PVC Decking Secrets Every Homeowner Should Know
Sam Wood Worker
Quick Answer: Cellular PVC decking is 100% synthetic — no wood fiber at all, just foamed plastic all the way through. It costs more than composite, usually $12 to $22…
Decking
Composite Deck Guide: What Brands Won’t Tell You
Quick Answer: Composite decking is a manmade board made from wood fibers and plastic (or in some cases 100% plastic, called PVC). It costs more than wood upfront, usually $8…
Cumaru Deck Guide: Brazilian Teak Pros, Costs & Care
Quick Answer: Cumaru, also called Brazilian teak, is a dense South American hardwood used for premium decking. It has a Janka hardness of about 3,540 lbf, lasts 30 to 50+…
Ipe Deck Guide: Pros, Costs, Care for Brazilian Walnut Decks
Quick Answer: An Ipe deck is a hardwood deck built from Brazilian walnut, one of the hardest and most durable woods you can put outside. It can last 40 to…
Deck Stairs: Guide to Layout, Cutting, and Installation
Stairs are one of the trickiest parts of any deck build, and I have cut my share of stringers, good and bad, over the years. Quick answer: Deck stairs are…
Deck Beams Guide: Sizing, Building & Installing Them
I have built small beams for little platforms, and big triple-ply beams for large multi-level decks that carry a lot of weight. Quick answer: Deck beams are the heavy horizontal…
Deck Joists: Complete Guide to Sizing, Spacing & Installing
I have installed hundreds of joists, and I have replaced just as many that were done wrong the first time. Quick answer: Deck joists are the horizontal boards that hold…
Deck Framing: How to Build a Strong, Square Frame That Lasts
I have built decks for over the years. I have framed small decks and big decks. I have also fixed a lot of bad frames built by other people. Quick…
Deck Railings: A Complete Guide
I have installed simple wood railings and fancy cable railings, and I have fixed more than a few wobbly posts that were never blocked correctly in the first place. Quick…
Deck Footings Guide: Depth, Digging & Pouring
I have dug footings in soft sandy soil, hard clay, and half-frozen ground, and I have fixed decks that heaved and shifted because the footings were never done right in…