High-Tech Deck Innovations
Posted on Saturday, March 24, 2018
By:
Sequoia Supply
Categories:
Deck Construction
The number of deck
collapses causing injury and even death, were on the rise. Necessity challenged
the market to build a better deck… and the market answered.
Technology touches every part of our lives. Even the
majority of those seeking to live off the grid find themselves seeking the
advances of modern technology to make it possible. The deck building industry has
most certainly benefited over the decades from the modern advances of
technology in the building-materials industry.
Of course, composite decking and railing may come to mind
first, and we certainly agree. In fact, we would argue that the invention of
long-lasting composite decking may be what drove hardware manufacturers and
others in the deck-building industry to try harder. You see, the composite
decking suddenly was designed to outlast the conventionally-framed substructure
of the deck.
Additional advances were driven by building codes seeking
greater customer safety. It is estimated that there are over 20 million decks in the U.S. that
are over 15 years old and the average healthy life-span of a conventional deck
is 10 – 15 years. The number of deck collapses causing injury and even death,
were on the rise.
Necessity
challenged the market to build a better deck… and the market answered.
Here’s a list of our top-10 list of recent advances in
building-materials technology (in no particular order) that make modern decks –
your deck – safer.
ZMAX Galvanized
Coating
Since the 1930s timbers were treated with CCA – chromated
copper arsenate. The most widely-used treatment in the world, it is a mixture
of chromium, copper, and arsenic formulated as oxides or salts, and is recognizable
for the greenish tint it imparts to timber. A number of countries, including
the U.S., have review the CCCA during recent years and have restricted its use
in residential situations. These restrictions were a precautionary move due to
public pressure after the publication of some studies suggesting that CCA could
pose a risk to children.
Up until that time, all deck-related fasteners were designed
to work in conjunction with the CCA treatment. When American treaters were
forced to change the treatment methods, conventional electro-galvanized fasteners
were found to not withstand the chemicals of the newer treatment methods like
ACQ. In response, Simpson Strongtie came out with their ZMAX coating, a thicker
coating (galvanized per ASTM A653 with a G185 coating) than the standard
hot-dipped galvanized coating. Due to this increased galvanized thickness,
connectors treated with this process would be expected to have a longer service
life than standard galvanized connectors.
LEDGER FASTENERS
The #1 cause of decks collapsing is the ledger board pulling
away from the house. Past deck-building practices involved simply nailing the
deck ledger to the house. That practice,
unfortunately, proved disastrous. Enter the Simpson Strong Tie DTT Deck Tension
Tie. A safe, cost-effective designed to meet or exceed code requirements for
deck construction. Installed properly, it provides a 1,500 lb lateral load
connection per deck by fastening the deck joist, through the ledger of the deck and the rim joist of the house, and
fastening the other end to the house joist. This method prevents the deck and
ledger from pulling away from the structure.
PREFABRICATED DECK
PIERS
To meet code in most areas of the U.S., deck footings must
be dug below grade, exceeding the depth of the deepest recorded frost line in
that region. In the past, deck builders would dig a hole to the required depth,
place the wooden deck post into the hole, and fill around it with dirt. Pressure
treated or not, the post would ultimately succumb to the elements and eventually
fail.
This method was replaced by digging the hole, inserting a
round cardboard tube, filling that tube with concrete, then mounting the wooden
deck support post on top of the concrete pier using various galvanized post
mounts. Still widely used and effective today, this method is also laborious
and time consuming, and requires waiting for the concrete to setup before deck construction
can begin.
The industry answered this need with the advent of precast
deck piers, providing – in most cases – the ability for the deck builder to
install the piers and begin building the deck on the same day (provided the
inspector cooperates). Materials for
these piers include concrete, galvanized steel, and aluminum. They are often
placed atop a precast concrete footing placed in the base of the hole, or
include their own footing which generally is at least twice the diameter of the
deck post in order to resist settling.
