# Building a Deck and i need HELP



## jdyke (Feb 25, 2011)

Im going to build a deck and have a new modular home (moved in oct 2010) I live in NW Montana and dont have much money to spend on a deck but i love to sit outside and entertain. I am fairly new to sketchup and drew my house to scale and attached a somewhat drawing of a deck. My deck is going to be roughly 21" off the ground and i do not want to have any railing to inhibit my view so i though i would do some bench seating with some built in planters? maybe use the benchs for storage since i dont have a garage at the moment. as i stated im on a low budget. I am planning on building the understructure out of treated wood and just need some advice on the top. My local lumberyard sells Elite Treated wood from Exterior Wood Inc. and im considering using the Cedar stained wood for my top ( cant affoard cedar/redwood and certainly not Composite), but my worry is the finish? does anyone have any sugestions or has anyone used this product? The stone area to the right of my deck is going to be for bbq's etc hopefully with a pergola someday! deck is going to measure 12'x32' help me!


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I don't know about finishing treated wood. Generally it isn't done
in areas where I've worked. Montana may be different.

You'll get the best protection using spar varnish. It is a lot of work,
and you have to redo it every few years, but if done right the wood
will last a long, long time.

Paint is another good option. No other finish has such a combination
of easy application, quality of protection and ease of upkeep.


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## randyo (Apr 13, 2011)

I work in a lbr yard in MN, and would recommend you install the treated decking, then take the summer off. That will give the treating color a chance to fade out. In the fall or early next year coat it with an oil base semi-transparent stain. It can be clear or tinted to a color of your choosing. You should try to re-coat every 2 years. Do not use paint or a solid-hide stain. It will look good for a few weeks, then it will start to peel off and you will have a mess.
Good Luck
randyo

I should have read a bit and checked out the Elite Decking prior to posting. May be a nice product, but it looks like they only warranty against rot and termites. Also in comparing to composite and cedar, it seems like it may be quite expensive. Our 5/4×6 Trex is at about $3 per lin ft and our .25 acq treated is about .80 per lin ft.


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## scottv11 (May 20, 2011)

I just googled elite and came up with this:
http://www.exteriorwood.com/elitedecking.htm

If this is what your using it looks like you won't need any finish. It is precolored and warrented for 20 years. That sounds good to me.
Is this the product?


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## jdyke (Feb 25, 2011)

Scott,
yes that is what i am intending to use i wonder what they are talking about when they say "To acclimate decking surface, seal with (Wolman Raincoat Clear) immediately after installation" ?


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## scottv11 (May 20, 2011)

I think that is their way of getting you to buy their sealant. I did not read that it is needed for the "limited lifetime warrenty"


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## jdyke (Feb 25, 2011)

OK guys i just talked to my local yard and it appears that its going to cost rougly 1000 more to do this elite treated board vs. just select struct fir and stain it is that worth the money and why im really having my doubts about elite at the moment?


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## scottv11 (May 20, 2011)

The way I look at it is that $1000 is what you pay for no maintanance. So how long are you going to keep the house? If you use the wood you will have to clean and treat it every 2 or 3 years.


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

What code requirements (if any) do you have to deal with? Will the piers have to reach below the frost line? Will the deck be attached to your home? What about railings? Around here (San Jose, CA), 21" above grade would require a 36" railing with no more than 4" separation between the "slats".


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

Save up the money for wood that is treated in some way, even if it is "sun wood" or another non-pressure treated product. An annual spray with Formbys Water Seal or the like will maintain it well. Take a good look at the boards you buy, watching for grain that is wavy or erratic; those boards will twist or warp badly, looking poor in the near future. Use screws, not nails… costly, yes, but nails always lift themselves out over a few years and snag your feet as you walk by. Good luck with your new home!


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## jdyke (Feb 25, 2011)

no building codes here I live out of town and no permits or codes are required. I plan to use screws and just purchaced a camo deck fastner jig so I will have no visible fastners! I may have to lookup some #'s on cedar and redwood again and just try to make it work somehow but thought select struct would get me buy if I kept it up by staining it every other year until I get a garage built and have some more money down the road to purchace cedar


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Is the modular home sitting on a permanent foundation? If not, don't attach any part of the deck to the home. Let the deck sit independent of the home at least 1-1/2" away


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## boonelumber (Apr 12, 2011)

Building a deck? So why not have the proper guide? http://www.bclumberstore.com.


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