7
Showerthought: I used to think the best way to lay deck boards was tight with no gaps
Built a cedar deck for my sister in Portland 3 summers ago. Pushed every board snug. Looked amazing that first spring. By that next winter the whole thing buckled like a roller coaster. Between the rain and expansion it was a mess. Had to pull half the boards and redo them with 1/8 inch spacers. Took me forever to learn that wood moves. Any of you guys had a deck job go sideways because you didn't leave room?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
ramirez.sage14d ago
Three summers with no gap and it took that long to buckle? I had a client who built a massive deck in the middle of the Arizona desert and left basically no gap and it barely moved at all. I wonder if the Portland rain is more to blame than the lack of gaps honestly.
4
lee73314d ago
Moisture is definitely the bigger factor here, not just temperature. Wood swells way more from getting wet than from heat alone. Portland gets way more rain than Arizona ever will, so that's why the deck buckled. Still, even in a dry climate, you always need some gap for movement. Tight boards look nice for a season but they'll cause you headaches later.
1