We choose to put grooves up because it rains here and it gets slippy. It’s just a deck it will rot eventually whatever way you lay it. Put it down how you like and live your life.
When I was younger we had a large deck that was above the carport, the decking material was plywood. A quality exterior paint and toss sand onto it while it's wet, preserve the deck material and give the traction needed.
So if there's grooves on both sides, do what you want! I've always put in decks but after a recent house move, I'm not doing one this time. They always need a bit more time for maintenance than I have to give, to keep then looking good.
Grooves up or down is a personal choice but usually grooves up for grip and looks......plus you can buy grip inserts which are nailed into grooves......I cant see that additional airflow making any difference to the longevity of the decking
In Sweden, while I've seen wood decking with grooves, it's definitely not particularly common. Our boards tend to be flat on both sides, and rounded on all four edges. My habit is to look at the end of the board for the growth rings. Since they will tend straighten as the board dries, I'll pick an orientation that lets the board rise up in the middle. That way, water will run off, rather than pool along the centre line.
Apparently there's a nationwide shortage of fence panels and posts too - due to a combination of lockdown-induced DIY and someone trying to do a three-point-turn in the Suez...
I'm hearing a lot of UK lumber merchants are choosing to sell to the US giving them priority over the UK because they are currently getting a much higher price from them.
I used plain side up for my decking (grooves down). I think it looks better, you can use a roller to add deck oil really quickly and I sanded it last year with a drum sander and it was reasonably easy to do and looked like new. I had no idea the grooves down were good for the timber but as it turns out, they are in really good condition after 7 years.
What I've learned over the years and I've installed many decks is to have the decking raised above ground level if possible , and to make sure it has good airflow 6mm gaps , canterlever decks are the way to go .
Interesting video. Years ago i built a deck attached to the back of our house. Deck boards were laid groove side up & they were like an ice rink in the wet months. Built a raised deck at the bottom of our garden & boards are laid groove side down. Even in the wet its not slippy. So in my opinion groove side down is way better looking & safer.
I am in Canada - originally UK 45yrs ago - Every time we have been over I have said what a great idea you guys have with that grooved decking. We do not have it here,and as far as I know neither do the Sates. The people who say the grooves should be up are nuts.We in Ontario have way more severe weather than you and my deck has been down 26yrs.The boards need changing but when removed the joists are in great shape with no grooves and about 3' of snow per year. So stick with you up grooves,you are right LOL
Good job Here in Australia the H3 pine 4” x 2” joists are grooved as well so for that reason alone it also doesn’t matter which way the grooves go on the boards...... but 90% are Merbau hardwood decks with grooves down..... usually under cover of some sort.... If your deck is under cover that reduces importance of it further....
Thanks buddy, grooved at 90 degrees to the length presumably? It's great to get an insight into how its done in Australia because you guys are much clued up on decking than we are!
@@CharlieDIYte No they run parallel - here's a picture......... www.agnewbuildingsupplies.com.au/product/11051/decking-merbau-kd-select-r1f-random-lengths-90-x-19mm
Our decking is about 20 years old. It gets jet washed a couple of times a year. Yes its it grooved side up but it still gets slippery in the winter. I placed dpm along the joists and where I bolted a joist to the wall of the house. This provides excellent protection to the joists. I keep meaning to coat the decking with a clear anti slip finish but yet to do it as most products require an air temperature of 10deg C to prevent clouding of the product. Great vid as ever. Haters gonna hate.............
Had a hardwood smooth deck for 12 years. Jet wash twice a year and use anti fungal wash before re-oiling in late spring. Has never been slippery. Neighbour’s Reed profile softwood deck is always filled with moss and algae in between ridges, very slippery when wet and also softwood which swells and contracts more.
