# Deck Re-do @ The Bear Den



## Bearcarver (Sep 2, 2018)

*Deck Re-do @ The Bear Den*


I finally got my rotting decking & railing removed and replaced:
I’m doing a lot of these things lately to make things more maintenance free for me, and for Mrs Bear when I’m no longer around.

So——I personally built my Deck 16 years ago, after they changed the Pressure Treated from the old “Dangerous” type to the new “Useless” type.
That coupled with the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a Deck paint that lasts more than a year or 2 per coat, and your deck doesn’t stay nice very long.
When I built it, I had just gotten done building a few for other people in the area, so I pretty much knew what I was doing.
At that time the word was that the only composite, or manmade decking was not worth using, so my choices were limited.

So after 16 years, and many coats of lousy deck paint, I decided to get my decking & railing replaced with a composite decking.
I wanted to use the same stuff I used for my front porch, but that “Timbertech” was discontinued, and the closest decking available was “Azek”.
So I figured all the decking & Facia, and concealed fasteners I needed, and called around for pricing. I couldn’t believe the differences in pricing from one distributor to another. The place I ended up getting it from was a full $1000 cheaper than any of the others!!
Since Bear Jr acquired the railing for my front porch, I got him to do it again for me, so we figured what I needed, and he got the Trex Plastic Railings with Round Aluminum Balusters, and he picked the railing up & brought it here from Lowe’s.

Then since I can no longer do the work myself, I had to find somebody to do it, that I could trust to be able to do it right, for a fair price.
Since we don’t know anybody up here in Lehigh County, I got some recommendations from a local lumber yard, and made some calls.
After a few “no answers”, and a couple “no calls returned”, I settled on a guy who seemed like he could handle the job, and had done many of the same over the last few years.
He and his helper did a pretty good job, in a decent amount of time, as it was the only full week without rain we had all year.
They actually showed up every morning either on time, or early, which is unusual for most guys in the construction business around here.
Since I didn’t order any extra, I watched very closely that they didn’t screw anything up, because the materials are expensive & it takes days to get any replacement Deck or Facia for any screw-ups.

So they carefully removed all my old decking, railing, balusters, stair treads & risers.
All of the posts I had put up were in good shape, so all they had to do was move them from the outside of the Rim-Joists to the Inside.
And the Ledger, 2 X 10 Joists, and Double 2 X 12 Beams were in Great shape.
Then they applied the new decking with concealed fasteners on every Joist.
They had to add 2 extra stringers to the small stairs, because the Azek needs support spaces no more than 16” apart.
Then they put all the railing up, finished up a bunch of odds & ends, cleaned up, took a couple pictures, got their check, and were gone.

All in all I can say I was happy with their work.

Hope you like the Pics,

Bear


This is what my Old Deck Looked like, after 16 years:







I took this Pic to show how weathered the Decking was getting.
Note: I didn't touch it the last 3 years, because I knew I was going to get New Decking & Railing:






Here's all the Decking & Railing that was removed. Posts will be reused.
One of Bear Jr's Tower climber's will be taking this pile to his Deer Camp for use in Tree Stands:






Structural members were all fine & ready for New Decking:






New Decking all in place. Old Stairs still there for use while installing Decking:






Moving Old Posts from outside to inside of the Rim Joist:






Installing Post Sleeves & Railing Components. Also new Treads & Risers installed:






All Finished--Pic #1:






All Finished--Pic #2:






All Finished Pic--#3:






All Finished Pic--#4:


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## R Blum (Sep 2, 2018)

Wow, beautiful.


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## chopsaw (Sep 2, 2018)

Looks like they did a nice job , and a correct job . Nice choice on the colors too . Enjoy .


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## johnmeyer (Sep 2, 2018)

The job looks absolutely beautiful. 

Also, it is great that you found someone who could do it. My house is slowly falling apart around me because I can't get anyone to do small jobs. As just one example, I have a 2x12x16 balcony support that needs replacement, but I can't lift a board that long and heavy to the second story by myself.

