Deck Goes On

There were some delays with the siding.  Turns out the company that offered the color we liked for the siding did not offer prefinished trim. 

We were able to find a close match from a second supplier. However, getting samples from both suppliers to confirm colors before took some time. 

Clafton Builders took advantage of the weather and the delay with the siding to put the deck on starting just before Christmas (yes, the first photo below was taken on Dec. 22nd). 

I purchased rough sawn cedar 8 x 8's then precut and stained them in the garage at Snowball.  Pictures of cutting beams will be posted separately.  

Deck joists are treated.  Ends are trimmed similar to beams.  These were also cut in the garage at Snowball. 

Decking is 5/4 cedar.

Herring bone pattern where deck turns corner by main entry.  Joe routered the ends of the boards to match the factory round-over on the edges.

We wanted a hidden fastener system for the decking.  After much research, I selected "Camo" system.  The tool above is used to "toe screw" the decking to the joists.  By pulling up on the handle, the jaws open enough to fit over the board.  Releasing the handle allows the jaws to clamp down on the sides of the board.  The jaws also space the boards at 3/16".

There are screw guides on each end of the tool (red arrow above) that position special screws at the correct angle and position.  The accompanying driver has a shoulder that limits the depth of the screws. 

Close up of the screw after installation. 

Joe had not used this system before this project, but quickly got the hang of it.  I ended up ordering a second tool to keep the deck moving along nicely.