Thanks Caroline. Maintenance as you say, is key. If you look after it brilliantly like you did, the deck will last for years. The problem is, I'd say less than 5% of deck owners would be bothered to do that. 👍🏻
It's funny, I had a lodger from Australia a couple years back who said my decking was installed incorrectly, but I installed it much the same as yours. 10 years down the line the decking is still going strong! Great video as always 👍
Australians and Americans install thier decking the opposite way those in UK. UK install wider groove face up and in Australia and USA they opt for narrower grooves (more ridges). Worked in all three countries and learnt that a while back. 👍
This video pointed out another difference between various areas of the world. I'm in Canada and I've never seen wood decking with grooves, on either side. I've seen some of the composite decking boards with grooves on one side but I thought that was to save material. I took a look at one of the major big box stores (the one with the orange sign, I'm not advertising for them) just to make sure nothing has changed since I last built a deck and it's still the same. I don't know if what you built is typical but here we have beams (2x6 or 2x8) attached to 4x4 posts. (Sorry for the imperial measurements. While Canada is officially metric our lumber is the old way. I'm assuming that it's because our lumber industry is so tied into the US. Or it could just be momentum from the past as in grocery stores and advertisements food prices have prices per pound in larger print and then prices per kg, 100g, or something similar in smaller print.) are Joists are either between or on top of the beams (laid perpendicular) and then the deck boards are attached to the joists (perpendicular to the joists of course). If you build your deck with a very slight slant (1 or 2 degrees) then you won't have to worry about water pooling up. It's not enough for someone to notice. If the deck is against a building then the deck should slope away from the building.
@@CharlieDIYte Exactly. I've never came across about worrying air flow under decks before I saw your video. But then almost all of our decks are higher off the ground. We're concerned more with preventing animals living under them, especially skunks.
My decking is grooves up. It's at least 15 years old, and has been regularly treated with decking paint - this year is the first time I have noticed the boards starting to degrade, so it's getting replaced soon. The deck was always slippery when damp, until we put an anti slip coating on - what a difference!
Great vid. So just went to town decking my garden. Super happy with result. Groove side up which I think looks so much better. Removed some old groove up decking when doing job and it wasn’t that bad only joists had rotted. Had been there over 20 years looking at old sales pictures. Was painted though so not sure if that’s reason it lasted so well. Oiling mine. Though I’m still not fully confident about weathering period. Timber merchant told me it’s fine to seal/oil straight away though water bead test and moisture test tells me otherwise. Still confused about it
Typically you can leave it 6 months before oiling as discussed here but you can oil it straight away. You'll just find less sinks in. You'll then need to reoil every 6 months to a year but if you keep it maintained, the reoiling will be much easier. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZOQ2L1TMayc.htmlsi=Uy5Mu8B97HZm7FRR.
I’m replacing some wickes decking after 18 years. No adverse effects AT ALL of placing flat face down, whereas the screw holes are all rotted down into the joists. A fall/slope to shed rainwater off the deck is always desirable. The boards that warped/dished and held water rotted from the top surface down. Bitumen on your timbers is likely to trap moisture in the timber and increase the likelihood of early decay. I’m not even convinced that a slip of dpc to protect the top surface of the bearer will result in a net gain, tbh. My old bearers only rotted where the garden soil had built up against them. Most decks are slippery when old and wet, in my experience.
Do what ever you want. You bought the boards. You lay them anyway you like! 😀 I’m a carpenter and the majority of boards we get have got here in Shropshire are small rounded grooves one side (which we lay to the bottom) and big grounded grooves to the top. The reason is the bigger grooves are less slippery. If you have any doubt then stand on them! 😜 Decking isnt as popular as it used to be. Probably because too many people have gone over on their ass. It’s no joke.🙄 The cure for this is chicken wire nailed as walkways. Not my idea but something I’d recommended anyone. 👍🏻
Spent 16 years in Canada and never seen a deck with groves in it. Came to the UK and all the decks have groves. When I built my first deck here in London I used the smooth face up as I just don't like the look of groves. it just doesn't have that natural look. When I recently bought a house in Buckinghamshire it had a deck installed with the groves up. And even thought it was only about 6 years old, it was already rotting away. Will be replacing it with Oak and using the smooth face up 😁
Grooves on the top?? Here in the Pacific Northwest of the US, those grooves would very quickly fill up with pine needles, moss, and creepy-crawly things! I suppose that's why I've never seen grooved decking material ..... ever! Also wondering why your facia board is touching the ground.....or is your grass just ready for a trim?? Great Video! A well thought out discussion.
