What kind of party? The decking party, of course. If you’ve never attended a gathering where the main event is laying deck boards, you’re missing out. (Full disclosure: our “party” had no guests, so maybe my definition of party needs work.) Anyhow, let’s get into the deck progress I teased last week:
We decided to go with the “zippered” seam pattern we admired at our local art museum. It creates a neat, staggered seam that we thought would add visual interest and a bit of sophistication to the final look.
Before digging deeper into the pattern, we answered two common questions from the last update:
- Why exposed screws instead of hidden fasteners?
- Is it okay to lay the boards that close together?
Here are the answers:
- We grew up with decks that used exposed screws; they looked clean and lasted for decades. We opted for a classic look—lining up the screws in neat rows to complement the zippered seams. Exposed screws also make maintenance easier: if one gets loose over time, we can tighten it quickly from above.
- Because we’re using pressure-treated wood, local designers and engineers were comfortable with tighter spacing since these boards are known to contract as they dry. That means the boards will pull away slightly over time, creating the gaps needed for drainage and debris to fall through.
Before laying the zippered seam boards, we planned and built a “picture frame” border. This frame runs parallel to the deck edges and meets at mitered corners, with the interior filled by the main decking pattern. Most of our decking runs the long way, parallel to the brick siding, so we added a few boards at each end to create the frame. It’s a small detail that makes the deck look much more finished, but it required extra planning to ensure each board attached securely to a joist below.
To make sure the frame board and the adjacent deck boards landed on joists, I added an extra joist where needed. This ensures every board ends on solid support and meets code requirements for long-term stability.
I also slipped a small block of spare 2×8 between two joists so the frame board had another surface to rest on and screw into.
Here you can see the picture frame taking shape. I started with two sides and planned to work outward from there.
To achieve the zippered seam pattern, I had to add two additional joists. We wanted seams to stagger roughly 5 inches, which didn’t align with the original joist spacing (16 inches on center), so I installed extra joists at the seam locations. We placed the seams intentionally to frame where the outdoor dining table will sit—one seam on either side of that area.
With the extra support in place, I began cutting and laying boards.
We used pressure-treated 2×6 boards rather than the thinner 5/4 decking. That was what our lumber supplier recommended, and I’m glad we trusted them—these thicker boards feel more solid underfoot and should resist warping better over the years.
The first section with the zippered seam in place was gratifying. At this point I only screwed the board ends to keep everything aligned; I planned to go back later and secure two screws at each joist connection, as our county requires decking boards to span at least four joists.
I got lucky with the last board in this run—the fit worked out with only a slight trim to the frame board, which sits mostly hidden beneath the siding, so a perfect cut wasn’t critical. (Yes, the siding still needs a little sanding, caulking and repainting—another item on the to-do list.)
After finishing that small section I moved on to the middle where full 10-foot boards would be used.
One snag: the distance between the end joists was 1 1/8″ less than 10 feet, so I had to trim each 10-foot board slightly so the ends landed at the center of a joist to be fastened properly. It added time, but I could cut several boards at once to speed things up.
By the end of the first long day of decking I’d made solid progress and called it quits as the sun went down. I felt both accomplished—this was starting to look and feel like a real deck—and exhausted from a full day of hard work in August’s heat and humidity.
I also managed a minor fall while carrying a board: I stepped off a joist and went through, but lucked out by avoiding a serious injury. A bruised backside was the worst of it, and after dinner and a good night’s sleep I was back at it the next day.
For fastening I started screws with a hammer to set them in place and used a level as a guide to keep everything straight, then finished with the drill. The screws supplied had a standard head that sometimes slipped, so I soldiered on with what I had rather than swapping out hardware mid-project.
On hotter days I worked in the shade and continued checking the boards for cupping before fastening them down. Long 10-foot boards almost always have some warp, so getting a straight, tight fit often meant partially driving screws, using my body to force the board where I wanted it, then finishing the screws to lock it down.
I was nearing completion of the middle section when we had to pause for an appointment. Clara, our two-year-old inspector, insisted on exploring the “pretty, pretty deck” and supervised progress for a bit before returning inside.
She gave it her stamp of approval—after helping herself to some of my water.
By the time I wrapped up that day I was drenched in sweat—soaked through shirt, shorts, and yes, even my belt. It was worth it: we love how the zippered seams look and expect the effect to become even more pronounced once the wood shrinks slightly and we apply a stain.
Schedule-wise I’m probably one full day away from finishing all the deck boards (securing the remaining screws), after which I’ll move on to railings and stairs. With any luck the weather will cooperate—though we’ve already worked through heat advisories and thunderstorms, so I’m ready for whatever comes next. Hurricane season is on the horizon, but we’re getting closer to the finish line.
What projects are you working on lately? Ever sweat through a leather belt or have a curious toddler inspect your handiwork?