Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
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Triple posts get one less internet cookie
Nope! Not in this thread. I was on a roll.
AND THE OFFICIAL THREAD KILLER IS .....
- Thread starter AZPops
- Start date
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Nope! Not in this thread. I was on a roll.
I'd rather have the cookie than the roll.
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
Progress on rebuilding Mom's deck continues -
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
When you finish there, you can do one for me. 😁 Just leave the Robin costume with your mother.
Who is your supervisor in the chair?
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Leveling those foundation blocks must have been a PIA.
Do I see some kind of adjustable clamps that sit on top of them?
Do I see some kind of adjustable clamps that sit on top of them?
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
That's The Lovely Mrs. Gardiner. 🥰 We've been married 38 years. Best ten years of her life. 😁
As with all remodeling/rebuilding projects, the major source of PITA is working with/around existing structures. Should've known I was opening a jumbo-size can of worms. I wasn't mentally prepared for this one. The adjustable brackets made the leveling process much easier.
That's the best picture I have of the leveling blocks and brackets. I left the 6 x 6 beam in place as I didn't want to go to the trouble of R/R it. And also as a reminder of my late father who built the deck.
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An observation;
Wouldn't it have been wiser to raise the structure getting rid of the old ledger and rotten beam (looks sketchy) to house threshold avoiding the step down from door.. and then build the step around deck length lowering down to grade?
Also, can you fit Hardi board (cement composite) behind a new ledger and fit some z-flashing?
Either way, 4x4 joist should be plenty strong and should last many years 👍
Wouldn't it have been wiser to raise the structure getting rid of the old ledger and rotten beam (looks sketchy) to house threshold avoiding the step down from door.. and then build the step around deck length lowering down to grade?
Also, can you fit Hardi board (cement composite) behind a new ledger and fit some z-flashing?
Either way, 4x4 joist should be plenty strong and should last many years 👍
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
Good call. I considered raising the deck to just below the door threshold. My reasons for leaving it were not wanting to relocate the water faucet and not wanting to have an additional step from the deck to the ground. I also don't want a handrail blocking access or the view. 95 percent of the time the deck is accessed via the driveway, and very seldom is the deck used to access the door, which leads to an office - bathroom then a bedroom.
The ledger consists of four new doubled ten-foot pressure-treated 2x6s, and there's a covered deck above the one I'm rebuilding, so water is not an issue. The rot by the door was caused by a leaking gutter that Dad never repaired. The 6x6 ain't going anywhere. 😁
Four of the 4x4s are original. I reused them due to them being in great condition. Four new ones were added due to using composite decking, which requires 16" on center supports. I removed only what really needed to go. Normally, you attach ledgers to the foundation and then run 2x8s or 2x10s to a beam. Then the decking would be attached with as long runs as the material will allow. However, the Trex decking is used, and keeping the original layout allowed me to clean up all the ends. I'm not able to utilize the original screw holes, so the plan is to fill them with plastic wood putty and paint the deck with a special deck paint. Also worth mentioning, the deck is on the north side of Mom's house so it never receives direct sunlight.
As far as lasting, my hope is one or both of our sons won't have to rebuild the deck 40 years from now.
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Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
The deck boards are all cut to an eight-foot length. I'm thinking the best way to proceed will be to place them on a raised platform and patch the existing screw holes with a plastic wood filler. Then give them a light cleaning, and paint them one at a time so the sides can receive a coat. I plan on using a specal deck paint that is supposed to cover/patch up to 1/4" cracks. The paint should hold-up well since the deck is covered and the sun never shines on it.
I think using retaining wall blocks and caps on all sides of the deck as a step will be a nice, longlasting solution, and L@@K great.
I think using retaining wall blocks and caps on all sides of the deck as a step will be a nice, longlasting solution, and L@@K great.
IMA SOL MAN
Flashlight Enthusiast
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
Thanks!
Seeing how slowly I work, you'd quickly come to realize hiring me was a mistake. BTW, I'm not smart enough, or, maybe too smart, to bid on a job. Time and materials. 🤓
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
I contacted a customer service representative at Trex today. She was helpful and sent me an official paper on painting/staining the different offerings from Trex. The older Trex can be painted or stained. So, my plan on filling the original screw holes with putty is a go. Reading the wood putty container, I learned the proper way to obtain a color match is to mix the stain with the putty before applying it. Reading the instructions provides the best possible results ..... Uh. Who knew?