Just finished my decking down from the raised patio door. Composite with groves or wood grain on either side. I like my ankles attached so I went with the grooves for the grip. As it's elevated, air circulation isn't a problem anyway.
Always enjoy your videos and the way you share the entire process, warts and all. My one piece of advice - if you’re going to spend a week or two building a deck, use hardwood rather than treated pine. Sure it’s more expensive (not much mind you) but the extra cost of materials is small compared to the labour involved, and the result, IMO - much more aesthetically pleasing and much more durable. Then you don’t have to worry about grooves at all. It’s hard to find a deck builder in Australia who will not try and talk you into hardwood, but we do have a lot of nice species down under.
Thanks buddy - good to hear from you - I really appreciate your support of my channel👊🏻 Makes a lot of sense that. I'd do a few things differently now, although I have to remind myself I built this during lockdown when decking was a relatively scarce commodity. I'm not sure how readily available hard wood decking is over here but I'll check👍🏻
Love the video and for the unconvinced. There isn't a right way up. It depends on your requirements. For example: 1. How much friction does the county/council require? [grooves up] 2. Landscape Supply Office. Do you and your customers need a safe mud free deck surface? [grooves down]. there are plenty of reasons to determine what you should do. also some deck boards come with grooves on both sides and some come with none.
We were househunting a few years back and several times were put off by gardens spoiled by mildew covered decking which was far past its best and probably had Mr Decking himself, Alan Titmarsh to thank for its installation. That man, supposedly a gardener, must have caused many acres of garden to be lost under wooden planks.
*Alan Titchmarsh* the surname is *Titchmarsh* with an extra ‘ch’ not tit, but Titch. If you’re going to slag off someone you’ve never met, at least do them the common courtesy of getting their name correct!
@@JulieWallis1963 I am well aware of the man`s name and frankly after the huge damage his pro "decking" policies have caused to gardens all over country it is not unreasonable to regard him as a bit of a tit.
The grain on your decking also shows you have it the correct way up, the crescent grain should crescent downwards as it won't warp in a manner where the 2 outer edges will lift. Not such an issue with good thick decking but it can be with thinner boards.
Thanks Rod. I hadn't thought of that until you and a few others pointed it out. Which means you have to be a bit careful when you've got grooves on both sides - supposedly to give you a choice which way up to put it.
no way. harlows in kiddy. i live up the road. been watching your videos since buying my house 4 years ago, stripping it back to brick and doing it up 👍🏻 you’ve been super helpful during the DIY sir! not much i can’t do now. never before or since have i seen that guy you interviewed in B&Q though 😂
I once worked for a company who manufactured street furniture. We installed play furniture in schools and the deck area would be varnished and sprinkled with white play sand to help with slip. Company policy, not my idea. It worked, we would go back once a year and re do. Once it is dry you can't tell it has sand in the varnish but its good to walk on.
Hi Charlie Yes as you rightly say it’s obvious you installed it correctly , the other side would be far to rough to be practical. You did mention about the plastic decking, I for one thing the manufacturers are missing a trick here , and not using totally waste plastic. It might not look as consistent as what is available at the moment but it could be a way of dealing with this ever increasing problem. I’m sure people would put up with a less attractive finish if it made it cheaper and it was helping the environment . Be interesting to know your thoughts, looking forward to your next video. Best wishes and kind regards
Thanks for this. Yes I agree on the composite, although a few people on here have said that it degrades (warps, discolours, goes brittle). I just have a bit of an issue buying a load of plastic that will end up in land fill sooner or later.
The two grooves on the underside of the 'single sided' deck boards are there to counteract 'cupping' of the boards by moisture ingress expansion on the lower surface; effectively 'expansion joints'. They are used on traditional internal floor boarding too, where further drying, and the cut of the timber can also cause cupping.
