www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Earlier i suggested the use of a router to roundover the endgrain of the cut board ends.

Having slept on it i withdraw this suggestion completly as it involves using the router in an unusual manner that is NOT RECOMMENDED in any safety manual.

SAFE METHODS to chamfer or roundover the cut edges of the endgrain include a block plane or a sander.

meanwhile in the real world get the router out

What size spacing would you recommend between the deck boards?

I was thinking of using some small angle brackets to fasten the boards to the joists rather than screwing through them, something like this but galvanised-

ultimatehandyman wrote:What size spacing would you recommend between the deck boards?

I was thinking of using some small angle brackets to fasten the boards to the joists rather than screwing through them, something like this but galvanised-

UHM you have too much time on your hands if you can be arsed using those brackets for putting deck boards down! ;-)

You can get purpose made clips for fixing boards with no visible surface fixings, i have not used them so don't know if they are any good.

I allow about 4-5mm between boards, i usually knock a big nail through a piece of wood and use the nail as a spacer.

Yup, thats what I use, a 4" nail!!

i use these to fit deck boards

wood4fun wrote:i use these to fit deck boards

Are the decking boards grooved, or do you have to knock them in?

Do these leave a set gap between the boards?

you knock them into the edge of the board and fix them to the joist. they will give you a perfect and even gap between the boards. plus no damage to the surface of the boards.

they come with a fixing tool included and nails to fit them

Niceone

Thanks

I have been around to my friends today and measured up and it is almost 40 square metres!

There is concrete covered tarmac just 6 inch below the DPC and so it looks like we are going to have to dig this out to be able to get the joists in and the air gap etc.

If I set the joists at 400mm centres would I have to put noggins every 400mm as well?

Thanks

chez

I did some decking at the back of my house last year, and I spaced the joists at 600mm, and because the deck boards are 30mm thick there is virtually no 'spring' in the boards

The afforementioned decking

looks very nice
the tree growing in the deck what type is it? just because on growth and roots

It's an apple tree, I didn't have the heart to chop it down, but if it becomes a problem I will, and there are 2 apple trees there. If you look to the left and down a bit you can just see the corner of the section I left out for it!.......total size of the decking is 4m x 7.5m.