Hey everyone! I'm working on building a deck with some irregular shapes, and I have two edges that need to be joined end-to-end since my boards are 20 feet long. The longer edge, measuring 22'9", leads to a step down, making it visible and possibly a tripping hazard. I want to know what options I have for either hiding these seams or making sure they are secure enough to avoid any buckling due to heat expansion and contraction? Also, I'm considering using hideaway butt-joint clips, but I'm not sure how to work with square boards since they won't have grooves for clipping. Any advice or share your experiences would be super helpful!
1 Answer
One approach we took was to add a deck board that runs perpendicular to the long edges, effectively splitting the seam. Even though our deck is wider, it worked out well for us. You might find it helps take the focus away from the joins. Just be mindful that this tactic creates junctions while minimizing the number of seam areas people might trip over.
That's a great idea! I thought about using a breaker board too, but it might create more joints than I want. Do you think enclosing the edges with fascia boards would help with the exposed parts?