I'm glad you made this video, Charlie and I hope people will take notice. Far more detailed than a headline-maker who's just snapped something on their phone. ;-) All the best.
Thanks Olly. It was as much out of indignation as anything that I made this video - being told I've done something wrong by a phone snapper, as you say. 👊🏻
What’s the definition of a patio? I always thought a patio was the raised area just outside the back garden door. And it could be any material, decking or slabs?
Any kind of grooves facing upward Will obviously hold water, create moister in the right conditions, followed by mould and then resulting in a slippery surface completely making the grooves that are for “grip” obsolete as you casually slide across said decking with drink in hand and breaking your ankle. It’s wood, the nature of it is so grooves or not.
Agreed. I haven't got any mould or slipperiness on mine yet but it's not got any overhanging trees and the tanelising is probably still protecting it to a degree. I'll be oiling it this summer though.
did my decking years ago with the grooves facing up but when its wet it is very slippy and quite dangerous to walk on. It is outside our patio doors so you walk on it from the house, so not ideal. Might rip it up and place it at the end of the garden and go back to slabs instead
If you "bituminised" the decking underside and then the subframe surely you precisely stopped the breathability - the whole and HUGELY successful principle of "microporous"? I'd say BREATHABILTY - the number one secret to "Stop the Rot" in all timber construction - every time.
It's an interesting point, that, which I guess you need to balance against the problem of a lot of decking not having adequate ventilation beneath - particularly the ones that are boxed in. I agree though, ventilation is the key in so many situations, from decking to roof insulation and house condensation.
Charlie, do we live in a parallel universe? In January I started my built in wardrobe, few weeks later you started your wardrobe series. Also, I’ve been planning/shopping so I can fit decking in my garden. Thanks for your videos they’ve been a great help! Especially with the Sensio LED equipment as I was struggling to find a way of making it look neat!
That's brilliant! I'm guessing you've finished your wardrobe though and I'm just about to start the doors... I love the Sensio lighting. Can't wait to get it up and running. Good luck with the decking 👍🏻
My vast decking (approx. 125 square metres) was put down 20 years ago and I am just having to replace some of the sub structure due to rot. The decking is 28 x 145 Balau hardwood and has never been treated. Some of the boards need replacing about 50 linear metres so you get what you pay for.
If your deck is slippery in the winter and you need to keep walking across it, try laying out some lengths of regular mineral roofing felt and maybe a few staples to keep it in place. It's incredibly non-slip and has amazing non-tear quality. Doesn't look beautiful, but for a practical slipping solution it's perfect! Just lift it back up in the spring.
I had it with my grooved decking and ripped out the timber. Every year the water and crap just collected in the grooves - not good. I can see the argument for grooves if your deck has been built on a drop to let the water run off, but anything over a couple of metres won’t work so well. I replaced my soggy rotten grooved timber with smooth (both sides) decking timber. It wasn’t easy to source, and wasn’t cheap. However after two winters its much easier to clean and there’s no pooling of water anymore. As for grooved decking helping grip - I just can’t see why it would?
Thanks Eric. It's crazy how hard it is to get hold of the smooth stuff isn't it! I think the grooves would only help with grip if you're walking at 90 degrees to them rather than along their length.
my own decking was down for 16 years grooves side up,with the deck structure having a very slight fall on it to get water off. As with all timber,if its left with water on it,it will impare its lifespan.The only thing that rotted on my decking was the posts that supported the decking framework,that had been cemented into the ground,simply because even though they are in concrete,they are always exposed to moisture.The decking and framework itself could have been used again as it had zero rot in it,even after 16 years in the crappy UK climate.All i ever did was make sure the decking was clean to avoid it getting slippery..nothing else.
Whenever you rout grooves out of 1 surface it will encourage the timber to cup, 1 of the ways to prevent this is to remove an equal amount of material from the opposite side so i always assumed this to being the primary reason for both sides having grooves with the added bonus of choice of finish
@@CharlieDIYte In watching the video the end grain of the board and the grooving ('finish' or 'rough') is not constant, some times it is on the top of the curve and sometimes on the bottom. If you where working with flat non-grooved boards you would always run them so the cup would be up and the curve would be on the braces. (Water off the top, air on the bottom) If selecting lumber, the finish grooves would all be on the top cup of the board.