I'll be interested to hear from you how it looks in a year or two. You mentioned Trex, and I have seen decks done with that, and have very mixed feelings on how it weathers. I have not heard of Azek, but I'm going to look into that today because I have to replace a bunch of cedar 2x10 that are used around the edge of my spa as a seat, and it rots out about every ten years. Cedar is absurdly expensive, and I expect that replacement will cost me over $1,000 this time, just for twenty linear feet of material, so I am considering using something else, if I can get it in that width.

So thanks for your great post. Your wonderful result has inspired me to get going on my own project, and your material choice has given me a new option that I wasn't considering.


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## idahopz (Sep 2, 2018)

Excellent work! (...and composite is the only way to go - almost no maintenance). 

I did the same many years ago, and all I need do each spring is a good pressure wash to get rid of the tree debris.


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## AllAces (Sep 2, 2018)

Nice job. Thinking about replacing my decking with non-wood.


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## Ishi (Sep 2, 2018)

We’ve had our composite deck now for three years now and love it. The company we went with was Moisture Shield. The composite decking has made many advances in the last few years. The deck looks very nice Bear and you’ll get great use from it. Here’s mine:)


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## Braz (Sep 2, 2018)

Nice job. When we built our house 10 years ago we spec'd composite decking on all the exterior flooring and steps. I don't know the brand name, the builder picked it. After 10 years it is still in perfect shape and has retained its original color, as far as I can tell.


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## bmudd14474 (Sep 2, 2018)

Looks great John


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## gmc2003 (Sep 2, 2018)

Nice deck John, I'm sure you'll enjoy many a night sitting outside enjoying that view. 

Chris


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## goldendogs (Sep 2, 2018)

Nice looking deck Bear, all you have to do is add the MES 30 in the corner to finish it off.


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## wimpy69 (Sep 2, 2018)

Good for you Bear. Sounds like you got some old school taught carpenters there and it shows. Good contractors are a thing of the past these days. Enjoy.


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## Bearcarver (Sep 2, 2018)

johnmeyer said:


> The job looks absolutely beautiful.
> 
> Also, it is great that you found someone who could do it. My house is slowly falling apart around me because I can't get anyone to do small jobs. As just one example, I have a 2x12x16 balcony support that needs replacement, but I can't lift a board that long and heavy to the second story by myself.
> 
> ...




Thank You John!
To clarify:
Back when I built the Deck, 16 years ago, they had Trex decking which everybody told me was Bad, so I used plain Pressure Treated, which was relatively new, and not near as good as the old Pressure Treated. The old, much better Pressure Treated became Illegal shortly before I built that deck.

This Deck is Azek, and the only thing I have that's "Trex" is the Railings. It's some type of Plastic, and most companies seem to have very similarly made railings.

And I know what you mean about "Heavy"; My 18 Wet Joists at 2" X 10" X 16', were heavy enough, but I had to get Bear Jr to help me flip my main beam over, after I screwed it together. It was 2 special order 2" X 12" X 18' Wet Pressure Treated screwed together to make one beam. Now I find it hard to believe I was able to do that stuff a mere 16 years ago!!

Bear


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## RiversideSm0ker (Sep 2, 2018)

Bear, you have a beautiful home. The deck looks amazing. I’m sure that you will be enjoying that for many wonderful years. That deck needs to be christened with a big smoke!

George


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## HalfSmoked (Sep 2, 2018)

Yup for sure a very nice job. Were the Amish I know those guys do great work.

Warren


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## GATOR240 (Sep 2, 2018)

Lookin' good Bear. I know what you're saying about calling around and leaving messages to have work done and no one has the courtesy to call you back..very annoying!


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## chopsaw (Sep 2, 2018)

Bearcarver said:


> 16 years ago, they had Trex decking which everybody told me was Bad,



Yup , the original Trex did not hold it's color . Had a bad mold problem and simply flaked apart . Most didn't last near what was promised . 
The new products these days are  PVC .


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## retfr8flyr (Sep 2, 2018)

That came out great Bear. I will most likely have to do this to my deck in a couple of years. I hate to go with composite decking because the way my deck is situated it gets a lot of mildew and everyone of my neighbors that have composite decking fight spots from the mildew. I hope the new versions have fixed this problem.


