I have a Q for builders and carpenters regarding desking shims:
I am replacing some old boards on my deck and this original material
was NOT 5/4 so its true thickness is 0.75 (3/4"). The original
material was Port Orford not sold anywhere near me any longer. So I'm
trying to find some decking that will fit reasonably well. Research
brought me to some cedar boards that are only 11/16" thick which when
installed are lower than the adjacent original boards.

So, long story short, does anyone have any idea what material I could
use to place between the joists and the replacement decking so bring
it up to the level of the old decking?

Ive been scouring the home improvement web sites without much luck.

Ideas? Thanks.

You only need to shim it up 1/16"? That doesn't seem
like enough to notice. I suppose you could use 2
layers of tar paper, just for good measure. But I
wonder about the cedar. I've never heard of cedar for
decking except as 4/4 (full inch). I wouldn't expect
3/4" to be strong enough. What's available here in
3/4" is mahogany or fir.

"BobMCT" wrote in message
...
|I have a Q for builders and carpenters regarding desking shims:
| I am replacing some old boards on my deck and this original material
| was NOT 5/4 so its true thickness is 0.75 (3/4"). The original
| material was Port Orford not sold anywhere near me any longer. So I'm
| trying to find some decking that will fit reasonably well. Research
| brought me to some cedar boards that are only 11/16" thick which when
| installed are lower than the adjacent original boards.
|
| So, long story short, does anyone have any idea what material I could
| use to place between the joists and the replacement decking so bring
| it up to the level of the old decking?
|
| Ive been scouring the home improvement web sites without much luck.
|
| Ideas? Thanks.

On Mon, 19 May 2014 18:36:40 -0400, "Mayayana"
wrote:

You only need to shim it up 1/16"? That doesn't seem
like enough to notice. I suppose you could use 2
layers of tar paper, just for good measure. But I
wonder about the cedar. I've never heard of cedar for
decking except as 4/4 (full inch). I wouldn't expect
3/4" to be strong enough. What's available here in
3/4" is mahogany or fir.

"BobMCT" wrote in message
.. .
|I have a Q for builders and carpenters regarding desking shims:
| I am replacing some old boards on my deck and this original material
| was NOT 5/4 so its true thickness is 0.75 (3/4"). The original
| material was Port Orford not sold anywhere near me any longer. So I'm
| trying to find some decking that will fit reasonably well. Research
| brought me to some cedar boards that are only 11/16" thick which when
| installed are lower than the adjacent original boards.
|
| So, long story short, does anyone have any idea what material I could
| use to place between the joists and the replacement decking so bring
| it up to the level of the old decking?
|
| Ive been scouring the home improvement web sites without much luck.
|
| Ideas? Thanks.

Buy 5/4 and have it planed to match the old boards. Cedar is a bit
hard on planer blades due to the silica content so don't do it on your
best friend's cabinetry equipment- - -

On Mon, 19 May 2014 15:24:31 -0400, BobMCT
wrote:

I have a Q for builders and carpenters regarding desking shims:
I am replacing some old boards on my deck and this original material
was NOT 5/4 so its true thickness is 0.75 (3/4"). The original
material was Port Orford not sold anywhere near me any longer. So I'm
trying to find some decking that will fit reasonably well. Research
brought me to some cedar boards that are only 11/16" thick which when
installed are lower than the adjacent original boards.

So, long story short, does anyone have any idea what material I could
use to place between the joists and the replacement decking so bring
it up to the level of the old decking?

Ive been scouring the home improvement web sites without much luck.

Ideas? Thanks.

Plastic / nylon shims

https://tinyurl.com/pep2opf

On Monday, May 19, 2014 12:24:31 PM UTC-7, BobMCT wrote:

As others have said, I would use something other than cedar but to answer the question:

Try some formica. It'll last forever I don't know how thick it is but 1 or 2 layers ought to be close.

Harry K

thanks for all the suggestions. I did find some plastic shims at Home
Depot that I cut in half and doubled up then stapled to the top of the
joists. That brought the cedar up to the level of the adjacent
boards.

If I EVER get to rebuild this deck I will most definitely go with
synthetic materials.

On 5/20/2014 9:28 PM, BobMCT wrote:
thanks for all the suggestions. I did find some plastic shims at Home
Depot that I cut in half and doubled up then stapled to the top of the
joists. That brought the cedar up to the level of the adjacent
boards.

If I EVER get to rebuild this deck I will most definitely go with
synthetic materials.


Consider wood like IPE that will easily last 50+ years with no treatment.

