Understanding Decking Terminology

Terminology Of Decks

When you start on a journey of planning, building, or updating a deck, there are a lot of terms you should know. Take a look at this graphic put together by Wood Magazine. If you’re a visual learner, it’s especially helpful. They’ve also defined all of the different terms. Armed with this information, you should feel confident moving forward with your wood deck construction.

A deck is essentially an outdoor floor supported by a frame, posts, and footings secured in the ground; assembled in stages; and built from the ground up. The following terms define all of the important components of a typical deck.

Beams or girders: Hefty framing members (usually 4x, 6x, or doubled or tripled 2x stock) attached horizontally to the posts to support the joists.

Bridging: Short pieces of lumber between joists that strengthen the framing. They are designed to prevent the joists from twisting.

Decking: 2x or 5/4 stock attached to the joists to form the deck floor.

Footings: Concrete columns below grade that support the posts and, thus, the deck. On sites where the soil freezes and thaws, concrete is poured in an above-grade form and a cylindrical hole. Ask your building department for footing depths in your area.

Joists: Horizontal framing members (usually 2x stock) fastened on top of the beam or flush with the ledger to support the decking. A header is fastened to the ends of the deck?s interior joists. Rim joists or end joists are the outermost joists perpendicular to the ledger.

Joist hangers: Metal fasteners that allow you to fasten the joists in place without notching the ends of the board. A joist hanger secures a joist to a ledger or rim joist.

Ledger: A board (usually 2x stock) attached to the house to support one side of the deck.

Piers: (not illustrated) Precast concrete pyramids made to set on in-ground footings. Where frost heave is not a factor, piers set directly on the ground to support posts.

Post anchors: Metal framing connectors that attach posts to piers or footings. They raise the base of the posts slightly above the top of the footing, protecting them from water damage.

Posts: Timbers (usually 4x or 6x) set vertically to support the deck framing. Posts are used on all but the shortest decks. The posts can be cut off below the deck surface, or they may rise above the surface to provide support for the railing. Posts may rest on top of concrete footings or they can be set plumb in the hole before the concrete is poured.

Rails: Horizontal components of railings that provide a safety barrier and handhold for stairs or along the sides of the deck.

Railing: The assembly made of rails, rail posts, cap rails, and balusters or spindles. The balusters, the smallest vertical components, are positioned to fill the space between the top and bottom rails and between rail posts. Maximum baluster spacing for child safety is 4".

Risers: Boards covering the vertical spaces between stairway treads. Although shown in the drawing, risers are often omitted on deck steps and other exterior steps.

Stringers: Long, diagonal framing parts (usually 2x12s) that support stair treads. The stair treads are attached to the stringers.

Treads: The horizontal, stepping surfaces of a stairway.

Now that you've learned what some of the terminology means, we hope it will help you feel a little more comfortable planning your deck project! Understanding these commonly used terms should give you a steady foundation to stand on.

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MAZE LUMBER

1100 Water Street

P.O. Box 449

Peru, IL 61354
Phone: 815-223-1742

Fax: 815-223-1752

Hours:

Monday-Friday: 7:30AM - 4:30PM

Saturday: 8:00AM - 12:00Noon

Sunday: Closed

Decking 101: Stain vs. Paint vs. Seal

One of the many questions in life – should I stain or paint or seal my deck? All will protect your deck, thus saving you tons of cash. The cost of staining, sealing, or painting your deck is way (WAY) cheaper than replacing the whole thing. No matter what, test the color on a hidden board prior to tackling the entire project to make sure you’re happy with the color. Better to be safe than sorry. Also, be sure to read the stain, paint, sealer manufacturers instructions on application. Follow the rules, folks.

Which is better- Stain, Seal, or Paint? The answer is simple: it’s personal preference. Whether you stain, paint, or seal, it is extremely important that you protect it.

Stains Explained

Stains do a great job of highlighting the natural beauty of the wood grain. The right stain can be a stunning, simple, design addition to your exterior space. You’ll have to maintain your decking from time to time. The frequency of maintenance will depend on things like wear and tear, the color of the stain, the quality of the stain, and the quality of the prep work that went into staining the deck before. There’s solid and semi-transparent stains depending on how much you would like to see the wood grain.

