Deck Help

[cral12]

Originally Posted by surferguy

cedar requires a UV protector to not turn grey. If you use thompsons water seal it will still grey off. You need to use a product called Penofin (Available at Timbertown - talk to Bigtime) or Skikkens (available at Cedar Shop talk to Cedar Meter).

It is best to oil (finish) all sides so that greying cannot come from the back out. Bigtime and Cedar Meter will have more info.

Thanks surferguy!

a) How often do you need to use those products?

b) If choosing to let it grey naturally, does it affect longevity of the wood/deck?

[speede5]

Technically that splice is not correct and if you were paying someone to build it that wouldn't be acceptable. As the wood shrinks the gap between the two boards will widen a bit. I would glue and nail a third board on the backside, sandwiching in the buttsplice. This board doesn't need to be in the saddles over the posts, but it will beef up that beam considerably.

That said if you left it you would probably never have an issue, but that's the farmer in me talking. :P

[automaton 3]

As others have said - the issue is most likely to arise when you sell the house.

My 2 cents are - you went through the trouble of putting in 4 screw pilings - why cut corners on the beam? 2x8's are cheap.

Best would be to re-build the beam as a 3 ply properly spliced, or even consider adding a 3rd ply to the existing beam for your own piece of mind, if nothing else.

It won't take that long to take apart and reassemble in the greater scheme of things.

[You Need a Thneed]

A beam is only as strong as it's weakest point, and you have a spot where the beam is only one ply.

I'd definately want to make that a three ply beam.

You spent more on carriage bolts than they extra ply of 2x8.

Ideally, you want splices at the supports, or at the 1/3 points between supports (not right in the middle). In a three ply beam, you should never have two plys spliced at the same point, other than directly on top of a support. Every piece of every ply would ideally span at least two supports, but at least on one support and two thirds of the way to the second one. Short pieces at the end don't help very much.