On Tue, 20 May 2014 22:33:04 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 5/20/2014 9:28 PM, BobMCT wrote:
thanks for all the suggestions. I did find some plastic shims at Home
Depot that I cut in half and doubled up then stapled to the top of the
joists. That brought the cedar up to the level of the adjacent
boards.

If I EVER get to rebuild this deck I will most definitely go with
synthetic materials.


Consider wood like IPE that will easily last 50+ years with no treatment.
The synthetic material is less expensive than IPE though.

On 5/20/2014 11:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 20 May 2014 22:33:04 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 5/20/2014 9:28 PM, BobMCT wrote:
thanks for all the suggestions. I did find some plastic shims at Home
Depot that I cut in half and doubled up then stapled to the top of the
joists. That brought the cedar up to the level of the adjacent
boards.

If I EVER get to rebuild this deck I will most definitely go with
synthetic materials.


Consider wood like IPE that will easily last 50+ years with no treatment.
The synthetic material is less expensive than IPE though.


Less expensive up front is not always the best value though.

| If I EVER get to rebuild this deck I will most definitely go with
| synthetic materials.
|
|
| Consider wood like IPE that will easily last 50+ years with no treatment.

The plastic stuff is ugly, and I wonder about
whether it might be a problem to get rid of in
a few years. It's considered "green" because it
reuses polyethylene and sawdust, but it also
doesn't break down. I suspect it's going to end
up being like arsenic in PT wood: Seemed like
a good idea at the time, but in retrospect... what
were we thinking?

I've used ipe on a deck railing. It's durable, but
it's checked a bit. And since the grain is so tight
it doesn't take stain well. Like purpleheart and other
exotics, it looks great the first year, looks beat up
the second year, and after that it's just an ugly gray.
It might last a long time, but it's not very attractive
for most of that time.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014 7:18:33 AM UTC-4, Mayayana wrote:
| If I EVER get to rebuild this deck I will most definitely go with

| synthetic materials.

|

|

| Consider wood like IPE that will easily last 50+ years with no treatment.



The plastic stuff is ugly, and I wonder about

whether it might be a problem to get rid of in

a few years. It's considered "green" because it

reuses polyethylene and sawdust, but it also

doesn't break down. I suspect it's going to end

up being like arsenic in PT wood: Seemed like

a good idea at the time, but in retrospect... what

were we thinking?



There are all kinds of building products that don't break down.
Around here, NJ, unless they are toxic, they are no harder or
easier to dispose of than wood. They all go in the same landfill.
I don't see the arsenic comparison at all, it's not toxic.





I've used ipe on a deck railing. It's durable, but

it's checked a bit. And since the grain is so tight

it doesn't take stain well. Like purpleheart and other

exotics, it looks great the first year, looks beat up

the second year, and after that it's just an ugly gray.

It might last a long time, but it's not very attractive

for most of that time.

Many would say you could apply the "what were they thinking" line
to IPE today. It comes from rainforests that are being cut down
and damaging the environment today.
I think that probably has a lot more validity than alleged future
disposal problems with Trex that don't exist.

BobMCT wrote:
I have a Q for builders and carpenters regarding desking
shims:
I am replacing some old boards on my deck and this
original material
was NOT 5/4 so its true thickness is 0.75 (3/4"). The
original
material was Port Orford not sold anywhere near me any
longer. So I'm
trying to find some decking that will fit reasonably well.
Research
brought me to some cedar boards that are only 11/16" thick
which when
installed are lower than the adjacent original boards.

So, long story short, does anyone have any idea what
material I could
use to place between the joists and the replacement
decking so bring
it up to the level of the old decking?

Ive been scouring the home improvement web sites without
much luck.

Ideas? Thanks.

BobMCT wrote:
I have a Q for builders and carpenters regarding desking
shims:
I am replacing some old boards on my deck and this
original material
was NOT 5/4 so its true thickness is 0.75 (3/4"). The
original
material was Port Orford not sold anywhere near me any
longer. So I'm
trying to find some decking that will fit reasonably well.
Research
brought me to some cedar boards that are only 11/16" thick
which when
installed are lower than the adjacent original boards.

So, long story short, does anyone have any idea what
material I could
use to place between the joists and the replacement
decking so bring
it up to the level of the old decking?

Ive been scouring the home improvement web sites without
much luck.

Ideas? Thanks.

Opps, hit send to quick.
Don't know your config, but I'd just put it down and rent a
floor sander and feather out the boards adjacent to the new
ones.
You'd never feel or see the difference
A floor sander will take 1/16 off just lookin at the deck