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## TomKnollRFV (Sep 3, 2018)

Sure looks nice Mr. Bear!


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## SmokinAl (Sep 3, 2018)

Nice looking deck!
All you need is a hammock & your smoker!
Al


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## uncle eddie (Sep 3, 2018)

Very nice!  Now you have some excellent relaxation space while monitoring a smoker.
Ed


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## Humo18 (Sep 3, 2018)

Bearcarver said:


> *Deck Re-do @ The Bear Den*
> Bear, that's a fine looking deck, good job! 3 weeks ago I signed a contract with a large reputable deck company to build a new deck from scratch.  They are so busy that it will not be constructed until early December!  I had bids from a couple of deck people and found out they were not reliable or reputable based on online reviews and on top of that they were about $1500 more.  The less reputable folks could start on the deck the next day; they're not so busy I guess.
> 
> I chose to go with Veka based on the builder's recommendation and a friend of mine's that had his deck built with Veka 3 years ago and still looks new and never had mold or staining problems.  By the way we live in a very high humidity and very high temperature area.
> ...


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## Bearcarver (Sep 3, 2018)

R Blum said:


> Wow, beautiful.



Thank You Blum!!
Bear




chopsaw said:


> Looks like they did a nice job , and a correct job . Nice choice on the colors too . Enjoy .



Thanks Rich!!
Yup, the Structural members were still like new from when I built the deck 16 years ago, and they were all above the requirements, so all they had to do was cover it, but they did a good job of not screwing any materials up, as each board cost about $90 per 20' Deck Board, and $103 per 12' Fascia.
I was surprised with the Rail Posts----They had to remove my 1/2" carriage bolts, and use a new special Screw-bolt to secure the posts, and they are really standing solid!!! Hard to believe those new screws hold the posts that solidly.

Bear


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## wimpy69 (Sep 3, 2018)

Modern technology moves quick. When you originally built 1/2" carriage bolts were the go to. Good heads up on your builder for addressing it. Good to go now.


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## Bearcarver (Sep 3, 2018)

Humo18 said:


> Bear, that's a fine looking deck, good job! 3 weeks ago I signed a contract with a large reputable deck company to build a new deck from scratch. They are so busy that it will not be constructed until early December! I had bids from a couple of deck people and found out they were not reliable or reputable based on online reviews and on top of that they were about $1500 more. The less reputable folks could start on the deck the next day; they're not so busy I guess.
> 
> I chose to go with Veka based on the builder's recommendation and a friend of mine's that had his deck built with Veka 3 years ago and still looks new and never had mold or staining problems. By the way we live in a very high humidity and very high temperature area.
> 
> Of course I will finish my new deck with a new smoker and was wondering if anyone has any experience as far as dropping grease on the composite and any resulting stain or mold.





*Hi Humo18,
You should have something like this for yours.
Below is what mine says about Grease, BBQ sauce, and all kinds of staining materials:*


The AZEK® Company LLC (hereinafter “Manufacturer”) warrants to Purchaser that, for a period of thirty (30) years from the date of the original consumer purchase (the “Term”), under normal use and service conditions:

(1) The Product’s color will not fade from light and weathering exposure, as measured by a color change of more than 5 Delta E (CIE) units. While the Product is designed to resist fading, no material is fade proof when subjected to years of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays and the elements.

(2) The Product will resist permanent staining from food and beverage items that may be spilled onto the surface of the Product, including items such as condiments (barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise), salad dressing and salad oils, grease, tea, wine, coffee, fruit punch, sodas and other food and beverage related items that would typically be present on a residential deck, provided that such substances are removed from the Product with soap and water or mild household cleaners after no more than one (1) week of exposure of the substances to the surface of the Product.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Manufacturer does not warrant that the Product is stain-proof, and does not warrant stain resistance resulting from spilled or otherwise applied food and beverage substances which are not properly cleaned as provided above within
one (1) week of exposure. In addition, this warranty does not cover any staining or damage to the Product resulting from abrasive compounds of acidic or basic pH, paints or stains, strong solvents, metallic rust or other abnormal residential deck use items, and non- food and non-beverage substances, including, but not limited to, biocides, fungicides, plant foods or other bactericides. 

