6 inch decking. I'm pretty happy with the result, and it was no more trouble than regular deck screws. I'd recommend it if it works in your situation. I looked at some of the other systems and they were either more expensive or a lot more work.

[wtnhighlander]

I used the camo hidden fastener system with my cedar decking 5 years ago. The screws go in diagonally through the edge of the board, so nothing shows on the face. It is intended for 5/4 decking, with a particular tool for 4 inch and 6 inch decking. I'm pretty happy with the result, and it was no more trouble than regular deck screws. I'd recommend it if it works in your situation. I looked at some of the other systems and they were either more expensive or a lot more work.

I think I saw that system recently. It uses a guide block, and trim screws, correct? Do the trim screws hold ok as the wood moves with the seasons?

[SawDustB]

I think I saw that system recently. It uses a guide block, and trim screws, correct? Do the trim screws hold ok as the wood moves with the seasons?

 

So far so good. They are in alternating directions, so they hold pretty well despite their size. Yes, your description is correct.

 

If you go this route, get the one that allows you to put screws in from both sides. There's a cheaper one that only had one guide in it, and I think it would make the decking take way longer (and would cause issues in corners). This is the kit I used for my decking. There are a couple of variations depending on your board thickness and width.

[Denette]

Yeah, as mentioned, the system of screws that go in diagonally is pretty great. My father-in-law used it a couple of years ago and it worked great.

[SawDustB]

Before I end up sounding like an infomercial for this system, I should mention the one drawback is that you are at a fixed 3/16 spacing with the tool I used. This wasn't an issue for me, but I know some people consider that too wide once the lumber shrinks. They seem to have other tools now that allow you to go narrower, but I don't know anything about them.

[wtnhighlander]

 

I decided to go with simply screwing through the face. Not elegant, but simple. I did make a couple of work-aids to help. A gauge that slips over the joist and across the deck plank, and has 2 16d nails I can tap to mark consistant screw locations. Also, a router guide to make half-laps where the planks meet over a joist.

 

 

Got a bit of floor laid today, but TN summer humidity has landed with full force, I almost melted away!

 

 

Here, I am just getting started. I laid about 150 sq. ft. before calling it quits.

 

 

 

[Dknapp34]

Deck looks great so far!

 

I'm a little to the party here, but for anyone else interested, I used the camo system building my deck last year and it worked great. The deck boards survived a Rochester winter followed by a wet spring so far with no cupping or twisting at all. I will be spending my day today digging post holes for the wrap around stairs I never got around to finishing last year.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Eric.]

That picture says:

"I'm about to build this deck...then I'm gonna whoop your ass."

LOL

[wtnhighlander]

That picture says:

"I'm about to build this deck...then I'm gonna whoop your ass."

LOL

More like the heat whipping me! It was about 90* and near 100% humidity yesterday. And I'm about to go at it again!

[mat60]

Your work is allot better than some so called pro,s.  Nice looking yard also.

[wdwerker]

Half lapped joints over the joists ! You've earned my respect !

[Tom King]

I meant to post about face screwing decking boards.   For over 20 years, when face screwing decking boards, I alternate sides of the boards on each joist, so that there is only one screw through one board into the joist, except on the ends.  This gives the boards some freedom of movement.   I use the invisible fastener things for porches, but have had better luck with decks and docks.

I'll see if I can find a picture of a dock I built in 1990.  The top sides of the boards were starting to check badly, and in 2009, we turned them over.  This picture is taken  a year or so ago.   I face screw dock decks because sometimes the water comes up over them, and they need the extra strength.

This dock is 32' square on the main part.  I bought a bundle of no.1  5/4x6x16 decking boards, and stacked what I had left on stickers for future jobs.

On the board ends, if it was obvious to start with which side would want to curl up, I'd put one screw on that side of the board, and the next one in line on the same side of the board.   After the boards had dried for a year or so, I went back and took one of the screws out of the ends that had two screws in them.

It looks like these boards probably have at least another ten years in them.

I had someone come drive the pilings, and I built the rest of it.

Other docks, here on the same lake, don't last half that long with two fasteners into every joist.

[OldSouthWoodCraft]

I think I saw that system recently. It uses a guide block, and trim screws, correct? Do the trim screws hold ok as the wood moves with the seasons?

 

I know I'm going to catch some serious flak for bringing up the K word.

 

That being said I have noticed recently that Kreg has started making their own version of a hidden screw deck fastening system complete with their own line of corrosion resistant screws. Not sure how effective it is but I would imagine it is very quick and near idiot proof for installation.

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

 

[wtnhighlander]

I looked long and hard at the Camo hidden screw system. In the end, I chickened out, because it uses #7 screws, and requires a gap between the planks. Several reviews mentioned the screws breaking as the wood moved, and the wet lumber I'm using doesn't need any extra gap!

Wish I had talked to Tom first, that alternating screw deal sounds like a good trick. But Tom, was your decking kiln dried after treatment? Mine isn't.

[Tom King]

I wish I could buy kiln dried treated wood around here.  Typically, I use an 8 cc for a spacer.  It will shrink more, but decks and docks need to be able to let surface water through anyway.  

 The reason I came up with the single fastener per joist method is because it's going to shrink some anyway, and tying down both sides is a surefire way to get the surface to check.  I first did it on a deck here at the house that's older than that dock, and the surface is still not too badly checked.  The deck here is under large tree canopies, so it doesn't get direct sunlight every day like the dock does.  The boards on the deck have never been turned over.

Any time I ever used a blind fastener system (never used the ones mentioned in this thread), I left the floor boards laying out loose on the joists as long as possible after I framed the deck, before they were fastened down.  When I built new houses, I started in the Fall, and sold it right before the next Summer, so decking or porch flooring just laid there for probably close to six months before getting the first fastener.   I did all the work on the houses myself, so I didn't have to worry about other people being there.  Some of the boards would twist of course, but I didn't want those to end up in the floor anyway.  I have some 20' lengths of 3/4" black pipe that I could put together with couplings, and use pipe clamp fixtures when needed.