HIDDEN DECKING FASTENERS
While it can be argued if hidden decking fasteners make your
deck safer, few would contend that they certainly make it look much better. We
would maintain that they do both. Past methods required fastening each deck
board through the face of the decking which creates an opening for moisture
penetration, gathering of mold and debris, and subsequent damage… two holes per
board, per joist.
Hidden fasters are generally non-invasive to the decking
material and engage the decking in a groove on the edge of the deck board. They
sit below the surface of the deck board and are largely undetectable.
THROUGH-BOLT
REPLACEMENT FASTENERS
The folks at FastenMaster came up with some ingenious
methods of fastening deck framing materials much more quickly and stronger than
conventional methods. One example is the ThruLOK Through-Bolt Replacement. This
system can be used for applications including multi-ply beams, deck posts,
carrying beams and more. It combines the strength of a through-bolted
connection with the speed of a LOK fastener with no predrilling required. Time savings over installation of traditional
carriage bolts requiring predrilling is significant.
STEEL DECK FRAMING
As we mentioned early on, the advent of long-lasting
composite decking quickly brought light to the fact that they wood substructure
simply couldn’t hold up to the same test of time. Enter the invention of steel
deck framing like the Elevations product from Trex. Thing about it: If you are
going to invest in a long-lasting deck, don’t you want its support to last just
as long?
Most people daydream about their dream deck without giving
much thought to what’s holding it up. Although the deck substructure does not
generally make the family photos, it is the most important part of the outdoor
space. Trex Elevations is comprised of durable triple-coated beams, joists and
tracks that create the strongest, straights and greenest deck framing
structures. Stronger, straighter, safer, and smarter. Where other deck framing
systems may seem sturdy and supportive, only Elevations can stand the test of time
without shifting, splitting, warping, rotting or rusting.
HANGER SCREWS
Most of us have witnessed the sight of a deck’s joist
hangers secured only with a standard roofing nail… and have shuttered at the
sight!! Not only are these nails radically inadequate in diameter, it takes
little more than a harsh word to make the head of the nail pop off, thereby
releasing any hope of securing the hanger.
Simpson Strong-Drive SD Connector screws are specifically designed
to replace nails in certain connectors and are the only screw approved for that
application. The load-rated SD screw has been tested and approved for use in
many popular decking connector products. In certain applications screws are
easier and more convenient to install than nails, and the single-fastener load
values achieved by the SD screw exceed those of typical 10d common nails.
STRUCTURAL WOOD
SCREWS
The introduction of heavy duty structural wood screws like
the TimberLOK from FastenMaster has profoundly changed the way professional
deck builders build decks. These fasteners are not only instrumental deck
building, but in all phases of wood framing including landscape timbers,
fences, stair strings, roof rafters and more.
TimberLOK replaces traditional 3/8” lag screws and is
approved for use in ACQ pressure treated lumber. Builders experience
significant time savings when using TimberLOK as the screws do not require
predrilling. Their sharp point and aggressive threads sip right in to the
densest wood using only the friendly persuasion of a drill and a nut driver.
JOIST TAPE
Self-adhesive joist barrier tape adheres to the top-side of
deck joists prior to installing deck boards. Trex Company supplies their
TrexProtect product, a peel-and-stick butyl tape that’s applied to the tops of
joists, rim joists, beams, ledgers and stair stringers to protect the wood
against decay. The tape also increases the holding power of deck screws; acts
as a barrier between treated wood and galvanized metal in hardware; and seals holes
around deck fasteners to prevent water infiltration.
UNDER DECK DRAINAGE
SYSTEMS
Having drainage and a ceiling underneath an elevated deck
can make the space below far more useful and attractive. Not only does the deck
serve its primary purpose of providing entertainment space above, with a the
proper drainage system installed, partiers and get down when down below the
deck, even when the rain may fall.
Products like TimberTech’s Dryspace, Trex’s RainEscape, the
Zip-Up UnderDeck PVC system and others consist of a variety of panels and
components that require only basic tools to install. They catch the rain water
coming from between the deck boards and divert it to a gutter system,
protecting partiers from the elements well into the night.
Tagged:Composite Decks, Decks, Deck Safety, Deck Hardware