Decks serve as an outdoor room to home

By Matt Bewley | The Daily Journal

Published Monday, March 12, 2007

If the weekend’s warm weather has you thinking about that deck you’ve been wanting to build, here are a few things you’ll want to consider before heading for the lumber yard.

• Permits and setbacks

Depending on where you live, there may be restrictions to how close a deck can be placed to a property line.

“You may need to be five or 10 feet back (called a setback) from the property line,” Fergus Falls Building and Zoning Administrator Daryl Johnson said. “Also, if your deck (surface) is more than 30 inches above the ground, you will need a building permit.”

Call the Building and Zoning office at 739-0134 for more information.

• Sound footing

Some decks may be small enough to rest on concrete blocks on the ground, but larger decks will require in-ground foundations.

“The first thing they have to know is their foundation,” Stenerson Lumber’s Scott Steer said. “We have a 5-foot frost line here, so they’ll need to go that deep. They’ll want to pour concrete footings, probably inside sono-tubes (tar paper tubes).”

• Hi-tech and new trends

“If you’re looking for minimum maintenance, the composites are a good choice,” Steer said.

The new composites are typically made of recycled plastics impregnated with wood by-products. Colors vary, as do the prices, though they are generally higher than most other materials.

“The warranties vary per product, too,” he said. “Some of the better names are Crosstimbers (by Elk), Trex and Rhino decking, which is made in Minnesota.”

Treated lumber is considerably cheaper to use as final decking, though regular maintenance (mostly sealing and staining) is required.

“There is also exotic hardwood decking,” he said. “It has natural insect and rot resistance, and runs about the same as the low-end composites.”

• Put it all together

Using the proper materials for connecting is as important as the decking material.

The use of galvanized steel fasteners is the current industry standard, however, United Steel Products (USP) has just come out with a multi-layer protection system it calls Gold Coat. In addition to galvanization, USP has added an organic polymer coating to provide a physical barrier between the metal and its surrounding environment. This barrier is important as an electrochemical reaction between the copper in pressure treated wood and the zinc used in galvanization can, over time, corrode connectors.

Also new on the market are fastener systems that hold the decking from below, precluding the need for driving screws down through the top of the decking, which can leave divots and tear the wood, inviting slivers.

Whichever way you go, be sure to consider all the possibilities out there for decking. A properly planned and built deck can add value to your home and a comfortable outdoor gathering place for family and friends.

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