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 3, 2018)

wimpy69 said:


> Modern technology moves quick. When you originally built 1/2" carriage bolts were the go to. Good heads up on your builder for addressing it. Good to go now.




Thanks Wimpy!!
These "Fastenmaster ThruLok Screw Bolts" are amazing. You don't even have to pre-drill to use them.
The tip of the screw is like a Drill Bit, so you just remove the special washer from the one end, and use a Drill or Driver to drill this screw right through the 2X, and right through the 4X4. Then Replace the special washer & tighten it up. Done!

Here's what they Look like:
https://dries.doitbest.com/products/242551

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 3, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> Looks like they did a nice job , and a correct job . Nice choice on the colors too . Enjoy .



Thank You Rich!!
It was the closest color they had without going Darker.

Bear



AllAces said:


> Nice job. Thinking about replacing my decking with non-wood.



Thank You!
Just talking about any kind of a 30 year Warranty woke me up.

Bear


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## Humo18 (Sep 3, 2018)

Thanks Bear, seems that Veka's 20 year warranty does not cover BBQ drippings, sauce, etc.  They also do not recommend rubber backed mats.
Here's what they say:

FOREIGN SUBSTANCES EFFECT ON WEATHERING: Foreign substances including but not limited to dirt, tree sap, leaves, pine needles, suntan lotions, bug sprays, fertilizers, grill drippings, salad oils, cosmetics and most oil based products, etc. left on exposed surfaces will have adverse effects on weathering. These foreign substances will cause staining, spots, streaks, discoloration, lightening, darkening, etc. Immediate removal of any foreign substance is recommended to minimize the discoloration. *VEKA does not warrant against weathering effects* caused by foreign substances. VEKA reserves the right to reject warranty claims for uneven color changes caused by foreign substances. When sunlight is blocked or partially blocked by a roof, trees, awnings, railings, pool covers, etc., uneven weathering will occur. Direct or indirect contact with extreme heat sources such as cooking devices should be avoided CARE AND MAINTENANCE: Algae, mold and mildew growing on residue deposited onto ex - posed surfaces should be removed using a soft bristled brush and a mild mixture (10 to 1) of water and bleach. Rinse thoroughly with water immediately after brushing. (Note: algae, mold and mildew are sustained by surface residue deposited on the vinyl, not the vinyl itself.) Foreign substances should be removed using warm water and a mild non-abrasive detergent or commercially available vinyl cleaner. For tough stains, more aggressive cleaning solutions will be required. Use at your own risk and be sure to check for harmful effects on a hidden surface. Avoid using rubber backed mats, or any other non-porous objects such as plastic tarps as they may cause discoloration when used on the deck over an extended period of time. Products that contain chemicals or U.V. inhibitors such as sun block or other tanning lotions, insect repellants [sic], pesticides or herbicides, etc. may cause discoloration if exposed to the deck for an extended period of time. (Use caution and clean deck immediately when it has been exposed to such products.)


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## Bearcarver (Sep 3, 2018)

Humo18,
We did the Front porch a Few years ago, and the main change I made was we only use a Plastic Snow Shovel on it.
I think their was something about a rubber backed mat on that one too. That one still looks new.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 3, 2018)

idahopz said:


> Excellent work! (...and composite is the only way to go - almost no maintenance).
> 
> I did the same many years ago, and all I need do each spring is a good pressure wash to get rid of the tree debris.




Thank You PZ !!
This Bear loves "No Maintenance!!"
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## mneeley490 (Sep 3, 2018)

Looks good, Bear! My back deck is falling apart and needs to be done before winter. But it is a multi-level, and more job than I can do myself. I had a guy drive his car through my wood fence into my backyard, and then he trashed the rear chain link fence. I have had the same problems with getting people to call back to repair that, so I'm not looking forward to the deck project. I will check out this Azek material, though.


