- Start in one corner of the sub-frame and position the first board across the inner joists. You want the deck board in the opposite direction to the inner joists, ensuring that it’s flush with the frame. Position any end-to-end joins between the deck boards halfway across an inner joist so you can screw both boards into the joist for stability. Make sure you keep a gap of between 5-8mm to allow for expansion of the wood.
- Begin to screw your deck boards to the joists. You’ll need to secure the deck board to every joist is covers along your deck frame. Use two screws for every joist. Mark where you’re going to add your screws, ensuring that they are at least 15mm from the end of the board and 20mm from the outside edges. Drill pilot holes for the screws, being careful to only drill through the deck board and not the joist. Then screw the decking screws into the holes.
- Continue to screw in the deck boards, ensuring you leave the correct expansion gap. You can stagger the deck board joins across the deck for more strength.
- Sand down any cut ends if you need to before applying decking preserver to protect the timber from rotting.
Lochailort
Lochailort is a district in Scotland that exists ahead of Loch Ailort, a sea loch, on the junction of the Road to the Isles (A830) in between Ft William as well as Mallaig with the A861 in the direction of Salen and Strontian. It is served by Lochailort railway station on the West Highland Line. Nearby is Lochailort Inn, a pub, and Our Lady of the Braes, a tiny Roman Catholic church that was consecrated in 1874 but little pre-owned since 1964 as Sunday Mass is celebrated in the church at Inverailort House which lies on the opposite side of the loch.
