Deck Building Dos and Don’ts

Getting ready to build a deck by yourself? Learn some tips and tricks from our Cardinal sales team before you start! These will make your project go quicker and smoother, and you’ll be enjoying your new deck in no time!

Cardinal Home Center’s Dos and Don’ts when Building a Deck:

• Be sure to mark utilities and sewer lines before you start. Contact Virginia 811 before starting your marking and excavate carefully to avoid bigger headaches.

• Use spray paint on grass, or stakes and string to outline your deck’s footprint to see if you like the shape and dimension. Experiment with stair position, and place furniture within the outline to visualize the space.

• Sit down with a Cardinal team member who can enter your details and provide you with a detailed shopping list and material quote. Although we do not offer deck designs, we can assist in helping to plan out your deck.

• Make sure you check your local area for building codes. Building codes regulate the design and protect you against dangerous and costly mistakes.

• Pay attention to grading.

• The support post should permanently be mounted on top of a concrete footing, not inside, because it can rot. Additionally, take note of how deep your footings should be; this is based on your freeze zone. Our area is typically 18 inches deep.

• Joist hangers are a must in deck building. Nails and screws are not strong enough, and boards can give way without hangers. Visit Cardinal for a complete selection of Strong-Tie deck fasteners.

• When building the deck frame, cover your joists with joist tape. Pressure-treated lumber that stays wet will eventually rot. Joist or flashing tape keeps water from getting trapped between doubled-up joists and prolongs your deck’s life.

• Gaps between deck boards are necessary to shed water, but here’s a tip. When using new pressure-treated planks, position the boards against one another because as the moisture dries from the wood, the boards will shrink and naturally form gaps to allow the drainage.

• Consider investing in deck spacers or a hidden faster system like camo (see below) when using composite.

• How a ledger attaches to your house is one of the most critical elements in deck construction, and many builders get it wrong. When connecting your deck to your home, it’s imperative you install the ledger board correctly. Structural screws or masonry anchors and bolts are strong enough for hanging a ledger board. Ensure any siding is removed before the board is attached to your house and use flashing to avoid moister from getting behind the board(s).

• Fastening systems, such as the Camo Marksman, allow fast installation of decking with the fasteners hidden to the sides of the boards and make spacing boards consistent. Take note, if you use this or a similar system with new pressure-treated deck boards, your spacing between boards may become too wide after the boards dry. Consult with a Cardinal expert.

• Tip: If finding a slightly warped joist or strut board in the frame, use bar clamps and a protective shim to train it into place when you secure it.

• Avoid the common DIY deck mistake of cutting individual deck boards to length. Pros will cut the first two or three to size, leave 1/4 inch or more overhang, and run the remaining top boards long. Once they’re all installed, snap a line from the first board to the last. With this method, you can save time by cutting all the boards at once with a circular saw.

• Stairs can be tricky. Take note of your local codes and material requirements for spanners and stringers. Some decking materials and codes require 11” on center rather than 16” on center. Think ahead and plan to light your stairs. Having sufficient power outlets is also a key consideration.

Did you know you can rent a cement mixer and post-hole digger at our Madison location? Have more questions? Stop by one of our Madison or Crozet Cardinal Home Center locations and ask one of our Cardinal Specialists.