Although installing mahogany tongue-and-groove decking boards is similar to installing inside flooring boards, there are a number of vital differences. You likely won’t need a solid subfloor, meaning nailing the boards to the joists. You’ll need to space the joists and dimension the boards so that the ends fall on a joist — end joints hanging free are bound to separate. It is important to present a moisture barrier under the flooring to prevent warping, but even if you do, sunlight and rain will still cause some warping. You can minimize this using a waterproof finish.
Buy the timber before you build the infrastructure to your deck. Purchase boards using a uniform span — 3- and 4-foot boards are common — and space the joists so that the spacing is just a small percent of the board span. In case you’ve got 3-foot boards, space the joists by 18 inches; should you’ve got 4-foot boards, space the joists by 12 inches in case you’ve got 3/4-inch decking and by 24 inches for 1 1/2-inch decking. Assemble the frame so that the surface slopes toward the front of the deck. This is vital for proper drainage.
Stretch a sheet of vinyl above the deck base and staple it to the joists using a staple gun. The vinyl protects the underside of the decking by moisture.
Start putting the boards on the face of the deck closest the home. Snap a chalk line on the joists around 1/2 inch away from the edge of the home and align the first row of boards on the line. The gap allows water to drain and the decking wood to enlarge.
Screw the boards to the joists using 2-inch weatherproof trim screws. Angle the screws during the tongues in a 45-degree angle to the joists. The screws have undersized heads, allowing you to sink the heads completely into the timber.
Ensure that boards that meet end to end do so on a joist. Screw each board to the joist within 3/4 inches of its end. To prevent the wood from splitting, drill pilot holes for the screws near the ends, using a 3/16-inch drill bit.
Install the next row of illumination tapping it tightly against the boards of the first row using a mallet. The mallet that comes with a flooring nailer — that is a good tool to use for the majority of the setup — is ideal for this function. Be sure the ends of the boards are staggered from the ends of those in the first row.
Nail the boards in the second and all subsequent rows using a nail gun and 2-inch flooring cleats. To utilize the nail gun, hold it by the handle and align the foot together with the edge of the board you’re nailing. Strike the plunger on the nailer to drive a nail at the appropriate angle to the joist.
Rip the boards that form the outside edge of the deck into the proper width using a tablesaw. Secure them into the rim joist with trim screws.
Allow the results of the boards hang above the edges of the deck. When you’re done installing them, draw contour lines using a pencil or snap directly chalk lines and cut along the lines using a jigsaw.
Finish the boards using a penetrating waterproofing sealer. If you want to darken the shade, substitute a semi-transparent stain to your sealer. Use either the oil- or water-based product, and re-coat it every other year or, if necessary, every year.