Hi Charlie, I watch your videos as they come up. I have installed my decking at least 10 years ago in exactly the same way you have. Treating with Clear coat Oil has worked and maintained the treated wood. It's time to look at replacing now., some damage and rot has started. Keep up the great work and the videos! Great Job!
Well, what can I say...how about ‘bollocks’ to start with... my decking is single sided with grooves laid upward...my deck is approximately 5.5m x 7.0m and is supported on a frame made up of three independent timber frames, each constructed from 200mm x 50mm sawn timber beams - nailed and screwed - and bolted together with coach bolts to form a single deck, suspended above the ground by about 300mm (where the ground is covered by weed control mat and gravel to about 100mm depth), and sits on concrete pads with slates positioned under the timber where it sits on those concrete pads... all the timber supporting frame was treated with a good quality timber rot proofing once assembled and in position, allowed to dry (it was summer), and then sprayed with a waterproofer usually used on brickwork... after this I laid the timber decking, which was supplied in 5.0m lengths (the decking is approx 32mm thick and 150mm wide - and grooved on one side only), and which I cut to size, and screwed in place using deck screws, with 6” nails used as spacers between the decking boards...the decking is laid grooved side up to aid water run-off... on completion the decking boards were treated with a mid-range decking preserver and waterproofer... the decking is laid to a fall, that across the longest length of the deck (5.5 m approx) is about 30/35mm... each year around the end of May I power-wash the decking, and re-treat it with a preservative/waterproofer...my deck was laid in the summer of 2001, yes that’s right, twenty years ago, in the UK, in the open air, and has been snowed on, rained on, iced up, and otherwise exposed to everything...and is still in reasonable condition...and I can supply photos to anyone who wants one...just to prove what is stated here is bona-fide...I am located in the south-east of England, in north Kent...
The point is Stu, that you've a) installed it correctly and b) looked after it year after year. Comes down to personal preference at the end of the day, doesn't it 👍
Mines the wrong way then; grooves up and flat side down and it’s been absolutely fine. Stays grippy with a quick brush off and isn’t perfectly level so drains fine. No warping/air flow issues.
Of all the channels on carpentry, diy, one from the US, New Zealand and the Uk over the last month each one has commented on the shortage of timber and the high prices.
I’ve just gone for yellow balau decking which is smooth on both sides. It’s less slippy than the usual soft wood but you should always have fall of 1:100 on decking.
Thank you for this video. I have have to relace a lot of my deck boards this week due to rotting and your advice will help me a lot going forward. Great video, good relaxed style, clear information and advice. Again, great job. Thank you.
As someone who has lived down under for 20 years , its definitely groove side down , never have or ever seen anyone slip on a smooth board deck. Unfortunately getting a deck board in the Uk that is not designed for groove side up is near impossible. In Australia you sand the deck once it starts looking tired as you would with wooden flooring but with groove side up this is impossible. Also have used lots of decking oil and Sikkens is the best by a million miles, looks a ton better than the rest and lasts alot longer too. Is the most expensive but the best generally is
DO NOT use a pressure washer has you mentioned at (4:38) it will cause splinters your best using a decent deck scrubbing brush medium or soft bristle is best then use your garden hose to water the decking first then use a bucket of water and the Cleaner reviver and brush your decking down final hose off then oil your decking
In regards to which way round the boards are laid, boards should only really be laid with the heart of the grain facing out, as when the board starts to cup it will cup towards the base framing. So to have a double sided board doesn't really work. That's just my opinion from being a joiner.
I think you're absolutely right. A lot of people have commented to that effect. I suppose the question is whether it will still cup if it has been securely screwed down?
@@CharlieDIYte aye I know what you mean. When I install fencing slats I check every on and have the heart facing out. The wood still cups even though it has been securely fixed. Nothing worse than getting pine skirting with the profile machined on the wrong side, I have spent too much time in the past planing the middle out of skirting boards to get them to sit tight at the top against the wall. You can get away with it if it's painted skirting a but if it's varnshined not a hope, gaps at the top look terrible.
