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Decks/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| conflicting design | 1/19/2012 | Daniel Humphrey |
| Q: I removed a large pool and want to install a patio. I want to change the railing on my deck to ... A: Once you select the actual rail pattern, you can probably find a style of lattice that doesn't ... | ||
| VYNAL DECKING LEAKS, SAME PROBLEM AS TERRY | 1/10/2012 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: AS I STATED, MY DECK LEAKS, I TRYED VYNAL SILOCINE, DID NOY WORK. i HAVE BEEN LOOKING ON THE NET AND ... A: Sorry but I need some more information, does this deck have a undercover system? Is it made of some ... | ||
| raised paver deck | 1/3/2012 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: I will be looking for a contractor to tear down an old concrete porch with steps off my back ... A: The term "maintenance free" has legal implications that have bitten manufacturers who claimed their ... | ||
| raised paver deck | 12/27/2011 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: I will be looking for a contractor to tear down an old concrete porch with steps off my back ... A: A paver patio at the elevation you described would be, as you expect, very expensive, because it ... | ||
| Floor / Deck | 12/16/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I want to build a floor uder a shed I have , I plan on using 2x8x12 the area will be a 12x36 i ... A: I'm sorry that was a type error it is suppose to read 12' joists spanning on 12" ignore the 3. If ... | ||
| Floor / Deck | 12/13/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I want to build a floor uder a shed I have , I plan on using 2x8x12 the area will be a 12x36 i ... A: If it is just storage then you should be fine with a dbl beam at each side with 123' joists spanning ... | ||
| Replacing porch railings in the rain? | 11/7/2011 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: I so appreciate finding a place to ask this question, thank you. At the end of the week we have a ... A: Having been born and raised here on the east coast, I've not had a lot of experience with redwood ... | ||
| Sealing a new deck | 9/29/2011 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: I just cleaned my year and a half old pressure treated deck with a water based cleaner and it ... A: There are several different types of treated lumber currently in use. So I can't explain the sap. ... | ||
| Stairs on Rocky Slope | 9/27/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: My cousins and I are planning to replace a rotting outdoor staircase at our family summer cabin next ... A: I think your idea is ok for the center supports, but at the top and bottom you may want to change it ... | ||
| Attaching posts to an existing deck | 9/3/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I need to attach posts for a handrail system to existing front steps and landing. I don't have room ... A: If they have to be 3" from the edge your going to have problems getting them sturdy. They make a ... | ||
| Roof over a deck | 8/23/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I read your advice on putting a roof over a deck with interest. You recommended 2x6s on 4x4s with a ... A: Living that far north you really need a steeper roof than a low pitched "shed style" roof. If you ... | ||
| Trex deck - Mildew / Mold | 8/9/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I have a contract to purchase a home that has about 1000 sq ft of Trex decking. I believe the Trex ... A: As far as I know pressure washing won't hurt the decking as long as you use the weakest tip and ... | ||
| Covered Deck with Tile and Stone Fireplace | 7/30/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: We are in the beginning stages of building a new home and are working to design a covered deck space ... A: We might be neighbors I live in Ga. also. I just completed a project in Kennesaw where we tiled a ... | ||
| genovations decking | 7/29/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: We recently had our old deck replaced with this product. What do we use under metal patio furniture ... A: I see this allot. Even though I personally have not heard of that particular product, I have ... | ||
| Can't get deck cleaner off/out of deck wood- HELP! | 7/21/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: I have a big problem and I need your help. I recently tried to clean my small deck (just bought ... A: I don't think powerwashing will help and may in fact hurt if done incorrectly. I also can't really ... | ||
| Can't get deck cleaner off/out of deck wood- HELP! | 7/21/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: I have a big problem and I need your help. I recently tried to clean my small deck (just bought ... A: Sorry to hear about your problem. We have seen similar things happen with Olympic cleaner in the ... | ||
| sap seaping through boards on outdoor deck. | 7/18/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: We had a deck installed in July 2008. After several months, we used a solid stain on the deck. ... A: This is a common problem especially with standard or better decking, ( that is the grade) Premium ... | ||
| problem deck | 7/18/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: three years ago my hubby replaced our deck boards with treated decking planks. the next year i used ... A: Lots of things going on. Don't know of many "good quality tinted water repellants" so not real sure ... | ||
| When to Stain a New Mahogany Deck | 7/11/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: I had a mahogany deck installed in maryland that was finished on 6-14-2011. It's about 16' x 16' and ... A: A few months may be pushing it. In California, we would never wait more than 1-2 weeks before ... | ||
| deck on river bank | 7/9/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I bought river front property last year in the NW corner of MT. We get a lot of snow and spring ... A: You could build a deck just like a pier would be built on the ocean. The best way to do it would not ... | ||
| Kool Deck Concrete Stain | 6/21/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: We have a large pool deck that was refurbished two years ago with a mixture of Portland cement and ... A: There are a variety of applications out there for concrete. I agree with the others about "painting ... | ||
