Green Part 10: A deck, free from pressure-treated wood.

The house came with a very questionable deck at the back door of the house (see this post for a few good pictures). The plan had always been to add a more inviting way to access the yard from the kitchen, and our architect friend, Wade Skeels, sketched out an idea for a deck that we really liked. It provided a nice flow from the kitchen straight out into the yard with wide steps.

It is very standard practice to use pressure-treated wood for decks. However, pressure-treated wood is now considered toxic, so we sought alternative methods and materials to build a deck that would still last.

Decks are frequently attached to a house using a ledger board, which is bolted directly to the structure. It is strongly advised that this board be made from pressure-treated wood and properly flashed to prevent water from seeping between it and the house. Given our older siding, installing flashing correctly would have been challenging, and we also wanted to steer clear of using pressure-treated wood. Therefore, I chose to build a free-standing deck. This type of deck is not attached directly to the house, eliminating the need for a ledger board and the potential rot issues it might cause.

We have used FSC-certified Redwood for all posts and structural wood. All posts sit on a concrete foundation and use a metal post-base standoff to keep them from soaking up moisture. For the decking material, we chose an FSC-certified Ipe wood. This is a tropical hardwood that is very dense and does not rot. It will fade to a grey color over time, and does not need to be finished. In addition, we opted for a metal post and cable railing system around the deck.

To further enhance the longevity of the deck, I utilized the DeckMaster fastening system, so all fasteners are hidden beneath the deckboards. This means that no screws or nails penetrate the top of the support structure when attaching the decking. These penetrations are typically the first place a deck will rot.