@@Ayeboi1 I can relate to that. I had to do plane the back of the skirting on this job bit.ly/3cfJHvG The skirting warped like a banana as soon as it got into the centrally heated house. It looks great now but it was a nightmare at the time.
All down to the type of decking your installing. I installed yellow balau decking with the smooth side up. Comes from South America. Installs both sides I just wanted the smooth look. Once treated with a good oil(osmo) should last 10 years plus and you can flip the boards to get longer out of them. For me this type of decking wood will last way longer than the standard Swedish pine. To conclude any decking installed correctly and properly maintained should last a long time
I see a lot of decks with boards butted up against each other with no gaps between boards, that's the biggest problem for air circulation. I tend to be quite liberal, usually use 5mm plate washers as spacers when fastening down. It lets a lot of both air and light underneath and I find it discourages rodents too because it's far less sheltered under the frame. I weed kill, fabric, and gravel before installing the frame which avoids future undesirable plant growth.
Yes, I agree. I clamped the boards together initially and was shocked at how wet the joists were when I took the boards up a few weeks later. The gravel is also a good idea because it discourages rodents, or makes it pretty inhospitable for them at any rate.
I have generally used either screwfix decking oil or one of the decking paints. The coloured paints do not last past a winter. I ended up completely sanding the top layer with my worxs and coating in the water based Ronseal decking sealant, the expensive one. Looks awesome for a 10year old deck. Not sure how I post a photo on a comment ?
Yes I would have bought the Screwfix oil off I hadn't got chatting to the guys in the timber merchants. Frustratingly you can't post photos in this Comments feed. You'd have to go to my Facebook or Instagram page. Instagram probably the better option. 👍🏻
@@CharlieDIYte ok, there are a few options with ronseal but the water based one is awesome, will post the before and after photos and keep up the great work Charlie
Coming from Australia, another myth that’s been spread about is to leave the deck for 6 weeks to de tannin before sealing. The right way is to wash yr deck with oxalic acid to remove the milling oil build up which can prevent oil absorption. There are 2 types of sealants 1. Sit on top which all give an un natural orange hue and require sanding and reapplication every couple of years or so. These all dry wood out and encourage cupping and cracking. They do how ever prevent dirt and other oils from being absorbed into the wood surface….which personally I think flat is best…grooves for drip lines and drying out. 2. Penetrating sealants like Organ oils wood guard, are the fastest and easiest to apply , do help water repel, feed the wood with appropriate moisture to prevent cupping and cracking. And apply to ALL SIDES BEFORE laying. Reapply every few months…yet you will preserve yr wood best this way for decades to come also most enviro friendly and cheapest method.long term.
A great post. Thanks for sharing. Funnily enough I did a video this weekend on this ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZOQ2L1TMayc.html I totally agree with you on steering clear of stain, and for the same reason, water based treatments.
The grooves don't provide grip, in wet weather the grooves fill with water and make them very slippery especially with icy weather and mouldy surfaces.
Awful isn't it. The old boy who lived here before us was pretty practical but he died a good 20 years before his wife and I think she had bodgit cowboys in to do jobs. I'll be repointing at some point when I convert the shed.
Are they double sided? Ive was learnd that the core rings of the wood decide, The rings bending up prevents the board to bend and stay firm to the deck?
Wow. Like Madonna you really got into the groove. I have also noticed how our American friends always point out that our decking is upside down. As they seemed to have spearheaded our decking lifestyle I assumed they must be right. But, as you pointed out, us Brits have always been presented with grooves up and we clearly like that aesthetic. I honestly believe the decking phenomena would not have took off if our DIY stores just sold us plane old floor boards to enhance our ourdoor space. You're decking looks great, or should I say groovy? 😂👍
I'm sure you're right Craig. Strike the pose 🤣 The groove aesthetic has driven decking sales here. People have also pointed out wisely in this feed that the rings in the grain need to be facing down (ie curve at the top) so as to prevent the board cupping. I should have mentioned that 👍🏻
Liberon Decking Oil Clear 5L (Bought mine from Brewers), stuff is like caramel, makes a Deck look lovely and come alive in my opinion! Ops sorry, you got one!
