To be assured of a wonderful finished decking or outdoor project that will provide you a lifetime of enjoyment and enduring beauty, please use the following approach to plan, install, and care for your project.
ORDERING
Robi Decking ® supplies multiple width and length boards. To determine the linear feet (LF) and number of boards needed, calculate the square footage of your deck then use this calculator to determine the size of the order.
A shortage could occur in cutting, trimming, and waste so please add 15% additional length to the calculation prior to ordering.
To determine what quantities of decking and accessories you need for your project, please see our Decking Calculator, the calculator includes the 15% overage.
For information about typical shipping rates and delivery times, please visit our Shipping page.
ACCLIMATION
Once your order arrives, the wood is immediately ready for installation. As our decking and siding are kiln dried, until installation, please keep the boards out of the sunlight and out of the open weather with plenty of air flow until you are ready to install the boards. We suggest storing the boards inside a garage or under a covered shed. Also, keep the boards away from direct contact with the ground and do not store the boards with a tarp over them, or wrapped in plastic as these actions will prevent air flow. If storing over the ground, ensure that the boards are at least 24″ off the ground with no moisture under them.
INSTALLING YOUR BOARDS
Do not construct your deck without ground side ventilation. Proper air circulation beneath the deck is critical to dimensional stability. A minimum of two feet (24 inches) of unobstructed airspace under the deck is essential. If you have no ability to achieve 24 inches, then you can still achieve proper decking, but we highly recommend you follow these guidelines:
1. Do as much prep work as possible with grading to maximize airflow and ensure that moisture will flow out from under the wood. This could include a combination of grading and drains. Avoid “boxing in” the deck with cladding, this will prevent airflow.
2. Use a narrower decking board. The 5/4 x 4 decking instead of the 5/4 x 6, or 2 x 4 instead of 2 x 6. The narrower board is more stable and will not cup.
3. Pre-finish all 6 sides of the board before install. By finishing the underside of the board, this will prevent moisture from coming into the cell structure of the wood.
4. Use more joists, consider going 12” on center, this will provide more connections for the wood.
5. Face screw the wood. This will provide a better connection to the joists than hidden fasteners or other install methods.
6. Ensure 1/8″ to 1/4″ gap spacing side to side (butt ends can still be flush). The gap spacing will allow moisture to vent from under the deck. 1/8″ install is recommended in the summer during high humidity. 1/4″ install is recommended in the winter or during low humidty. 3/16″ if between seasons.
Boards requiring straightening should be clamped in the desired position until properly fastened. A bow wrench or board bender will work well. Tongue & Groove decking should ONLY be installed in a screened in or covered environment with no excess exposure to moisture to the wood.
To ensure the deck substructure lasts as long as the decking boards, joist tape is recommended to be placed between the top of the joist and the decking boards.
Also, ensure that the Black Locust boards and other species do not touch ferrous metal or are placed in an area where rain will deflect off of ferrous metals. Ferrous metals contain mostly iron and have small amounts of other metals or elements added, to give the required properties. Ferrous metals are magnetic and most hardwoods will stain black due to the chemical reaction with ferrous metals.
SANDING/CLEANING
If you did not sand and clean the boards prior to installation, you can do this now that the boards are installed.
We recommend sanding each board (an 80 grit sandpaper works best). This will allow any minor marks, scratches or surface imperfections in the boards to blend for a more even appearance and make the boards smooth. Sanding should be done with the grain of the board.
Once the boards are sanded, we suggest sweeping the boards and then cleaning the boards with a deck cleaner on all sides, and then allowing the boards to dry for at least 24 hours. Once the boards are dry, we recommend oiling/staining the boards.
JOIST SPACING AND BOARD SPACING
Black Locust: Due to the strength of Black Locust, it can span more than other woods reducing your framing costs. For our actual 1″ thick boards we suggest 24″ on center for joist spacing. For our actual 13/16″ thick boards we suggest 16″ on center for joist spacing. Our 2 x 6 material that is actual 1-1/2″ thick can span 32″ on center for joist spacing. Boards should be installed with slight spacing for drainage–1/4″ for spacing between boards. Ends of the boards should butt flush against each other. Minimal movement can be expected following installation.
For our Sassafras that are 1″ decking boards, we suggest 16″ on center for joist spacing and 1/4″ for spacing between boards. Ends of the boards should butt flush against each other. Minimal movement can be expected following installation.
BOARD FASTENING METHODS
Fastening your boards to your deck’s substructure is an important decision. The strongest and best method of fastening hardwood decking boards is with the appropriate stainless steel deck screws. This will provide maximum fastening power and maintain the position of the boards over time.
Board Screw-Down Method A:
The traditional approach has been to pre-drill the holes and then screw the boards into the frame. Pre-drill fastener pilot holes 7/8 of the actual screw size. Use a drill bit designed to extract stock during the drilling. If you would like the screw heads flush with the boards, the pre-drill should include a countersink preparation as well.
Board Screw-Down Method B:
A recent breakthrough in deck screw technology has been developed. This deck fastening method is performed with a deck screw that provides 3-in-1 drilling, countersinking and screwing all in one step. Although the deck screw heads are visible, they may be countersunk to your preferred depth in the board. Please note these screws are very expensive and this is typically done for very large decks or boardwalks.
