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Back when I built my first deck, everyone said to just nail the boards down tight.
I saw a neighbor's new deck in my old neighborhood start to buckle after just one summer because they didn't leave a gap for the wood to swell. I learned the hard way you need a 1/4 inch space between each board, which I found out from a guy at the lumber yard after my own project had issues. What's the one basic thing you see people skip that always causes trouble later?
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bennett.patricia15d ago
@christopher_sullivan sold me on trying tight boards once, now I always gap em.
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christopher_sullivan1mo ago
You mention the 1/4 inch gap like it's a universal rule. I've seen plenty of decks built tight with kiln-dried wood that never move. It really depends on your material and local weather.
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Look at any deck built ten years ago with tight boards. They're a MESS now. Wood ALWAYS moves, even kiln-dried stuff. That quarter inch is cheap insurance against buckling and rot. You might get lucky for a few years, but calling it a rule is just asking for a call-back repair.
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