We are planning to lay decking on our balcony according to the attached sketch. However, we are a bit unsure about what is the smartest thing to do first? Is it smartest to first finish the frame? Or should we start with parts of the frame and then insert the crosswise planks and finally "seal" the frame? Or perhaps first lay all the crosswise planks and finish by securing the frame?
Hello HomeboY. If by "stommen" you mean the studs, then of course those are what I thought of placing first. What I was wondering was whether I should place the actual "frame" around on three sides, the planks that I have drawn with 45-degree mitred ends. Or if I should start with one of the "frame sides" open and then lay the planks that run horizontally and finally "close" the frame.
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· Etelä Pohjanmaa
· 2 467 posts
Start with the frieze, or what you call the frame. Then lay the rest of the decking from the outside in.
Cut the last board against the wall.
Use a mora knife between the boards as you lay them to get the right spacing. Some on this forum often recommend laying the decking without gaps. This is not a good idea, the same people often write threads about bad screws breaking without realizing it's user error. If you have newly pressure-treated decking, it's so waterlogged that you can lay it together, and often happy DIYers without much experience can't determine how newly treated the decking is.