The debris piled up on a Long Island, N.Y., lawn reveals how much backyard deck construction has changed in the past 20 years. Jay Oliver, who is here to build the home’s new deck, points out the rotten cedar planks, pressure-treated lumber and ring-shank nails used to fasten the two together. The nails in particular are signs that the structure was built back around the time he got started in the business. Today, Oliver says, composites are starting to eclipse cedar and other woods as the board material of choice. And advances in preservatives and hardware have raised the expected life span of a deck to 20 or even 25 years. But some things haven’t changed. Rotten ledger boards still indicate that a deck is nearing the end of its life. And using the right fasteners between the framing and the house—lag or ledger bolts, yes; common nails, never—is still a top priority.CONSTRUCTION DETAILSMedia Platforms Design TeamHOW TO SWAB THE DECKMUSTARD SPOT Dab dry stains with wet mustard, then soapy water, Deck Restoration Plus pro Everett Abrams says.GRILL DRIPPIN’ Hit grease spots with oven cleaner, soapy water and a soft brush. “Get it while it’s still wet,” Abrams says.LEAF TANNIN Use oxalic-acid-based wood brightener to neutralize black stains from leaves or metal furniture.>Wood Vs. the Challengers »>Media Platforms Design TeamMedia Platforms Design TeamWOOD VS THE CHALLENGERSMedia Platforms Design TeamNorth Americans spent $3.2 billion on residential decking in 2010, according to a study by industry analysts Principia Partners. Synthetic products grab more market share every year, but for now, wood is still the top dog in decking materials.Media Platforms Design TeamFIELD GUIDE TO FASTENERSMedia Platforms Design Team½-Inch Galvanized Lag Bolt This bolt is an option to anchor the deck to the house’s ledger board, and it can fasten posts to beams. Inspectors like to see threads proud of the nut.Media Platforms Design TeamColor-Match Screws With a polymer coating to match composite deck colors, these 2¾-inch screws’ slim heads hide the fact that they’re fastened through a deck board’s face. Media Platforms Design TeamPressure-Treated Screw This 2½-inch coated screw resists corrosion when used with ACQ and copper azole pressure-treated lumber, as well as cedar and redwood. Media Platforms Design TeamSelf-Tapping Ledger Screw FastenMaster’s 5 3/8-inch LedgerLOK, rated for 25 percent more shear load than a ½-inch lag bolt, fastens deck framing to a house.Media Platforms Design TeamPlug-To-Hide Screw Cortex, from Fastenmaster, has a countersink bit, a screw and a plud dyed to match the color of composite decking. It hides a face-fastening job.Media Platforms Design TeamHidden Fastener Screwed to a joist, this Trex fastener has tabs to slip into the grooves along the boards’ edges. A similar clip called Tiger Claw debuted in 2000.Media Platforms Design TeamJoist Hanger This galvanized saddle mounts joists to rim joists or ledgers. Simpson Strong-Tie makes this hardware and connectors for beams and posts.Media Platforms Design TeamPost Base Bolts fasten a 4 x 4 post to the side walls. A machine bolt in a concrete footing enters from below, connected to the base by a nut on its tip.>«< Construction DetailsMedia Platforms Design Team