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## Humo18 (Sep 4, 2018)

Bear I hate a stained deck so I'll have to be very careful when using the smoker to immediately clean any droppings.  Around here when it snows it usually melts within a few days or a couple of weeks at most.  It seldom snows more than a couple of inches at a time so I don't plan on shoveling snow off the deck.


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## Bearcarver (Sep 4, 2018)

Ishi said:


> We’ve had our composite deck now for three years now and love it. The company we went with was Moisture Shield. The composite decking has made many advances in the last few years. The deck looks very nice Bear and you’ll get great use from it. Here’s mine:)



That Looks Beautiful, Ishi!!
Nice Layout!!

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 4, 2018)

Braz said:


> Nice job. When we built our house 10 years ago we spec'd composite decking on all the exterior flooring and steps. I don't know the brand name, the builder picked it. After 10 years it is still in perfect shape and has retained its original color, as far as I can tell.



Thanks Braz!!
That's Great to hear.

Bear



bmudd14474 said:


> Looks great John



Thanks Brian!

Bear


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## buffalobbqpete (Sep 4, 2018)

Looks very nice!


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## Bearcarver (Sep 4, 2018)

gmc2003 said:


> Nice deck John, I'm sure you'll enjoy many a night sitting outside enjoying that view.
> 
> Chris



Thank You Chris!!

Bear




goldendogs said:


> Nice looking deck Bear, all you have to do is add the MES 30 in the corner to finish it off.



Thank You!
This Deck is actually for Dining & Entertaining.
The front porch is for grilling & smoking, because it has a roof over it.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 5, 2018)

wimpy69 said:


> Good for you Bear. Sounds like you got some old school taught carpenters there and it shows. Good contractors are a thing of the past these days. Enjoy.



Thank You!!
Yeah, I was a Cabinetmaker for over 20 years, and I worked with a lot of Carpenters, Electricians, Plumbers, etc, etc.
And I could get Great prices & awesome work from all of them.
But 16 years ago we moved 15 miles North, and it's like a different world as far as finding quality work for a decent price.
However I found a good one for Re-boarding a Deck with Composite material, and a Great job on switching the railings, too.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 6, 2018)

RiversideSm0ker said:


> Bear, you have a beautiful home. The deck looks amazing. I’m sure that you will be enjoying that for many wonderful years. That deck needs to be christened with a big smoke!
> 
> George



Thank You George!!

Bear




HalfSmoked said:


> Yup for sure a very nice job. Were the Amish I know those guys do great work.
> 
> Warren



Thanks Warren!
I agree on the Amish, but these weren't Amish.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 6, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> Yup , the original Trex did not hold it's color . Had a bad mold problem and simply flaked apart . Most didn't last near what was promised .
> The new products these days are  PVC .



Yeah, The Timbertech that I used for my Front porch 3 years ago was a bigger Percentage PVC than this Azek is, but they discontinued it. I think they're both Great.

Bear




retfr8flyr said:


> That came out great Bear. I will most likely have to do this to my deck in a couple of years. I hate to go with composite decking because the way my deck is situated it gets a lot of mildew and everyone of my neighbors that have composite decking fight spots from the mildew. I hope the new versions have fixed this problem.



My 16 year old Pressure Treated Deck had Moss growing on it because that side of the house doesn't get many hours of Sun, so we'll see how this Azek does. Judging by things I've read, it shouldn't be a problem.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 7, 2018)

TomKnollRFV said:


> Sure looks nice Mr. Bear!



Thank You Tom!!

Bear




SmokinAl said:


> Nice looking deck!
> All you need is a hammock & your smoker!
> Al



Thank You Al !!
Hammock Yes!!!
But the Smoker stays on the front porch---Under Roof.
Dang "Spotted Lanternflies" are driving us nuts though !!!

Bear


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## chopsaw (Sep 7, 2018)

John , do you have a piece of off fall from the decking ? If so store it away , and if you need to clean some day you can use that as a test .