Obviously the makers of the boards designed it to be grooves down for airing the boards, not up for grip, but funny enough I actually had a builder of 40 years experience who I had know for a while try to convince me that it was meant to be groove up for grip. Yes I live in Australia.
Thanks for this James. Just shows what a divisive area this is. I agree though. Grooves down particularly if the other side is flat. Problem is, manufacturers over here are designing them wrong - as you saw with mine. Good to hear from you. Always humbled when I get a comment from overseas 👍🏻
Just a suggestion...get as much side ventilation as you can. Air circulation always helps with drying but do you really think that those grooves are big enough to make a differance.
I had mine groove up for 16 years. I only replaced it because the house was renovated and it took a hammering. It was still fine. I also put in the new decking groove up and that’s been down for the past 5 years and looks fantastic.
i agree with the fatter wider grooves being on the decorative (upper) side HOWEVER a further note on this: those nice big fat grooves that look great and are commonly accepted as the standard decorative side will cost you a fortune to have refurbished. i recently billed a customer a grand to have his all sanded back to wood and stained because water and garden detritus settle in the grooves which then has to be cleaned for refurb which means using a grinder. not only does that cause a loss of the profile of the wood but its a massive job which costs a fortune.
Well, you knew more than me, I thought the thicker groove side was so you could install it facing up then sand it off one day if you so chose. Or if you were not bothered, put it the thin grove side up.
I have some valuable anecdotal evidence: I laid a deck, grooved side down, flat up in 2014. Moisture rises. The deck has rotted. You do not want ‘air flow’. You need a good waterproof fit.
Hmmm, I tried to make my deck waterproof, took it up a few weeks later during the summer and was shocked at how wet it was below. I actually think air flow is very important.
What a load of tosh some 'builders' come up with! It's actually recommended in the US to use decking tape the length of the cross bearers so even if you put the boards grove down, the groves wouldnt work. I dread to think how slippy the decking was where the 'builder' put the groves facing down!
I'm planning on laying mine grooves up when I get to the garden, but I fancy doing the boards on a diagonal because 1 pretty and 2 good grip while walking either way.
I found the grooves aided water run-off where I have a fall across the decking...the grooves have never aided grip, and in fact the deck has at times been pretty slippery...usually in the winter, and when it’s damp early mornings...the best to sort this is to treat it with a good resin and apply a thin layer of very fine grit...let it dry and sweep off excess...I have not found any treatments for decking that prevent it being slippery, unless they contain some form of grit that adheres to the decking...
@@stun9771 I've found that walking on decking along its length to be far more of a slip hazard than walking across the width in the wet. I always add a very slight gradient for water run off but the diagonal boards will be more for show than anything else.
What I don’t understand why people never seal the timber straight away with oil when it’s put down as when the black mould gets into timber it’s there for good.
@@CharlieDIYte I have seen the tantalised boards turn colour after a year or two being out in all that harsh environment but as you say they don’t recommend treating them but after some time maybe they should be.
Do you have time to put decking down when you have wardrobes to complete (LOL). I purchased one of the Erbauer plunge saws ready to build my own wardrobes.
Sorry Alan, the wardrobe build is progressing bit not enough to show this weekend. The next upstart video will be next weekend. Good stuff. I think you'll like it. The track that comes with it is brilliant bit you might just need a 2.8m as well if you're ripping down full sheets of MDF. Good luck with the build and drop me a line if you've got any questions 👍🏻
Slightly off topic but wondering if any one can help!? Pretty sure the fence in the house I recently bought has been treated in creosote, can I paint over it or does it need a particular primer or something else? Thanks
2 coats on aged creosote 48 hours between coats. Around 15 sq.m. per litre coverage. Will then take a solvent based coloured paint finish but not a stain. Hope this helps.
