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Here are some suggestions:
Use KDAT wood for structure. I used Cox Wood from Queen City Lumber in Charlotte. It is only about 10% more than HD or Lowes and way better I believe. It has 19% moisture.
Use end grain coating on ALL saw cuts on the structure. Anchor seal available from Woodcraft seems to work well. {The best end grain coating may be epoxy similar to West Systems. But it is expensive, specials UV resistant hardener must be us if left unpainted and takes a lot of time. But is is great}
PT deck boards should be KDAT. I prefer the 2x6 #1 from Cox wood with the two grooves on the bottom. However this wood is much higher than LOWES ACQ treated wood. (Stay away from ACQ treated wood. It is very corrosive)
The laminated posts from Cox Wood are resistant to checking and cracking but they still do. I coated mine with West Systems epoxy before paining. No cracks at all.
I have used the Deckmaster also conjunction with screws and plug. I now prefer just screws and plugs.
Rob,
Contracting it out? Where's your sense of adventure man?
PT (ACQ) is good, cedar is better, IPE is best, but it's a mother to install - it's so dense that you have to pre-drill for every screw. If memory serves, Cost roughly doubles at each step, (cedar is 2x the cost of PT, IPE is 2x the cost of cedar).
I used SS deck screws when I built my deck last year, but if I had to do it again, I would just use coated deck screws. SS is a relatively soft material - the drive bit is hardened steel. LOTS of stripped heads. I prefer screws, but ringshank nails are a fine choice to.
If you have any design questions, or run into any hang-ups w/ the permit/ inspection process, give me a call.
Contracting it out? Where's your sense of adventure man?
PT (ACQ) is good, cedar is better, IPE is best, but it's a mother to install - it's so dense that you have to pre-drill for every screw. If memory serves, Cost roughly doubles at each step, (cedar is 2x the cost of PT, IPE is 2x the cost of cedar).
I used SS deck screws when I built my deck last year, but if I had to do it again, I would just use coated deck screws. SS is a relatively soft material - the drive bit is hardened steel. LOTS of stripped heads. I prefer screws, but ringshank nails are a fine choice to.
If you have any design questions, or run into any hang-ups w/ the permit/ inspection process, give me a call.
Rob,
I second the Cox lumber, we used on our deck and it has really held up. Our lumber came from Greensboro. Another thing we did was to use 2x6's for our flooring instead of 5/4 boards and I'm really glad we did. My deck is up about 8 feet in the front and drops down to about 14+ feet in the back. You are more than welcome to come by and take a look if you like, we are in Raleigh.
Jim
I second the Cox lumber, we used on our deck and it has really held up. Our lumber came from Greensboro. Another thing we did was to use 2x6's for our flooring instead of 5/4 boards and I'm really glad we did. My deck is up about 8 feet in the front and drops down to about 14+ feet in the back. You are more than welcome to come by and take a look if you like, we are in Raleigh.
Jim
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