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## zwiller (Sep 7, 2018)

Looks great Bear!  Jealous.  My PT deck is showing some age.  Next project is to redo the screws.  They are coming up and are stripped from rust.  Was not expecting that.  Need to figure out how to do this the right way.  I think I may just use a pry bar.  How'd they do yours?  Any thoughts on SS?  I always remember the debates about fasteners...


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## Bearcarver (Sep 7, 2018)

zwiller said:


> Looks great Bear!  Jealous.  My PT deck is showing some age.  Next project is to redo the screws.  They are coming up and are stripped from rust.  Was not expecting that.  Need to figure out how to do this the right way.  I think I may just use a pry bar.  How'd they do yours?  Any thoughts on SS?  I always remember the debates about fasteners...



Thank You!
Hmmm, I never heard of anyone replacing the screws, unless there's only a few bad ones.
The screws are usually the hardest thing about replacing Deck boards. These guys unscrewed the ones that still worked.
Then they had a long handled Pry-Bar Thing, called a "Deck Buster", and it just ripped the board off, real easy. Then they cut the bad screws off with a Sawzall.

This composite Decking uses concealed fasteners, except the first & last board, and I believe the face-screws are SS Trim Screws with a matching color applied to them.

Bear


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## chopsaw (Sep 7, 2018)

Zwiller , good chance your decking shrank up , which makes the screw look like it backed out . Try to drive it in farther . If stripped you can use a hacksaw to cut a slot and try to hand drive the screw deeper .

If thats a no go and you have access to underneath , use a sawzall to cut between the bottom of the decking and the joist . If it's tight use pliers to bend an angle in the blade .  Remove the old head and drive a new screw .


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## zwiller (Sep 7, 2018)

Thanks gents.  Let me clarify that the threads are stripped.  Cannot drive in farther.  I was shocked: thought it shrank too and was expect a 1-2 beer project tightening them and now...  Funny, I first learned of the Deck Buster when researching.


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## SmokinAl (Sep 7, 2018)

Thank You Al !!
Hammock Yes!!!
But the Smoker stays on the front porch---Under Roof.
Dang "Spotted Lanternflies" are driving us nuts though !!!

Bear[/QUOTE]

Believe it or not but we have very few bugs down here where I live, they spray for mosquito's all the time & I think the rest of the bugs get eaten by all the little gecko's, and tree frogs running around. Once in a while when I'm trimming my banana trees I will get bit by a spider, but hardly ever get a mosquito bite. You would think that living down here I would be covered with bugs as soon as I went outside, but that is not the case.
Anyhow your deck looks terrific!
Al


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## Bearcarver (Sep 7, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> Thank You Al !!
> Hammock Yes!!!
> But the Smoker stays on the front porch---Under Roof.
> Dang "Spotted Lanternflies" are driving us nuts though !!!
> ...



Believe it or not but we have very few bugs down here where I live, they spray for mosquito's all the time & I think the rest of the bugs get eaten by all the little gecko's, and tree frogs running around. Once in a while when I'm trimming my banana trees I will get bit by a spider, but hardly ever get a mosquito bite. You would think that living down here I would be covered with bugs as soon as I went outside, but that is not the case.
Anyhow your deck looks terrific!
Al[/QUOTE]


Thanks a lot Al !!
Most places around here have Mosquitos, but for some reason I don't have any here. I think the Fish in my Son's pond eat the larva.
A few years ago Stink Bugs came here from Asia.
Now we got Spotted Lanternflies from Asia, and we're actually Quarantined because of them.
Linda kills about 20 every night. I keep telling her, "Only 26,000,000 to go!!"
Everything bad seems to come from Asia.

Bear


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## hoity toit (Sep 7, 2018)

Hell of a good looking job on the deck. Congrats !


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## hoity toit (Sep 7, 2018)

SmokinAl said:


> Thank You Al !!
> Hammock Yes!!!
> But the Smoker stays on the front porch---Under Roof.
> Dang "Spotted Lanternflies" are driving us nuts though !!!
> ...



