Blocking is endless

This deck design, with its clever angles and "picture frame," is a blocking hog. It's never enough for this deck.

Basically, with a bunch of parallel joists 16" on center, you lay the deck boards perpendicular to the joists and you're done. The ends of the deck boards rest on the outer, or rim joists. With my deck, I started adding blocking (mentally) last week, because I was imagining what that "picture frame" would rest on. Across the front (south), the joists support the frame every 16", so the frame is just like a deck board. On the sides, however, the frame needs help, so I installed blocking every 16".

Stupid me. I failed to consider that the deck boards need to land on something at each end. More than that, in theory--they can't just land on a half a joist. Sheets of drywall or plywood sheathing do that all the time--they end on the centerline of a framing member. But I'm using hidden fasteners (for the deck boards) with a center screw that wants to be screwed to the center of a 2x joist. That's where the fru-fru angles really make things tough.

The deck boards (purple) rest on the half the joist, but we need a sister joist to mount the hidden fasteners.

Next to the stairs, my weird 14-degree deck boards are left in mid-air, and blocking to support them will have to contend with the Simpson DTT1Z.

I'm handling the picture frame miter just fine, but not the deck boards.

Remember, we want the deck boards to use the hidden fasteners except for cases like at the house. Things would be easier if we could just use exposed screws, which is how we'll attach the picture frame. I don't think we'll need another block to handle the picture frame miter where only a corner is supported, but I'll reserve the right to cut a quick 45-degree block if it feels needed. (Just looking at the marked up photo, it looks needed.)

The final problem area is the west side.

The existing blocking supports the picture frame, but new blocking for the deck boards is required

In the west side case, the new blocking (in the two voids behind the girder) needs to ignore the picture frame and be solidly under the deck boards. Say it with me now--the hidden fasteners don't like to share a joist.

Did I factor in the need for this many linear feet of 2x8? Of course not.

To end on a positive note, the joist tape I found is perfect! TrexProtect tape comes in 1-5/8" and 3-1/8" widths. Home Depot sells the narrow for 35.54¢ a foot (in 50-foot rolls) and the wide for 80.26¢ a foot. (I think Trex is like Bose--they charge a lot to pay for the advertising that makes them so well-known.) Another aside: Dunn Lumber charges 36.76¢/foot and 67.76¢/foot for the wider.

The solution that I found is Nichigo G-Tape. It's 4" x 65' for 46¢ a foot. I used the full 4" on my double 2x8 beams, and then used scissors to cut the remaining 48 feet or so into two, 2" strips. The tape has paper backing, so this was easy. If it was just adhesive, like a roll of masking tape, it would have been a mess. I paid 46¢/foot for the beams, but just 23¢/foot for the joist flashing, and it's 2" not 1-5/8", so it folds over the sides for more protection.

Deck Building Process

The lumber and the decking are here; no more waiting and wondering. I've spent $4,400 so far, including the kitchen shelving and a few miscellaneous things. 46.67% of the money went to Fiberon decking, not to mention $337 for hidden deck fasteners. But that's less than Home Depot offers online (and I have it now, not mid-July).

What order shall we do things?

In general, I think I should build the framing and stain it black before installing any Fiberon. But I can finish the upper deck before starting on the lower. I'll apply lessons from one to the other.

The Fiberon installation manual recommends against the flat 2x4 blocking I was thinking about to support the "picture frame." They say it can trap water, and I was planning to use composite fascia then, anyway. I need to get my design straight.

