Give Your Home A New Look: Four Steps To Replace Your Decking With Cedar Lumber

by Grace Motley

If you want to give your home a new look, there are many things that you can do. Adding cedar decking is a great option for changing the look of your deck. Replacing the decking on your deck is a simple job that you can do to change the look of your deck. Following a few simple steps, you will be able to replace all the decking boards on your deck over the weekend. Here are the four simple steps you will need to follow to replace all the decking boards:

1.  Remove All The Old Decking Boards From Your Deck

The first step of redoing your deck with cedar is to remove all the old decking boards. You will first want to make sure the deck has bracing below it to keep it square while the decking is removed. This can just be one angle brace to hold the deck. You can use the first decking board you remove to do this with. Once you have it braced, remove all the other decking boards from the deck.

2. Repair Any Damage To Structural Boards On Your Deck

With all the decking boards removed from the deck, you will want to inspect the structure for any damage. If you see any joists that are rotten, cracked or badly warped, replace them before you continue with the project. Also, look at all the beams to make sure that they are in good shape too. Replace any boards with the same size materials that were originally used.

3. Install Your New Cedar Lumber Decking Boards 

You will want to install the new cedar decking once you have repaired any damage. To start, begin at the outside of the deck, and let the first decking board hang off the deck ½ inch. This allows water to run off away from the outside beam. You will continue putting the boards down to the house. In between each board, you will want to leave a 1/8 inch expansion gap. This allows the boards to expand and contract in hot and cold weather. You can use a couple of nails to do this each time you lay a new row of decking.  Make sure the boards are nailed down with screws or ring shanked nails for decking. This keeps the nails or screws from coming loose over time.

4. Stain Your Cedar Decking Boards With The Correct Sealer

The last step in your project will be to stain your cedar decking boards. You will want to choose the sealant carefully for your cedar decking. Many people use oil-based stains for cedar decking, but this is not always the best choice. It may be better to use a water-based stain for a couple of reasons. It will allow you to keep the natural colors and textures of your cedar lumber. Water-based stains can also be more environmentally friendly type of stain, which is why they are commonly used for stains on things like docks and wood structures on waterways.

These are the four simple steps you will need to follow when installing cedar lumber on your deck. If you need materials for your project, contact a home improvement contractor, such as Home Exteriors Of Fayetteville, to get started.

Share