What kind of party was it? The decking party — a quiet, focused celebration of building a deck. If you’ve never stood on the joists, cut boards, and lined up screws until everything looks tidy, you haven’t experienced this particular kind of satisfaction. Last week I shared a sneak peek of progress, and now I’ll walk through the next steps of the decking process, from choosing a seam pattern to installing the boards.
We ultimately decided to use a “zippered” seam pattern inspired by a look we admired at our local art museum. The zippered seam gives the deck a clean, intentional aesthetic: exposed screws lined up in neat rows along staggered board ends. This required a bit more planning up front, but the result is a polished, classic appearance that we both love.
On our last update, readers asked two common questions:
- Why choose exposed screws instead of hidden fasteners?
- Is it OK to lay decking boards that close together?
Here are our answers:
- Exposed screws are a traditional choice we grew up with, and they’ve proven durable for decades. We liked the look of evenly spaced, visible screws and appreciated the practicality: exposed screws are easy to access and tighten if they ever loosen. For our zippered seam we lined the screws up so they read as a design feature rather than random fasteners.
- Board spacing depends on the material. We used pressure-treated lumber, which tends to contract slightly as it seasons, so the local engineers and designers told us tighter initial spacing is acceptable. The boards will eventually shrink slightly, creating gaps for drainage and debris to pass through.
Before laying the zippered boards we planned and installed a “picture frame” border — a frame of boards running parallel to the deck edges and meeting at mitered corners. Because most of our decking runs parallel to the house, the picture frame boards run perpendicular to the main field and parallel to the sliding door. The frame adds a finished look but required extra planning to ensure every deck board ended on a joist so it could be fastened securely.
To provide secure attachment for the frame board, I added an additional joist and a small block of spare 2 x 8 between joists so the frame had a proper landing and could be screwed into solidly. I started the picture frame on two sides and planned to work outward from there.
For the zippered pattern we wanted a roughly 5-inch stagger at each seam, which did not line up with the existing 16-inch-oc joist spacing. The fix was simple: I added two extra joists — one midway through the run and another at the opposite end — to give the board ends proper support. We chose the seam locations intentionally to visually define the future dining area on the deck; the seams will bookend where a table will sit.
We used pressure-treated 2 x 6 decking instead of 5/4 material because that’s what our supplier recommended. The thicker boards should help the deck feel more solid and resist warping better over time. When laying the first section I drove screws at the ends and planned to return to add the middle screws later. Our county code required boards to span at least four joists, and these boards met that requirement.
When I reached the last board in one panel, I almost ended up with an awkward narrow strip. Fortunately the 2 x 6s fit nearly perfectly; I only had to trim about 1/4″ off the frame board edge where it hides under the siding. (The siding still needs some attention — sanding, caulking, power washing, and repainting — but that’s on the list.)
Moving into the middle section I planned to use full 10-foot boards, but the distance between end joists measured 1 1/8″ less than 10 feet. That required trimming every 10-foot board slightly so the ends would land over the joists for secure fastening. It slowed progress a bit but wasn’t a major issue since I could cut multiple boards at once.
By the end of the first day of decking I had a solid portion of deck laid and felt both accomplished and exhausted. August heat and humidity in Virginia made the day long, and I even took a fall when my foot slipped off a joist while carrying a board. I caught myself on other joists and walked away with a bruise, thankful it wasn’t worse.
The next day I returned refreshed and continued installing boards. Instead of pre-drilling every hole, I used a hammer to set the screw tip and a level as a straightedge to keep rows aligned, then finished each screw with a power drill. The screws supplied had standard heads that tended to slip more than ideal; star-head screws would have been nicer, but I worked with what I had.
Dealing with long 10-foot boards means working around some warp and cupping. To close gaps I pre-set screws just enough to hold a board, used body weight to force the board into position, then drove the screws flush. Sometimes this took a lot of effort; other times the board cooperated.
Clara, our two-year-old, wandered out to inspect the progress and gave the deck her approval — mostly because she wanted a sip of water. She seemed pleased to hop on what she called “the pretty, pretty deck.” Meanwhile, I was drenched from the heat: shirt, shorts, even my belt were soaked through from sweat.
We love how the zippered seams are turning out. Once the wood seasons and we apply a stain, the pattern should become even more pronounced. I still have roughly another day of decking — finishing screws in the center of boards and completing the remaining runs — before moving on to the final phase: railing and stairs. Assuming the weather cooperates, the finish line is in sight.
What projects are you working on lately? Ever have a curious toddler inspect your worksite or sweat through a leather belt while building outdoors?