There has been conversation about this amongst deck builders for years.
What direction do you lay decking boards.
Grain up or down.
Why boards warp.
The change in the direction of the deck boards really makes each deck its own little area.
Does it matter which direction you place deck board.
Here are some tips when laying the deck boards.
If you use the conventional method of using a spacer in between each decking board eventually the decking boards look like they are starting to bend and continue reading how to lay straight decking boards.
Laying decking boards in a diagonal direction gives the deck a very noticeable look.
As the wood dries it will shrink leaving a small gap between each board.
When using pressure treated wood that s still saturated with preservative install the boards without a gap between them.
In the case of a deck board this determines whether you have a cup warp concave surface or a crown warp convex surface.
Once the frame is built make sure it is completely square by measuring from corner to corner making sure the measurements.
Almost like its own little room.
And this simple but subtle visual feature is one of the most powerful deck design ideas you or your builder can easily do to make your deck really beautiful and stylish.
The setting out of the decking boards will make or break any deck.
The result is either a cupping of the wood or a crowning depending on which way you face the board.
And the good news is that the answer is simple.
A board that is correctly installed right side up or bark side down will form a crown and allow water to run off the edges.
Grain direction bark side up pith side up doesn t really matter.
Then screw a straight board to the deck as a saw guide and cut all the boards at once.
To lay a deck this way joist have to be set no wider than 300mm apart so you may need one or two more joists extra.
My take is this.
What you want to do is put the best face of the board up.
A better approach is to let the deck boards run wild as shown in the photo.
Cutting the ends of deck boards as you go not only takes longer but it s harder to get a crisp straight line.
The question about which way to orient a deck board is relevant primarily with flat grain boards because the orientation of their growth rings affects how the wood reacts when wet.