Many jurisdictions following the international building code which requires a minimum 1 8 inch spacing between boards.
Spacing between deck boards uk.
Gaps that are narrow 1 8 can catch debris specifically on top of the joists and can be difficult to clean out.
Spacing between deck boards provide a few critical functions.
Both sizes have their pros and cons.
When joining two cut deck boards together in a run fix with screws 15mm from the end of each board at an angle to ensure secure fixing into the joists below.
Most decks use 16 on center spacing for joists.
Joist and deck board spacing guidance.
Generally an acceptable gap between deck boards is between 1 8 inch and 1 4 inch.
Adjust the spacing between deck boards gradually over the next 10 rows of decking until the distance to the house is equal.
Adjust spacing between deck boards.
A convenient way to get consistent spacing is by using a 6 penny or 8 penny nail between each course of decking.
Position the fixing at least 20mm from the edge of the deck board.
Measure to the house at both ends and in the center when you get within about 5 ft.
Decking subframe design guidance decking beam span guidance.
Some builders reduce joist spacing to 12 on center to strengthen the deck frame or to increase maximum allowable joist spans.
In this instance the maximum span between deck post centres is 2 07m c16 or 2 24m c24.
Proper side to side deck board spacing allows for air water and debris to flow around the decking leading to a long lasting low maintenance deck.
Larger gaps such as 1 4 allow more of this material to fall through the deck.
Joist spacing for composite decking.
Joining two boards in a run.
The primary function is to drain water from the deck.
Before deciding on how much space to leave between deck boards check with your local building code to see if it covers deck board spacing.
The width of the nail is 1 8 inch.
If you have poor ventilation wider is always better.
Ensure there is a minimum gap of 5 6mm between each deck board.
For timbertech azek decking it s recommended to have a minimum 1 8 to 1 4 side to side gap between deck boards.
Most decking is not strong enough to support longer spans than 16.
Cumaru deck board gapping allow a minimum of 1 8 gap between board widths on 4 wide decking and 3 16 gap between board widths on 6 wide decking for drainage airflow and expansion.
Position the fixing at least15mm from end of deck board.