Hidden Deck Fastener Method C:
This method of deck fastening provides a clean look to the deck surface because no screw heads appear on the surface of your deck. This process is very time consuming and requires the use of a biscuit joiner or for the boards to be pre-grooved. We suggest only using this method with the nominal 5/4 thick boards (actual 1″ thick).
We suggest the EB-TY® Premium Hidden Deck Fasteners from Simpson Strong-Tie as these actually screw through the boards and into the joists with stainless steel. We also recommend on the opposite side of the board, the side with just the hidden fastener holding it in place, to place screws through the board and the joist as well to hold the board straight. This can be done at an angle or face screwed with a plug so that you don’t see the screw.
Screw and Plug Method Method D:
Please note this is very time consuming, but results in a very clean look:
- Countersink a 3/8” hole into the face of the deck board
- Pre-drill a pilot hole straight through the board using a 1/8’ drill bit
- Screw the deck boards so they hold firm to the joist
- Use wood plugs to fill the holes. 3/8” deck plugs are available from us
- Use a waterproof glue (e.g., Epoxy or Gorilla™ brand of wood glue) and glue the wood plug into the hole
- Any exposed portion of the wood plug can either be sawed or chiseled and then sanded until smooth
Side Screwing Method E:
With expert installation we suggest the CAMO and the Kreg Deck Jig where the boards are screwed at an angle so you don’t see the screw heads.
Tongue and Groove boards can be installed with stainless steel staples.
OILING AND STAINING
Now that your deck is sanded and clean you can complete the optional final step and finish your deck. If you choose to let deck age naturally to a patina color, we still recommend you apply one application of a finish. Due to the density and tight grain of Black Locust, many finishes and oils will not work on it, leaving the wood with a sticky feel. So we set out to develop blends specially made for Black Locust that combine all natural ingredients into a very low VOC finish. These same finishes will work on all species.
Robi® Oil is a tung oil based finish combining citrus solvent and pine needle resin. All ingredients are all natural with zero VOCs. The oil brings out the natural beauty and grain detail of the wood, dries quickly, and also contains natural UV inhibitors to delay aging. The great thing about Robi® Oil, is that when the wood needs to re-finished after 1 to 5 years, depending on the environment, all you have to do is a simple clean and just re-apply. No sanding. No striping of the old finish. Robi Marine Oil is a version of Robi Oil that dries quickly and is excellent deal water (ocean, pools, lakes).
Robi® Blend (medium brown tint) and Robi® Patina Now (light grey tint) are water based finishes. Since the formula is water based, it contains less than 2% VOCs. Both offer long lasting, deep penetrating protection. Blend and Patina Now are formulated with aliphatic polyurethane for exterior and interior surfaces to create a formula that increases abrasion resistance and provides additional UV protection to the semi transparent stains. The formula is easy to apply, dries quickly, and stains the wood. When the wood needs to re-finished after 1 to 5 years, depending on the environment, all you have to do is a simple clean and just re-apply. No sanding. No striping of the old finish.
SIDING INSTALLATION
Proper installation of wood siding is key to longevity. All our wood siding should yield a lifespan of 50 years or more with proper installation. We highly suggest finishing the siding boards on all 6 sides with one of our finishes, as this helps protect the back side of the board from excess moisture. Then finish the end cuts with that same finish as you make cuts on the job site.
The siding boards can be butted tightly together on the ends, unlike synthetic siding products that expand and contract along their length. Our wood siding products, however, will not expand and contract longitudinally. Side to side, the boards are installed flush as well, no matter what siding profile is selected, Nickel Gap, V-Groove, etc. All the siding profiles allow for minor movement of the wood both radially and tangentially.
If you install the boards vertically, you will want to scarf cut the butt ends so that rain water will not rest on the butt ends. Horizontal siding can be square-cut.
Stainless steel fasteners should be used for all connections with the wood. 316 stainless steel should be used near salt water.
In terms of connecting the siding to the house, let’s work from the inside of the house to the outside, starting with the sheathing that is usually plywood. There are 2 options we suggest for the sheathing:
A. Use a house wrap like Hydro Gap that allows for air flow between the siding and the house wrap. A product like this protects the sheathing from moisture and also allows just enough air flow behind the siding to prevent cupping.
B. Use a conventional flat house wrap such as Typar or Tyvek. Then attach furring strips perpendicular to how you want to run the siding, 12″ on center. The furring strips can be a nominal 1 x 3 (3/4″ x 2.5″). If you use this method, we highly suggest Sassafras as it is rot-resistant, kiln-dried, dimensionally stable, and easy to work with. Whatever you choose, you want the material to have all of the aforementioned qualities.
Now that you have the substructure in place, you can start fastening the wood siding to the house. We suggest starting runs with face screws, countersunk for plugs, and then using stainless steel staples through the tongue of the siding profile. This provides a fastener-free, clean look, with optimal long-term performance. And again, because our wood siding is dimensionally stable, you can butt the wood tight on the butt ends and sides.
Once the wood siding is installed, it can be refinished/painted to maintain its desired color or be left to weather to a natural patina. The timing of the refinishing is dependent on the direction of the house, tree coverage, shadows, sun timing, and moisture exposure. On average, this is every 5 to 10 years.
With this installation method and by using wood siding, there is an added benefit that the house will be much more insulated with a natural wood product. The R-value of most synthetic siding products are close to zero. While wood siding will be about a 1.5 to the R-value of the house, it will help keep your energy bill down year-round.