1. Design the upper deck "picture frame" blocking and post attachment. Make a decision about any further Simpson connectors.
2. Cut the 2 2x4 intermediate posts and attach them temporarily. Treat cut ends.
3. Use an old deck board to create a cable rail template.
4. Remove 6 posts and drill 1-1/4" countersink, then 1/2" through. Re-attach them plumb in both directions and keep them plumb with temp braces.
5. Cut and install the 5 pieces of 2x4 sub-rail. Treat cut ends.
6. Cut and install the new 2x8 blocking.
7. Buy a table saw (or borrow Kevin's?). Buy a 4" drill bit slightly bigger than 1/8" cable.
8. Rake the dirt, establish finish grade. Install the weed fabric.
9. Cut and install 2x4 "X" bracing under the joists. Treat cut ends (or skip it).
10. Use the cable rail template to drill 8 holes through 8 posts.
11. Connect the 8 posts for real; remove the temp braces
12. Black stain visible parts of the frame, along with the "vault" hatch
13. Install the acrylic tape flashing after the stain
14. Install the composite picture frame using TrapEase screws and solid edge boards. Stay 1/4" from the house at BR2
15. Layout 5.5" centers 1/4" from the house at the breezeway. Start at the top of the steps and work back toward the house. Rip the Fiberon board at the house using the table saw. Fill in the triangular extension pieces, cutting angles as necessary.
16. Layout 5 stringers; verify height to concrete. Design stringers on paper if necessary, then carefully transfer to a 2x12. 
17. Cut one 2x12 and test fit against the deck. If it fits, clone it 4 times.
18. Attach 5 stringers to the rim joist/girder and cut a 2x4 to align the toe. 
19. Black stain the stringers and 2x4.
20. Apply butyl tape to the runs.
21. Cut (miter) 4 tread picture frames and install them.
22. Cut and install the rest of the treads;

Then, move on to the lower deck.

1. Main Girder
1. Cut 2x8x8' in half, then create main 15' 6" girder. 
2. Establish top of girder at 8-1/4" below the finished deck by marking concrete foundation wall. Use temporary braces to float girder at that level.
3. Dig and set the piers on undisturbed soil under the girder. Cut 4x4 scraps to fit from girder to pier. Install them and remove the temporary braces.
2. Secondary Girder
1. Create the 11'6" (verify dimension) girder from 2x8x12'. Install temporary "joists" and mark 6' on them. Prop the girder on temporary braces so that it is level and aligned with the first girder.
2. Dig and set the piers on undisturbed soil under the girder. Cut 4x4 scraps to fit from girder to pier. Install them and remove the temporary braces.
3. Stair Girder
1. Create 4'+ (verify dimension) girder. Move the temporary "joists" to the west end and mark 3'4" on them. Prop the girder on temporary braces so that it is level and aligned with the first girder.
2. Dig and set the piers on undisturbed soil under the girder. Cut 4x4 scraps to fit from girder to pier. Install them and remove the temporary braces.
4. Cut and install joists 1, 4(dbl), and 10. Cut and install rim joist at the prow, joist 13, at the stairs.
5. Cut and install joists 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12.
6. Rake to "finish grade" and install weed fabric.
7. Install solid blocking along the main and secondary girders (stair girder uses rim joist). Install "ladder" blocking at east and west ends
8. Cut and install 10 4x4 posts and 3 intermediate 2x4 posts. Drill 1-1/4" countersink, then 1/2" through. Plumb them and hold with temporary braces.
9. Cut and install the 8 pieces of 2x4 sub-rail. Treat cut ends.
10. Buy a table saw (or borrow Kevin's?). Buy a 4" drill bit slightly bigger than 1/8" cable.
11. Cut and install 2x4 "X" bracing under the joists. Treat cut ends (or skip it).
12. Use the cable rail template to drill 8 holes through 10 posts.
13. Connect the 10 posts for real; remove the temp braces
14. Black stain visible parts of the frame
15. Install the acrylic tape flashing after the stain
16. Install the composite picture frame using TrapEase screws and solid edge boards. Stay 1/4" from the house
17. Layout 5.5" centers 1/4" from the house at BR3. Start at the top of the steps and work back toward the house. Rip the Fiberon board at the house using the table saw. Fill in the triangular extension pieces, cutting angles as necessary.
18. Layout 5 stringers; verify height to concrete. Design stringers on paper if necessary, then carefully transfer to a 2x12. 
19. Cut one 2x12 and test fit against the deck. If it fits, clone it 4 times.
20. Attach 5 stringers to the rim joist/girder and cut a 2x4 to align the toe. Cut and install the 11th post against the west-most stringer.
21. Black stain the stringers and 2x4.
22. Apply acrylic tape to the runs.
23. Cut (miter) 4 tread picture frames and install them.
24. Cut and install the rest of the treads;

