Deck flooring

[Milehighxr]

So I've got this large deck on the front of my house, and when I redo it, I would like to do a hardwood floor type covering on it that is gap less, like the old front porches on victorian homes. I realize those are covered, and would have to do significant maintenance to keep it nice. I have grown very tired of an uneven deck surface, and the gaps that catch my snow shovel every winter. Any ideas or BTDTs would be appreciated.

Any suggestions on traditional deck that reduces the unevenness or tendency for shovel to get caught would be fantastic.

 

[hogdoc]

trex or some other synthetic decking! Ipe or teak for real wood.

 

[jake00]

IMO stay way from ipe. I used azek on my font deck and LOVE it

 

[kwfloors]

I would say stay away from trex or similar product. Too many issues if you want a different look. Can't just cover it up and start over.

 

[Milehighxr]

My plan is to maintain the size, and existing footers, but drop it down to the weeds, so I can get rid of the railing. It is on the front of my house, and looks like it consumes the entire front- because it does, or seems to with the railing. The existing surface is coming loose in places, and is not worth covering over with my future plans. Some of which include building built in seating, and table space. Maybe a "portable" pergola, as well.

 

[Milehighxr]

IMO stay way from ipe. I used azek on my font deck and LOVE it

Why no Ipe, aside from expense? I hear it is highly water, and weather resistant. Exactly what I need. Absolutely no plastics, they won't survive the constant sun in the Colorado summers...

 

[Garage Flooring]

As someone who grew up in the home improvement industry, Trex is becoming a generic term and the Trex of Today is not the Trex of yesterday. For the most part we are referring to composite decking. If you are going to do that, Trex has a version that has a PVC cap on it. It is much more stain resistant and holds its color much better. There are some other PVC products on the market as well.

If you have a good local lumberyard, many of them have been able to source real wood products like tiger wood that hold up very well and look amazing. A non structural alternative is to use a product like TopDeck Deck Tile https://www.google.com/search?q=top...la:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb You can buy it at the big box stores and we sell it as well --for the same price less your GJ discount

 

[Milehighxr]

I want WOOD... Uh huh-huh he said wood. Not plastic. Please stop suggesting plastic, I want a wood surface that has no gaps, and looks pretty. So any suggestions that fulfill those requirements will be appreciated.

 

[rlitman]

You're being unreasonable. The gaps are to let water flow through.
You mention shoveling snow on it. Gapless WOOD is just not feasable in the great outdoors.

 

[Milehighxr]

You're being unreasonable. The gaps are to let water flow through.
You mention shoveling snow on it. Gapless WOOD is just not feasable in the great outdoors.

Won't need to have gaps if it is pitched slightly to allow runoff like roof on a house. 1/2 degree, or even one degree would be plenty. as it is the deck collects water anyhow.

 

[volleyball]

You want a porch floor. You don't see that a lot anymore. You can get it in pine or PT, mahogany and I am sure other species.
The framing has to go parallel to the structure unlike a deck. You just make sure you pitch it and it will last for years.
My deck is built this way only I use aluminum "boards". They interlock and make a solid 1 piece surface. You don't need much of pitch

 

[Milehighxr]

So where would I find some info on how to do tjis. Sample plans and such would be awesome.

 

[rlitman]

Won't need to have gaps if it is pitched slightly to allow runoff like roof on a house. 1/2 degree, or even one degree would be plenty. as it is the deck collects water anyhow.

That'll work for PLASTIC (or aluminum as mentioned above). Not for wood. Wood expands and contracts, mostly in the direction normal to the grain. Put a lot of boards in parallel tight together, and expose to weather, and you're going to pop all the screw heads when they warp.

Ever seen a WOOD roof pitched 1/2 degree (let alone one with no gaps, as cedar shake is set with gaps)? I didn't think so.

 

[Playwme]

The plastic composite decking expands a fair bit as well in the heat. I think you're asking too much of the materials and the situations.

 

[volleyball]

To do a porch frame, it is just like a deck. Only turned 90 so the house is not a support member. Build it square. then cut out 3" from the supports on the side away from the house. This will give you the pitch and you don't have to do any extra math.
If you put down the deck on the hottest day, you will only have shrinkage. If you do it when cold, leave it a credit card width loose and you won't have to worry about buckling. This has been done for 100 years and not been a problem. But they all had a roof.
You want to finish the boards on all sides before installation. But you will have to do a lot of maintenance on a deck like this. They were always painted to help protect the wood, which hides the grain and the reason for using wood.

 

[Garage Flooring]

OK... then what you want is a T&G product. This is just an example, not suggesting this specific product. http://thompsonmahogany.com/hardwood-decking/tongue-and-groove-porch-flooring/

 

[Milehighxr]

Yes, something like that, does anyone have any experience, or at least ideas on how to keep it nice in the heat, sun, and snow, rain. It is on the south side of the house, so it get virtual full sun all day long.

 

[volleyball]

Yeah, by replacing it often.
It really is the worst material to be used uncovered. Why do you have such a big front deck?
Masonry or the aluminum are pricey but will last a long time. Spend a lot now or spend a little less and keep on paying.
If you reframe your deck so that you can change the board direction and add the pitch, you can tighten up the gap and I am betting you shovel away from the house and with the board running that direction, the gaps won't be a problem

 

[Milehighxr]

I may look into that. The front deck is so huge because my backyard is literally 5ft deep, I can almost stretch my arms out and touch my house, and the fence, almost...

 

[ez-duzit]

Yeah, by replacing it often.
It really is the worst material to be used uncovered...
If you reframe your deck so that you can change the board direction and add the pitch, you can tighten up the gap and I am betting you shovel away from the house and with the board running that direction, the gaps won't be a problem

This seems a good solution.

An alternative surface could be parquet, which comes in 12" squares that could be slightly spaced and caulked. I have used teak parquet--gorgeous! The sub-deck would want to be well constructed with excellent flatness. No finish is maintenance free.

At my age, I'd be leaning toward a slab with embedded snow melting.

 

[volleyball]

Can you add a roof? Maybe for the walkway in winter. Or you can have a walkway section that is made of a durable product easy to shovel for winter and wood decking on the sides. You could build it without threshold curbs.