Good Times modular custom or standard frame?

[snipwhip]

Hi,  I'm intending a build a deck around 5.4m * 2.0m (+/- 10cm) using Good times custom frame (945 * 945) instead of the 1113*1113 standard frame for Ekodeck. Has anyone used this custom frame for your decking which Good Times will cut to size for you and if so, what was your experience with the quality?

I can't find many reviews on the custom frames but the standard frames seem ok enough. Ultimately thinking of whether to get custom frames or buy the standard frames and cut down to size myself. I intend to use long 5.4m ekodeck boards and not the panels. Thanks in advance.

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @snipwhip 

I dont really see a problem with the spacers and then the joist on the end, Tho I would probarly would install more spaces then normal and then fix screws through to the spaces or bolt through all three to help stop any sag as @EricL has mentioned. 

The way I look at it is if you were standing on the edge of your deck in that last 90mm of space. If you think that it will bow ir bend with time then I would go the route of adding support feet to stop it. There is nothing worse then in a years time you find your deck "bouncy" after going to the effort to build it.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @snipwhip 

I'm confident that extending the sub-floor as per your red outlined will be suitable due to shared loading. I would use 90mm bugle/batten screws to secure the additional joist through the blocks into the end joists.

Nailbag

[snipwhip]

Hi @EricL, @JacobZ @MitchellMc 

The deck is coming along great thanks to all your helpful tips along the way! I'm finally looking at finishing it in the next week or so. 

I have one question about the fascia. With good times decking,  the fascia would be raised and flush with the decking boards with no overhang. This can cause water to collect between the fascia and the edge joist which is a known issue with this sort of fascia setup. I've got joist tape on the edge joist so that will go some way in minimising water entry. What would you recommend I can do to try and minimise the risk of water or debris ingress into the gap?

Thanks

[JacobZ]

Hi @snipwhip,

I don't really think you're going to have that many issues. As long as the decking board on the top of the deck lines up with the outside edge of the rim joist, the joint will be vertical, so water should just run through it with the effects of gravity.

I suppose you could open it up slightly by adding some Titan 3.2 x 75mm 200 Piece Green Window Packers to help water and dirt flow through, but if you looked in the gap, you would see the packers.

Protecting your joists with joist tape and keeping up with cleaning is about the best you can do here without altering the orientation of the decking boards.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[snipwhip]

Thanks @JacobZ.. 

[snipwhip]

Hi @JacobZ, I've decided to do bevel cuts for the fascia as @MitchellMc did in his deck video. I was wondering...how tight should the the bevelled corners be? Do you glue them?

Thanks

[JacobZ]

Hi @snipwhip,

That's great to hear, bevelled corners will look nice and sharp.

You want them to be pretty tight; any gaps will look poor and take away from the finished look. Gluing them will certainly help to hold them tight, and if you have a finish nailer, a couple of trim nails through the joint would also help.

A bit of a trick I learnt from some carpenters I worked with is to cut them at 46 degrees rather than 45 degrees, as this ensures the points of the bevel meet up. There will be a small gap behind that will be taken up by the glue.

Make sure to cut the bevels and test fit them before cutting the board to length, as getting the bevels right is much harder than getting the length right.

Good luck and let me know if there is anything else I can assist with.

Jacob

[snipwhip]

Thanks @JacobZ. I've got a cordless ozito nail/staple gun. What nails would be suitable for securing this bevel cut into the 19mm merbau fascia?

[JacobZ]

Hi @snipwhip,

Is it this Ozito PXC 18V Cordless 2 In 1 Cordless Nail And Staple Gun PXNGS-018? Can you check the model number to confirm?

If so, they fire C1 brads, so I'd suggest using these PowerFit 32mm C1 Series Electro-Galvanised Brad Nails.

I'd also use a sacrificial piece of timber to fire a few practice shots first, as even though they are very fine nails, splitting is still possible if you don't aim right in the centre of the boards. Getting comfortable with it before shooting the nails into the final piece is definitely going to be worth it.

Also, make sure to keep your fingers well clear of the point of the timber, as the nails can bend and fire out the side of the timber into any fingers that happen to be there if they hit something hard, like a knot in the timber. Trust me, I have had it happen to me, and it is not fun. Clamping the timbers with a corner clamp so you can keep your hands well clear is definitely going to be worthwhile.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[snipwhip]

Thanks for the safety tip! I've never useda nail gun before so will test it out first. By the way,  how far apart should the fascia screws be along the edge joist. For the droppers I've installed,  they're btn 450 to 600mm apart so the lower fascia will screw into that.  Will the top fascia just take guidance from the droppers as well?