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
All 44 boards were scrubbed by hand. I decided to forgo using the pressure washer due to not wanting to subject them to the pressure and because I also wanted to clean the sides.
They really soaked up the water, so I'm sure waterproofing them is a good idea.
It rained cats n dogs all Thursday night and Friday morning. Then the sun burst through raising the temperature to 80 degrees.
This is how much of the deck is subject to the rain.
I'm really L@@King forward to having the holes patched and the boards stained and then attached. Summer is quickly running out.
They really soaked up the water, so I'm sure waterproofing them is a good idea.
It rained cats n dogs all Thursday night and Friday morning. Then the sun burst through raising the temperature to 80 degrees.
This is how much of the deck is subject to the rain.
I'm really L@@King forward to having the holes patched and the boards stained and then attached. Summer is quickly running out.
I've used Minwax stain sealer in the past. I don't know if it is good for trex. Did she recommend a brand to use?
I agree, that water proofing them is a good idea. Considering that you do get below 32F winter weather, I suspect that the expansion of soaked in water when frozen can be hard on the boards.
If the deck is going to be in direct sunlight, the trex can get REALLY HOT, and relatively soft. You might then consider if the floor joists are close enough together to prevent bending. You may need an additional joist..
Well my friend, I looked back to count how many joists you have and I see that two of my concerns have already been addressed. You added joists so that they are 16 inches on center, and the deck never sees the sun.
Good job!
I agree, that water proofing them is a good idea. Considering that you do get below 32F winter weather, I suspect that the expansion of soaked in water when frozen can be hard on the boards.
If the deck is going to be in direct sunlight, the trex can get REALLY HOT, and relatively soft. You might then consider if the floor joists are close enough together to prevent bending. You may need an additional joist..
Well my friend, I looked back to count how many joists you have and I see that two of my concerns have already been addressed. You added joists so that they are 16 inches on center, and the deck never sees the sun.
Good job!
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
Hi Poppy,
Brandi, the Trex rep, asked me to e-mail a picture of the boards. She identified the product as Trex Accents and e-mailed me the following. She didn't offer any advice. There is, however, a recommended product, Versacryl, listed at the bottom of the bulletin. I viewed a YouTube video where the product was discussed as being very expensive. I was going to use Behr DeckOver, but after reading a lot of reviews, I think a semitransparent or solid waterbed stain will be a better choice.
I'm guessing the boards are at least 15 years old, and given the reason you listed above, plus needing to patch the original screw holes, I'm going to use a stain with some pigment in it. The boards look really good and I could easily live with them as is if it weren't for the holes.
I "played around" with the spacing as best I could. Utilizing 4x4s gave me a little wiggle room, but I placed the posts as close together as possible with the desired board run being eight feet.
Thanks! 🤓
My back porch and steps needed to be refreshed. Initially I opted to go with a redwood stain. The stain only tainted the wood and it wasn't particularly nicely grained pine. So I went with a gel solid IIRC. The thing I liked about it was that it wasn't paint. When one needs to repaint, one needs to do a lot of prep-work. I believe that with stain, you just re-apply it.
I wonder if a sealant goes on thick enough to cover 1/4 inch cracks, if it could chip like paint and needs to be prepped before reapplication.
If concerned with getting sealant in-between the boards you might consider using a spray gun. Boy oh boy, a spray gun makes a project go quickly.
I wonder if a sealant goes on thick enough to cover 1/4 inch cracks, if it could chip like paint and needs to be prepped before reapplication.
If concerned with getting sealant in-between the boards you might consider using a spray gun. Boy oh boy, a spray gun makes a project go quickly.
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Maybe start a thread on Home Improvement Builds
Have Mr. Ed place the last 12 posts in it.
Would be a good thread
Quoting myself is Twilight Zone'ish
I meant to say 'Chance, you should start a thread on Home Improvement Builds'
Chauncey Gardiner
Flashaholic
Do you ever see a new thread and upon reading the title say - "Oh hell no! No way I'm jumping into that rabbit hole. Not even a peek!"?
