Most Common Decking Mistakes (and How Pros Avoid Them)
Building a deck takes significant time and money, yet it is also one of the most commonly botched home improvement projects. The enthusiasm to get the project done and start enjoying the outdoors can lead to cutting corners or overlooking critical details. Unfortunately, these errors don’t just affect the aesthetics of your deck. They can also compromise the safety of the entire structure. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common deck building mistakes and how the professionals avoid them.
1. Skipping the Planning Phase
Sometimes, homeowners are so excited that they start construction before they have a real plan. However, rushing into a project without a detailed design is a recipe for disaster. The planning phase is essential for understanding how your space will be used, obtaining the right permits, and complying with local building codes. Skipping any one of these items can cause deck mistakes that echo throughout your project.
Before breaking ground, be sure to plan your deck build down to the minor details. The pros often start with a scaled drawing that accounts for traffic flow, furniture placement, and sun exposure. They also check with local municipalities about zoning laws and permit requirements prior to the build.
2. Choosing Low-Quality Materials
Budget is always a concern, but the deck material is the wrong place to be stingy. It is tempting to grab the cheapest lumber available at the big-box store to keep costs down. While this wood has its place, it’s often wet, prone to warping, and requires significant annual maintenance.
Professionals avoid this decking mistake by evaluating the total cost of ownership, not just the purchase price. The materials they choose are sometimes more expensive but tend to be easier to maintain in the long run. What’s more, investing in high-quality lumber now means you probably won’t have to replace the planks in the near future.
3. Forgetting About the Understructure
Homeowners often obsess over the part of the deck they can see—the floorboards and the railings. However, the most critical part of the deck is what lies beneath. The substructure (posts, beams, and joists) does the heavy lifting. If the “bones” of the deck aren’t protected, the entire project will fail prematurely. Oftentimes, homeowners fail to protect the tops of joists, which allows water to get trapped and rot the wood.
How do the pros avoid deck installation errors like these? They use simple, flashing tape called joist tape. It’s applied to the top of joists and beams before the decking is installed. Once applied, the tape acts as a waterproof seal and prevents moisture from soaking into the lumber.
4. Attaching the Ledger Board Improperly
The ledger board is the critical piece of lumber that attaches the deck to the house. If the ledger board pulls away from the house, one side of the deck falls, often while people are standing on it. Too often, homeowners fail to fasten the ledger board with proper nails. They might also skip installing the proper flashing. Without this added layer of protection, water can seep into the cracks and rot the wooden components of your home’s structure.
Instead of standard screws, pros use heavy-duty or specialized structural ledger screws designed specifically for this connection. They also install a robust flashing system behind, over, and under the ledger to ensure water flows away from the house.
5. Using the Wrong Hardware
Using standard drywall screws or non-galvanized nails on an outdoor deck is a novice mistake that leads to rusty streaks, snapped screw heads, and loose boards. Outdoor environments are harsh—moisture, UV rays, and temperature fluctuations will all wreak havoc on standard metal. This is especially true for pressure-treated lumber. The chemicals used to preserve the wood are corrosive to standard aluminum and steel. If you use the wrong fastener, the wood itself will eat away at the metal, causing the screw or nail to disintegrate.
To avoid this decking mistake, the professionals always use specialized screws and hardware. They often prefer stainless steel hardware, but may recommend other types of fasteners if they make more sense for your decking material.
6. Avoiding Professional Help
It’s natural to want to handle home renovations yourself, but something as complex as deck building is much easier with a professional touch. After all, load calculations, span tables for joists, and stair geometry aren’t things you can easily guess. Many homeowners get halfway through a build only to realize they have made a fundamental error that requires tearing everything down. What’s more, most people don’t have the training to undertake such a large project without a substantial safety risk.
Even experienced builders consult engineers for complex designs. Instead of doing it yourself, it’s always better to have a professional in your corner, especially for the structural work.
Build It Right the First Time
A well-built deck is an asset that adds enjoyment and value to your home. By avoiding these common deck building mistakes, you can ensure your investment stands the test of time. At Five Star Deck Service, we can help you avoid all of these mistakes, from lack of planning to deck spacing issues. We’ve worked with countless homeowners in Annapolis, MD and the surrounding area, and we’d be happy to help you, too. Contact us today to consult with a deck building professional.