The Vanderveen House

Tips from accidental real estate investors

  • Start Here
    • About Us
    • Policies and Contact
  • Fix and Flip Houses
    • 1st House: Run down bungalow
    • 2nd House: New build
    • Flip House
    • 3rd house: Outdated split level
  • Buy and hold properties
    • 4th house: New build raised bungalow
    • Construction schedule & budget worksheet
    • Rental House
    • Cabin in the Woods
  • DIY Projects
    • Craft Ideas
    • Furniture Makeovers
    • Woodworking
    • Outdoor Ideas
    • Gardening
Home » Buy and hold real estate investing properties » 4th House: Raised Bungalow Build » How to install deck boards

4th House: Raised Bungalow Build Buy and hold real estate investing properties

How to install deck boards

Over the last few weeks Tony and I have been working on our backyard deck build. To recap:

  • Week 1: How to design a deck
  • Week 2: How to install deck footings and sonotubes
  • Week 3: How to install deck posts, beams and joists

This week I’ll give you some tips for how to install deck boards, plus a list of tools you will need for your own deck project. This is probably the simplest step in building a deck, and also very satisfying. 

Size of deck boards

Deck boards are usually 6 inches wide, 5/4″ thick, and come in standard lengths. For our bottom deck, we ordered all 12 foot lengths so there would be no joints. For the upper deck, we ordered 16 foot lengths so there would be only one joint in each row. 

How to install deck boards

Which way to install deck boards?

Deck boards should be installed perpendicular to the joists. This is the easiest and simplest way. If you want to install diagonal deck boards, like we did on the main part of our deck, you have to put in some blocking underneath so the ends of the deck boards land on a piece of wood.

How to install deck boards

Tools you will need

 

MitER saw

A miter saw is the quickest way to cut your deck boards down to the right length. You can also leave the boards hanging over the edge of the deck, and cut them down later using a circular saw.

How to install deck boards

 

Cordless drill

The most important tool you’ll need is a cordless drill You use this to screw the deck boards to the joists. You should use galvanized deck screws, and put two screws at each point where the deck board crosses a joist.

How to install deck boards

Optional: Camo fastening tool

We bought a new tool to install our deck boards – the camo fastening tool. Using this tool, you can put the screws in on the side of the board so there are no visible screw holes on the board. There is a built in spacer in the tool so all the boards are the same distance apart. This tool worked great to hide the screw holes, except that after a few weeks the deck boards start to shrink, and now the spacing is a little wider than we would like. 

How to install deck boards

Deck board bender

Deck boards start to warp when they dry out and don’t always lay straight. You can use a deck board bender to pull each board tight to the previous row. 

How to install deck boards

Circular Saw

Another handy tool is the circular saw. Like I said before, you don’t have to cut down all your deck boards. You can leave them extending over the edge of the deck, then cut them down using a skill saw. We also used the circular saw to cut a straight edge along the existing deck.

How to install deck boards

Next week…

Next week is the railings. We are getting closer to a finished deck!


Check out more One Room Challenge room makeovers


Leave a Comment

Previous Post: « How to frame a deck – posts, beams and joists
Next Post: How to build deck railings and deck stairs »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome! We are Tony and Jessica Vanderveen, and are accidental real estate investors in Ontario. Find out how you too can create long term wealth, while maintaining your work life balance. Find out more...

Looking for something?

Categories

  • Buy and hold real estate investing properties
    • 4th House: Raised Bungalow Build
    • Cabin Vacation Rental
    • Rental House
  • DIY Projects
    • Craft Ideas
    • Furniture Makeovers
    • Gardening
    • Outdoor Ideas
    • Woodworking
  • Fix and Flip Houses
    • First House
    • Flip House
    • Second House
    • Third House
  • Real Estate Investing Tips

Explore the Archives

Footer

You might also like

birch branch candler holder

How to make a DIY candle holder from a birch branch

how to make rustic farmhouse christmas string art

How to make Christmas string art

Rustic Wood Mirror by L. DeVries Designs

Shared boys bedroom makeover

Built-in beds for a shared boys bedroom: One Room Challenge Week 1

whitewash pine ceiling

How to whitewash a pine ceiling

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT