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Building a Composite Deck

Bob joins Wes Lohr of Lohr Construction as they install the deck framing and deck on one of the Mashpee, Massachusetts houses. The footings are poured and the deck posts are set in place with high-density plastic feet to repel moisture. The frame is being built with pressure-treated lumber, which no longer poses health risks as it once did. They look at the ledger board that is spaced 3/4 to one inch away from the house to allow for drainage and to avoid snow buildup. Lohr installs the ledger board with a six-inch lag bolt that will go through the board and into the sill plate of the house. The joist hangers are already in place on the ledger board, and the frame is completed with a base board that is mitered at the corners and fastened all the way around the deck. The first piece of composite decking is notched to go around the deck posts. They have chosen a grain pattern for this WeatherBest composite decking, which gives a wood-look appearance to the deck. The decking boards are spaced one 16-penny spike apart for proper drainage and are pre-drilled to receive the colored screws that match the decking. The base of the deck will be painted in a year, once it has dried sufficiently.

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Chapters from this episode

Installing Mildew and Mold Resistant Drywall Now Playing

Installing Mildew and Mold Resistant Drywall

Building a Composite Deck Now Playing

Building a Composite Deck

Spout-Nosed Wheelbarrow for the Easy Pouring of Concrete Now Playing

Spout-Nosed Wheelbarrow for the Easy Pouring of Concrete

Low-Maintenance Composite Decking Now Playing

Low-Maintenance Composite Decking

Clip Transcript For:

Building a Composite Deck

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Now once the concrete is cured of course they serve as a base floor. The structure for a little backyard deck and armed contractors here well Gloria hey Bob I don't doing a nice job. Chicago now one of the key things is making sure that the deck doesn't compromise the house sure. And so I've always been a big fan of having a nice gap in between the ledger board back here this one. And the actual house how do you do that here -- like terrorists face and upper house between three quarters and one inch. And we use up pieces of that composite decking that we're working was. Or keeps it so it's able to breathe and it won't rot out these cedar shingles right and if you have a big snowball you don't have to worry about it sneaking in there it'll bring -- right I notice that allow grain. All right then how are you actually attaching it we attach the ledger. What these three eighths by six inch -- six inches so they're going through the tube ride and all the way into the actual soap went right -- that the actual framing of the house yeah. Good and then you've got your joist hangers in place. So that it. Mix a little easier to install the joists just drop right down the -- that's in place OK let's let's go ahead and I don't want to slow you down but. Also wanted to point out that we are building with pressure treated lumber and -- PTL nowadays has been. Modified. And engineered so that there aren't any real health concerns -- to -- a few years none at all. We've -- always know them on the lot. That's just. Tacked in place you'll still put a -- joist hanger there. So hangers all around but we're still missing one post here right. Sharp and we'll get that cut right now OK these usage in depth without children that's a great little feature -- in the collision occurred on the backside. -- And so that's the not so it'll fit around. The the the base of the frame and we've also got these. The bottoms of the posts so that we can avoid any possibility of water damage there right sure yeah these replace what we use his was -- galvanized and these are high density plastic they do the same job. All right so the notch fits right around there and lint you can your music. OK Wes so this actually. Is what we call a band joist. And that you put a miter cut on the corners so that you've kind of make him a more elegant cut than just having a butt joint there I don't see any end grain I was very nice. It finishes it off for a nice and then you'll wait a while in the spring we'll paint it just. Just let it dry -- for a while and then. Can -- up the wolf a little home."

" I would look at. OK and then we're rest for our first piece -- decking which reduced notched out. -- and what are the advantages of this. Particular decking product is that it's got a grain pattern on one side and we're going to leave it exposed right him. Here we've chosen the grain pattern for this for this project. And now to get a nice finished look with with any decking material it's important to use a fastener that's going to look nice and neat. And this what -- good job sure it does we're going to pre drill those and then they're colored screws to match the deck. Sorry even though we don't necessarily need heat -- freezer else. You like to pre drilled because the pressure treated lumber is kind of tough to get into some very dance floors of the pressure treated amount. The screws just when a lot nicer when we prevail drove about all right. And a sixteen penny. Spike person baster gives us the perfect amount in between the boards for drainage and -- good."

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