HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-10-24, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013. PAGE 15.
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quite often is the distance between
spindles,” Josling said. “It’s very
important to be aware of it because
children can squeeze or fall through
them and get stuck. The gap can be
no more than three and seven-eights
inches. That’s a big issues with
decks.”
The second most prevalent issue is
support of the joists, Josling said.
“You have to support the joist
using joist hangers,” he said. “Not
just toenail it in.”
Toenailing a board means driving
nails diagonally through the board to
provide support, however Josling
said it’s not enough support.
Fortier’s number-one discovered
mistake is homeowners using the
wrong materials on their decks.
“The most common mistake is
using screw-nails for structural parts
of the deck,” he said. “They don’t
have the sheer strength of the nail.”
He also explained that, as part of a
change in the way pressure-treated
wood was created several years ago,
arsenic was replaced with copper in
the formula applied to the wood.
“Copper oxidizes metal, so regular
grade nails that haven’t been hot-
dipped galvanized will turn to dust
within six months,” he said. “Screw-
nails are fine for the boards on the
deck or securing posts to beams, but
for structural work you need hot-
dipped galvanized nails.”
CONSTRUCTION
After all the documents are
acquired and vetted, the decision has
to be made as to whether
construction will be something a
homeowner can handle on their own
or something that should best be
handled by professionals.
With decks, that can be a tough
call to make according to Blyth
Building Supplies owner Gary
Courtney.
“Decks are so intricate that there’s
no safe answer to that,” he said,
adding that, beyond price, a major
deciding factor may be what
materials are used during the
construction.
Courtney explained composite
deck materials are available fromcompanies like Trex and Azek, andthey are a bit more technical thanusing treated lumber.
“The composite materials may be
more technical than the homeowner
can handle,” he said.
When it finally comes time to
build the deck, if a homeowner is
going with wood, Courtney
explained that this year things
changed for building decks and there
are two treatments available for pre-
treated wood.
“You’re going to use treated wood
for your deck and this spring a new
treatment was released,” he said.
Formerly, deck wood was
available with Alkaline Copper
Quaternary (ACQ), a water-basedpreservative. The formula includes afungicide, quaternary ammoniumcompound and an insecticide,
all of which help to extend the
normal life of the wood. It
also gives the wood a green
appearance.
The new formula, called Sienna,
provides the same function of fungal
decay and termite protection but
gives the wood more of a brown
appearance.
“It will be the same price for both
products next year,” Courtney
explained. “It looks like natural
cedar wood.”
The wood itself will likely be pine
MS –Painting a home’s interior
can give it a completely new look
and feel. A fresh coat of paint can
make a room feel more vibrant and
up to date, creating a whole new
attitude within the room without
breaking the bank.
Whether creating an accent wall
or painting each wall within a room,
painting is a relatively easy and
inexpensive home improvement
project. But that doesn’t mean
painting does not require a little
prep work before the project can
begin.
• Address any holes or bumps
on the wall. Holes or cracks in the
wall will need to be patched with
spackle, which then must dry before
the wall can be given a new coat of
paint. In addition, sand down any
bumps until the walls are smooth
and free of any unsightly
abnormalities.
• Wash the walls.Walls can get
dirty and that dirt may or may not
be masked by paint. Before adding
a new coat of paint, wash the walls
and inspect them for dust. Dust can
collect on molding, especially in
rooms that get little natural air.
When dust has collected on the
When it comes to decks, use the right material
Protected
Using pressure-treated wood for your deck is the only way to go, says Gary Courtney of Blyth
Building Supplies, to make sure moisture, fungus or bugs don’t destroy it before you can enjoy
it. (MS photo)
Painting?
Prepare
properly
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