How Far Should Deck Boards Be From Siding

Predrilling is typically necessary when fastening any type of hardwood decking.

How far should deck boards be from siding.

You extract the face nails from any piece and pull it down and out. When they do removing and repairing siding is easy. Wet wood if your wood is damp during installation place the boards closer together since they ll shrink once they dry. However if it s open to the elements read on.

Before deciding on how much space to leave between deck boards check with your local building code to see if it covers deck board spacing. Face nails may or may not clear the siding beneath. Carefully determine the height for the ledger which will also be the height for all the joist framing. Generally an acceptable gap between deck boards is between 1 8 inch and 1 4 inch.

Many jurisdictions following the international building code which requires a minimum 1 8 inch spacing between boards. Both sizes have their pros and cons. Gaps are not necessary at the butt joints where the end of two boards come together when installing hardwoods. Tools and tips for proper deck board spacing.

You can slightly spread or shrink the gaps for a perfect fit. Adjust spacing between deck boards measure to the house at both ends and in the center when you get within about 5 ft. Divide this distance by the width of the decking boards plus 1 8. When you are about 6 10 feet from the end of the deck check the remaining distances from the edge.

Adjust the spacing between deck boards gradually over the next 10 rows of decking until the distance to the house is equal. If wood is completely dry when you nail or screw it down it s likely to stay that way. If the deck is enclosed or has a roof that doesn t allow water to get inside you need not worry. The top of the ledger board should be lower than the desired top of the finished deck by one decking board s thickness plus the thickness of the flashing usually 1 8 inch.

Plan accordingly based on how dry your decking is. The last board won t look good if it s skinny or cut at an angle. The first board you install should be about 1 8 3 5mm away from the siding to account for drainage expansion and contraction. Cumaru deck board gapping allow a minimum of 1 8 gap between board widths on 4 wide decking and 3 16 gap between board widths on 6 wide decking for drainage airflow and expansion.

Now i realize that i need to leave a 2 minimum gap between decking and hardiplank siding which means 2 of gray siding to deck gap general discussion contractor talk. I have flashed my deck ledger board with that 2 sided copper vinyl stuff. Unless a deck is covered it shouldn t be at the same level as the door to your home. There should be at least a 4 inch step down to the deck itself.

You should try to end the decking with a full width board if possible.