Tuesday Night Status

We have posts on the upper deck. They're only temporarily attached and we need blocking around the posts. We might use the Simpson DTTxZ--the DTT1Z is $2.47 each, but the DTT2Z is $9.14. The cheap one needs a 3/8" bolt; the criminally expensive one uses a 1/2" bolt.

The next step involves 2x4s. There are mid-span verticals and the 2x4 sub-rails will keep the posts plumb (in the cable rail plane). I'll use temporary bracing at the corners to keep them plumb in the other direction. Then we put in the blocking, drill the holes for the bolts and the cable rail (that's a lot of drilling) and install the bolts (and whatever DTTs I've decided to use). I also need 2x4s to brace the girders north and south. Otherwise, the deck (which has no connection to the house) could collapse into the backyard (south).

2x4s will arrive with the Fiberon decking, the 2x12 stair stringers and the rest of the girders, joists, and posts. No delivery date yet, but here's what's coming:

• (9) 16' solid edge composite deck
• (33) 12' grooved edge composite deck (33!)
• (9) 16' grooved edge composite deck
• 6 boxes of hidden fasteners and 1 box of surface screws
• (5) 2x12x10' for stringers
• (15) 2x8x8' for joists
• (2) 2x8x12' for girders and joists
• (8) 2x4x8' for sub-rail, intermediate posts
• (2) 2x4x10' for bracing
• (4) 4x4x12' for posts

The (18) 16' composite deck boards will weigh 32 pounds; the (33) 12' boards will be 24 pounds each. There will be 36 individual pressure treated pieces of lumber.

This is the color I bought. I'll have a picture frame of the same color.

Having demolished the remains of the lower deck on Monday night (it took about an hour is all), I went ahead and laid out the piers and rough extents on Tuesday. The framing plan shows the deck running all the way to the west wall of the house, but there's a downspout there and it's a little tight for accessing the side yard. The long side is 15' 6", and if I move the whole deck east by 12", the 15' 6" width still fits easily.

Dimensions from memory. Missing 3 piers under the girder closest to the camera

We could build to the corner, but the downspout would land near the railing. Shift east is better.

Since I didn't hear from them, I drove back to the dealer in South Seattle. The building was still there, but there was no sign of any lumber in the yard. I could have sworn they had a sign up when I was there on Monday, but the locked, empty building was now also nameless. Anyway, I'm sure they'll call any day now to deliver my supplies.

The Metric System

It's raining unexpectedly, so I'm stuck inside watching maker videos. Many of them are not in the US, so they use metric.

2x8 joists = 38 x 184 millimeters
Do they call them 50 x 200s? Well, first, they call them timber, not lumber. 2x4s are 47x100s, and 2x8s are indeed 47x200s. Fulham Timber sells 47x200mm Sawn Treated, C16 Graded & Regularised Timber for as little as £11.58 ($14.30) for a 3m length (9' 10"). S4S (surfaced four sides) in US is PAR in the UK--Planed All Round.

4x4 posts = 89 x 89 mm (sold as 100x100s)

1" x 5.4" deck boards = 23 x 137 mm

36" guardrail height = 915 mm

3.4" cable rail spacing = 86 mm (cables are 3.175 mm)

General Rule: 1" = 25.4 mm, so 4" is a little over 100 mm, a foot is 304.8 mm, and so on.