If the proper prep work was done to a deck on the East Coast near the salty air, and if the deck doesn’t have any shade – with six people living in the house and using the area once a week – with a midgrade quality stain … you might expect to the deck would have to be re-stained every few years.

We’ll have more on prep work in another post soon.

Paints Explained

As a protective coating goes, paint is hard to beat. You won’t see discolorations or any imperfections until something happens to the paint. The required maintenance for a painted deck will be less frequent, but again it will depend on the location, Mother Nature, and how much use your deck gets. Be sure to look for exterior deck/patio paint.

Keep in mind, however, that paint can flake. So this might require more maintenance than a stain.

Sealers

You can get a clear sealant for your deck if you want the unique grains to shine through. However, sometimes it’s fun to mix it up. Most of the time, stains also contain a protective sealant. It’s a good idea, though, to re-seal your deck (or check that it needs to be re-sealed) once a year.

Water and Oil

Water-based stains can adhere to water or oil-based coatings already present on the wooden surface. Water-based stains can be cleaned up with water.

Oil-based stains will only adhere to wood previously stained with an oil-based product. Oil spills can be cleaned up with paint thinner.

When to Stain, Paint, or Seal: Sprinkle Test

The way you can check to see if your deck needs some help is the sprinkle test. Sprinkle some water on it. If it beads up, wait a few days and try again. If the water absorbs into the wood, it’s time to stain, pain, or seal.

For more information, check out our website!

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MAZE LUMBER

1100 Water Street

P.O. Box 449

Peru, IL 61354
Phone: 815-223-1742

Fax: 815-223-1752

Hours:

Monday-Friday: 7:30AM - 4:30PM

Saturday: 8:00AM - 12:00Noon

Sunday: Closed

Is It Time To Refinish Your Deck?

Is your deck looking worse for wear? It’s time to refinish it! Out with the sun-bleached gray and in with the new! When it comes to revitalizing your deck, there are many options, and Mother Nature is a formidable opponent.

The wood for decks is pressure-treated, and that’s a good thing; the bugs steer clear, it’s made to stand up to the elements, it's low maintenance and easier to maintain than you think.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

A well-kept deck with new stain and sealer will endure the elements and look super fabulous compared to an unfinished deck.

Would you like a contrasting or blending deck stain? You can go either way with a gamut of colors that will beautify and protect. Here’s the catch. When you stain, you have to seal. The same sealer that protects tends to fade in the sunlight. And if you don’t keep that up, it’ll look faded and neglected.

The good news is that refinishing—outside of labor—will only run about $200 in materials. Power Washing is great for dirt, mildew and some layers of the older finishes. You could get an electric pressure washer however, cheaper ones are little more than an overpriced water pistol. Get a gas powered version that has some boom to it. They run around $300 +/- but will pay for themselves over time. Renting one or having a power washing service can run the same for a single visit.

Cleaning, stripping and sealing

Refinishing your deck is a three-step process. It involves stripping and scrubbing the deck with an effective cleaner followed by resealing all the exposed wood surfaces with a clear, semi transparent or solid-color sealer. Be sure to repair or replace any rotting pieces.

Once the deck has dried and cured, do a walk around and check for any nail or screw heads. Those can be murder on toes. Most of the time you can countersink the nails. However, deck screws are another story.

For deck screws, simply back them out with a cordless drill with a Phillips’ head bit. If the teeth won’t bite, try using a slam hammer. Replace any screws with 3″ galvanized (weatherproof) deck screws, using the existing screw holes.

We'll cover Staining vs Painting vs Sealing in our next blog. Be sure to check it out!

Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check us out on Instagram!

MAZE LUMBER

1100 Water Street

P.O. Box 449

Peru, IL 61354
Phone: 815-223-1742

Fax: 815-223-1752

Hours:

Monday-Friday: 7:30AM - 4:30PM

Saturday: 8:00AM - 12:00Noon

Sunday: Closed