| wood over outside concrete stairs | 6/16/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I would like to build wood stairs over my front entrance concrete stairs.There are 3 steps plus the ... A: In all honesty I would try and remove the concrete steps you have now then build the new landing and ... | ||
| wood over outside concrete stairs | 6/16/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I would like to build wood stairs over my front entrance concrete stairs.There are 3 steps plus the ... A: well you can either just attach wood to your concrete steps with anchors, or screws. Or you can ... | ||
| Deck gate | 6/15/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I have a deck with stairs that end with a post on either side. The posts don't line up, and I am ... A: It all depends on how bad the posts don't line up. If they are a step or more apart a gate will not ... | ||
| Deck | 6/15/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: I live in WV and our deck was built a month ago but I am confused on what to put on it first. Our ... A: You're right on the Thompson's - does not last at all and is not worth it. I understand you'd like a ... | ||
| Deck | 6/12/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: We had a small deck and hired a man to add on to it, making it about four times bigger. He did a ... A: Wow! I'm sorry to laugh but the aircraft carrier comparison is very funny. I'm assuming he used a ... | ||
| outdoor carpeting | 5/30/2011 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: I'd like to put a designed carpet/mat under my table and chair set on my outdoor wooden (cedar) ... A: Whatever the material, it will cause the decking to retain moisture, leading to eventual premature ... | ||
| bad stain job on deck | 5/25/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: I had my deck stained by a professional that came recommended by many neighbors. The stain is ... A: I understand your situation and have empathy for what you're going through. We deal with individuals ... | ||
| Individual tiles on a deck | 5/23/2011 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: First, thanks so much for the advice you give. I have read several postings and found them helpful ... A: The tiles that you have seen are actually supported by an engineered grid system, and they are glued ... | ||
| replacing -cracked and splintered deck boards | 5/17/2011 | Mark Morsching |
| Q: my deck is about 14 years old . its pressuretreated and some boards are in a bad shape. some are 14 ... A: I have been building for almost 28 years now and I have found that if you use a jig saw you can get ... | ||
| Vinyl Membrane on Deck | 4/30/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I have a deck covered with a Duradek vinyl membrane. My neighbors and I feel the builder of our THs ... A: Although I myself have never installed such a product, I always assumed that this was something that ... | ||
| Deck Stain over Prev Paint? | 4/30/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: I have a deck with wood posts and railing that were originally paint white by the builder but ... A: We don't use Olympic products so I can't really comment on that one, except for the fact that we ... | ||
| Rolling deck gates | 4/17/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I saw a question on ask.com about making a rolling deck gate and I believe you answered, saying you ... A: When I build a gate it is usually for a deck, and the gate style should match the rail style on the ... | ||
| deck staining | 4/16/2011 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: I stained my "treated wood" deck last year which was about 1 year old before staining with Behr deck ... A: Sorry so long to respond. I would guess that the wood was not yet ready to accept a stain. In other ... | ||
| deck attachement/support | 4/14/2011 | Mark Morsching |
| Q: 2 foot cantalevered (exist.2"x8"joist@16" oc) Is it ok (structural) to do the following: 1. sister ... A: according to the DCA-6 document no deck can be attached to brick or a cantilever. Sliding the joist ... | ||
| staining decks | 4/10/2011 | Gary J Daley |
| Q: I have a Deck that is 25FT wide left to right and 8. FT back to front so it is 25FT X 8.FT and I am ... A: Please realize that the people who work at Home Depot think they are the experts. And I can't fault ... | ||
| staning decks | 4/10/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: I have a Deck that is 25FT wide left to right and 8. FT back to front so it is 25FT X 8.FT and I am ... A: Although I build decks and don't really do allot of staining, I know of plenty of people that ... | ||
| Deck Sealing/staining | 4/8/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: Mr Clayton, I have a not quite year old deck built from Yellawood. Shortly after its' ... A: Yellow wood is just a better brand due to there treating process and they normally use a better ... | ||
| New deck - when to seal? | 4/5/2011 | Drew Isaacman |
| Q: ..I have just had a deck built and want to get it protected as soon as it should as my house faces ... A: You should be OK for a while. Ideally, you would brighten, let dry and then apply a good, ... | ||
| New Deck - when to seal? | 3/29/2011 | Eugene Clayton |
| Q: ...I have just had a deck built and want to get it protected as soon as it should as my house faces ... A: If this was a pressure treated deck the wood needs to dry out a bit before you seal it or the sealer ... | ||
Decks
Answers by Expert:
Eugene Clayton
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I would be happy to answer any question reguarding the construction of decks, composites verses natural materials, structure support systems,railing applications,stair design, how to figure stairs etc.. Pretty much anything that has to do with decks and or porches.
Experience
I have been in the construction industry for over 27 years including new home construction, custom deck and screen porches. Most of my expertise is from framing custom homes for over 20 years. I now own and opperate a very successful custom deck and screen porch company in Atlanta Ga.
Education/Credentials
High school graduate
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