{"id":4047,"date":"2022-08-22T10:58:09","date_gmt":"2022-08-22T14:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/?p=4047"},"modified":"2024-04-23T12:43:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T16:43:01","slug":"how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>While the framing in your home is protected by layers of siding, brick, caulking, and paint, your timber deck framing stands vigilant and exposed to rain, snow, sun, termites, and all of nature\u2019s elements. That\u2019s why it\u2019s good to have an understanding of the deck joists and bearers that support your deck and how long they last.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Often, homeowners want to reuse old framing to install new deck boards. Before making this decision, consider the following factors: <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2982 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/rotting-wood-4-300x191.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cracks or large splinters, which are often signs of stress<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The top of the joist looks wider than the rest of the joist, which may indicate that water has penetrated the boards from screw or fastener holes\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Soft spots \u2014 there should never be soft spots in your deck\u2019s framing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Signs of decay at the ends of boards<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Warping<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Support posts are buried in the ground or in concrete, which can trap moisture in the post.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If you see rot or decay, you will need to replace the affected joists, bearers, or posts. Additionally, if you are installing PVC or composite decking, you may need a new frame. Most composite deck manufacturers recommend spacing joists every 305 mm on centre. Your old deck frame likely has joists spaced 406 mm or even 610 mm.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"blog-header\">New vs. Treated Deck Joist<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1961 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Picture1-300x295.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"222\" \/>While all deck joists should be pressure-treated timber, PT timber now is not the same as 30 years ago. For example, because of changes in preservatives over time, today\u2019s timber decks are built with timber posts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowes.com\/n\/how-to\/build-a-deck-post-holes-and-framing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">above ground<\/a> (not making ground contact to reduce moisture content) and attached to concrete footers. This change in building practice helps to reduce timber rot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the past, pressure-treated timber was protected by chromate copper arsenate (CCA), which prevented rot, but due to its arsenic, it ended use in 2003. Now, the timber is treated with a preservative called alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ). ACQ, a water-based timber preservative, contains a soluble copper(II) complex and quaternary ammonium alkyl- or aryl-substituted compounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"blog-header\">Facts about Treated Deck Joist<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Because ACQ-treated timber contains much higher concentrations of copper, a barrier is needed between the joists and metal fasteners. When the zinc in galvanized fasteners touches ACQ, corrosion occurs. Joist <a href=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flashing tape<\/a> protects your timber with a thin membrane to guard against corrosive preservatives and holds your metal fasteners and screws in place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One other consideration for deck joists is the type of timber you choose. Should you go with softwood or hardwood? Is it better to use Douglas fir, sapwood, redwood, or pine? <a href=\"https:\/\/garden.org\/learn\/articles\/view\/977\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Some timber is more naturally rot-resistant<\/a>. Hint: tropical hardwoods such as ipe and old-growth teak are among the most resistant. Exceptionally resistant domestic varieties include black locust, red mulberry, Pacific yew, and Osage orange.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"blog-header\">How to Make Treated Deck Joists Last Longer<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There are a few important ways to make your deck joists last longer:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Using pressure-treated lumber\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Covering the joists with a moisture-resistant stain or sealer before installation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Using metal joist hangers and leaving at least 3.2 ml between the end of the lateral joists and sides of the bearing joists to allow for airflow\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Installing decking boards with hidden fasteners that reduce contact with the joists and ensure consistent 6.3 ml spacing between decking boards\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Clean the deck often to prevent debris from trapping moisture onto the boards<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Use a butyl-based flashing tape to cover the tops of the joists during a new deck build<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With Trex Protect\u2019s butyl-based\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">joist, bearer &amp; rim tape<\/a>, you can protect your deck\u2019s joists, rim joists, bearers, the ledger board, and stringers with a thin, waterproof membrane. Each roll of Trex Protect comes with a 25-year warranty\u00a0due to its durability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2985 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Photo-10-12-20-12-08-13-pm-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/>Deck flashing tape:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Helps to reduce future maintenance\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gives your timber deck a longer lifespan \u2014 as a sealant protects your top decking boards, flashing tape protects what\u2019s beneath and doesn\u2019t have to be reapplied each year like stain or seal<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Protects your deck\u2019s structural integrity\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Holds deck screws and fasteners tighter and stronger<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Help your deck joists last longer by protecting them from the start with <a href=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/materials-estimator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trex Protect<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While the framing in your home is protected by layers of siding, brick, caulking, and paint, your timber deck framing stands vigilant and exposed to rain, snow, sun, termites, and all of nature\u2019s elements. That\u2019s why it\u2019s good to have an understanding of the deck joists and bearers that support your deck and how long&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":4048,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last? - Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how long the treated deck joists last and if there is anything that can be done to extend the life of a deck.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last? - Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how long the treated deck joists last and if there is anything that can be done to extend the life of a deck.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-22T14:58:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-23T16:43:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1709\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dave Kile\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dave Kile\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/\",\"name\":\"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last? - Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-22T14:58:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-04-23T16:43:01+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a40030654298ede9a6e4bd211fcf9354\"},\"description\":\"Learn how long the treated deck joists last and if there is anything that can be done to extend the life of a deck.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1709},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/\",\"name\":\"Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a40030654298ede9a6e4bd211fcf9354\",\"name\":\"Dave Kile\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dave-kile_avatar.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dave-kile_avatar.jpeg\",\"caption\":\"Dave Kile\"},\"description\":\"Dave Kile is the owner of IBP, LLC, the company behind some of the decking industry\u2019s most successful innovations, including Trex\u00ae RainEscape\u00ae, Trex\u00ae Protect\u2122 and Trex\u00ae Seal. Over the past three decades, he has achieved incremental success by immersing himself in the industry, listening to customers and bringing new products to market that improve efficiency and effectiveness.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/author\/davekile\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last? - Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK","description":"Learn how long the treated deck joists last and if there is anything that can be done to extend the life of a deck.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last? - Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK","og_description":"Learn how long the treated deck joists last and if there is anything that can be done to extend the life of a deck.","og_url":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/","og_site_name":"Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK","article_published_time":"2022-08-22T14:58:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-04-23T16:43:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1709,"url":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dave Kile","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dave Kile","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/","url":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/","name":"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last? - Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2022-08-22T14:58:09+00:00","dateModified":"2024-04-23T16:43:01+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a40030654298ede9a6e4bd211fcf9354"},"description":"Learn how long the treated deck joists last and if there is anything that can be done to extend the life of a deck.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/08\/HH15041-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1709},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/blog\/how-long-do-treated-deck-joists-last\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Long Do Treated Deck Joists Last?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/","name":"Trex Protect Joist, Bearer &amp; Rim Tape UK","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/a40030654298ede9a6e4bd211fcf9354","name":"Dave Kile","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dave-kile_avatar.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/dave-kile_avatar.jpeg","caption":"Dave Kile"},"description":"Dave Kile is the owner of IBP, LLC, the company behind some of the decking industry\u2019s most successful innovations, including Trex\u00ae RainEscape\u00ae, Trex\u00ae Protect\u2122 and Trex\u00ae Seal. Over the past three decades, he has achieved incremental success by immersing himself in the industry, listening to customers and bringing new products to market that improve efficiency and effectiveness.","url":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/author\/davekile\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trexprotect.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}