Deck Flooring

The deck's flooring should be strong, easy to maintain and provide adequate grip. Deck flooring is an important aesthetic feature as it is the most visible part of a deck. It must also be able to withstand abuse from furniture, walking and weather.

Deck flooring also called decking can be made of using wood, vinyl or composite materials. The deck flooring pattern will greatly affect all of the decks framing structure. To install the flooring of a deck, you must take into account the structural frame needed for the deck as well as accommodating the location and size of the deck's accessories, including railing posts.

Wood deck floors often expose the bark side which is normally the more attractive side so that the ring and grains are visible. Also, the bark side has a better ability to hold water which will prevent unwanted warping.

Wood deck flooring is often secured using traditional nails or screws. Nails or screws are used to mount the end of the floor boards into the joists to ensure the floor's stability. Nails or screws should not be too close to the ends of the floor boards to prevent splitting or chipping. Screws are often the preferred method as they can be more easily removed without causing any damage to the wood.

Deck flooring boards should also have sufficient space between them to allow for water to drain through but not large enough to get caught in. Wood often shrinks so you must compensate for this while building so that the spaces don't end up too far apart.

Deck edges are another important aspect to consider. Some prefer to have the floor board ends exposed while others prefer to use fascia boards which are either attached flush with the ends or underneath keeping the boards exposed.

Hidden fasteners like clips or metal brackets are ways to fasten flooring that are not visible to the eye. Metal bracket fasteners can be used on some materials and are often installed into the deck flooring boards from underneath or on the edges. Although this is time consuming, many find it to be a very attractive alternative to visible nails or screws.