More Deck Colors

The small upper deck, 80 SF, is projected to need $1,400 worth of composite decking. The lower deck is about 120 SF. I'm looking at $3,500 in composite decking alone. What color is kind of important.

There are a lot of brands out there, and they each have different lines, but Trex Transcend and TimberTech AZEK stand out. They're about the same price, $5/LF (roughly $10/SF), and they have similar colors.

Dark woods, like Ipe
Medium woods, like walnut
Gray

Update: Composite deck market. I talked to a guy at North City Lumber who said it best: "Ranges from $3/LF to $6/LF." What I didn't realize is that some colors are more expensive--like Toyota charges more for white.

Composite deck is some sort of filler wrapped in an HDPE (plastic) shell. Some are wrapped 3 sides, some 4 sides. The cheaper lines have a scalloped (ribbed) bottom that makes them lighter, but hopefully just as strong. PVC (plastic) deck is better than composite in some ways.

The major brands have Good, Better, Best lines. The inexpensive end of the spectrum is a solid color with some embossed grain. In the middle, we get some variegated color, and at the high end, the embossing is more pronounced, with color streaks. Most have 25- or 30-year warranties, and some have 50-year. PVC decking often has a lifetime warranty.

Because Spiced Rum and Lava Rock are at the top of the Trex spectrum, the samples look better. $5.83/LF for them. I'm wondering, though, if a solid color, scalloped bottom might not work for me. I'm okay with it looking like composite, not wood.

To see samples at the site, see my blog post on the subject.

Trex Transcend

In the blog post, Spiced Rum is #3 and Lava Rock is #4.

TimberTech AZEK
I didn't realize that Azek has more colors than Trex. Arbor is one of several collections:

In the blog post, Brazilian Walnut is #7 and Morado is #5.

The other color question is whether the frame is a different color than the field. 

Deck Colors

So, I can't move forward without renting a truck to carry lumber home. If I'm going to rent a truck, I should buy all the long lumber and composite decking at once. Therefore, to move forward, I have to choose a composite deck color. See also Deck Style and More Deck Style.

For the railing design, I'm thinking about using relatively inexpensive pressure-treated "incised" 4x4s, joined at the top by matching 2x4s. Incised means they have teeth marks where the chemical soaked in. The noticeable thing about the railing is the 8 stainless steel cables. I'm thinking I could use a really dark stain on the 4x4s and 2x4s, so that they maintain a kind of rough, industrial feeling and let the shiny cables--well, shine.

Olympic Ebony Semi-Transparent Stain--just for the railing posts

The touchable railing cap on top of the posts and sub-rail could be something like cedar stained and given a thick polyurethane finish.

Azek Brazilian Walnut

If that railing works out, I still have to decide on a color. I like the idea of a frame around the edge, rather than expose cut ends of decking. That could be the same color as the decking, or something contrasting. I thought I'd use the same frame material on the stair nosings, so contrast might be nice.

With the house done over in gray with white trim, the deck should be dark wood, I think. Something like Trex Spiced Rum or TimberTech Azek Brazilian Walnut.

Huzzah! I found an example of what I'm talking about:

I like it! I could save on Trex fascia, as well--just stain the rim joist black.

Something like this, only with big,clunky BLACK 4x4s

Something like this, only with the posts stained black, and the deck less red

Spiced Rum (edge, I think). Illustrates the contrasting "frame" idea. 

Should I use composite for the touchable top rail? Zero maintenance.

Sunday night status

Girder placed! Once the existing girder at the glass door is leveled (it slopes to the east a little), I can replace the saved joists and cut and install the new joists. Then stringers and posts (the details haven't been worked out yet) and decking.

Nice and level. The existing joists have to be trimmed.

I removed the joists from Casey's deck that I certainly can't use. I still haven't prepared a new/existing framing plan for that deck. The experience of leveling this new girder leads me to discount the value of the existing girders, so maybe I just start fresh with the framing plan I already have.

Girder on the right is in about the right place, but it needs to be longer