Believe it or not but we have very few bugs down here where I live, they spray for mosquito's all the time & I think the rest of the bugs get eaten by all the little gecko's, and tree frogs running around. Once in a while when I'm trimming my banana trees I will get bit by a spider, but hardly ever get a mosquito bite. You would think that living down here I would be covered with bugs as soon as I went outside, but that is not the case.
Anyhow your deck looks terrific!
Al[/QUOTE]

Watch out for the DDT in the mosquito spray....hahahahah


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## chopsaw (Sep 7, 2018)

Yeah Al , don't be riding your bike behind the bug man !


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## Bearcarver (Sep 8, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> Yeah Al , don't be riding your bike behind the bug man !




I haven't seen a mosquito spray truck since I was a Kid. We (kids) used to run through the fog when they sprayed, before we knew it was dangerous. In those days nobody had AC, and had windows open all Summer, and every time the Spray truck would come through, the fog would come right in the windows through the screens.
Mosquitoes were a lot worse back then than they are since they quit spraying.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 8, 2018)

uncle eddie said:


> Very nice!  Now you have some excellent relaxation space while monitoring a smoker.
> Ed



Thank You Eddie!!

Bear



mneeley490 said:


> Looks good, Bear! My back deck is falling apart and needs to be done before winter. But it is a multi-level, and more job than I can do myself. I had a guy drive his car through my wood fence into my backyard, and then he trashed the rear chain link fence. I have had the same problems with getting people to call back to repair that, so I'm not looking forward to the deck project. I will check out this Azek material, though.



Thanks MN,
Make sure you compare Distributors, because the one I got my AZEK from was more than $1000 cheaper than any of the others---Just for the Decking & Facia.

Bear


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## johnmeyer (Sep 8, 2018)

Bearcarver said:


> I haven't seen a mosquito spray truck since I was a Kid. We (kids) used to run through the fog when they sprayed, before we knew it was dangerous. In those days nobody had AC, and had windows open all Summer, and every time the Spray truck would come through, the fog would come right in the windows through the screens.
> Mosquitoes were a lot worse back then than they are since they quit spraying.
> 
> Bear


Wow, you just described my childhood!

Dad never did believe in air conditioning, and when we sold the house in 2004 the realtor joked that it was the last house in Chicago without cooling. It was 100 degrees, and humid, the day we signed the papers. I figured we closed the book that day on the era of open windows and running through the DDT.


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## Bearcarver (Sep 8, 2018)

buffalobbqpete said:


> Looks very nice!




Thank You!!
And Thanks for the Like, too.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 8, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> John , do you have a piece of off fall from the decking ? If so store it away , and if you need to clean some day you can use that as a test .



Thanks Rich!!
Yeah, I figured it pretty close, but I managed to save a half dozen pieces of decking between 2' and 3' long for reasons like that.
If I was going to build one again, I'd make it a couple inches less than 20'X 20' instead of 16' X 24' with two 45° angled corners.
That way I could get all 20 ft Deck Boards, and not have any Butt joints in the whole Deck!!!

As it was, I got 41 boards, each 20' long, and I ended up with 4 runs with no joints & all the rest had 1 Butt joint each (Planned Random).

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 9, 2018)

johnmeyer said:


> Wow, you just described my childhood!
> 
> Dad never did believe in air conditioning, and when we sold the house in 2004 the realtor joked that it was the last house in Chicago without cooling. It was 100 degrees, and humid, the day we signed the papers. I figured we closed the book that day on the era of open windows and running through the DDT.




LOL---Exactly!!
My Dad never had AC, until my Mother passed, and he was on his last leg. Then my Brother put a window AC near his recliner. He finally said, "I should have had one of these years ago!!"
I'm the other way around---I never even took the screens that came with all my windows & doors out of their boxes!!!
I'm strictly AC, and refuse to open windows and let the Humidity in.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 9, 2018)

chopsaw said:


> Yeah Al , don't be riding your bike behind the bug man !




LOL---I remember the Biologists that did the spraying used to go to the fields in back of the house, where there were some open ditches. They'd take long handle dippers to look close at samples of the gray-water from the ditches, and count the Larva. My Dad used to yell at them, "Hey don't drink that stuff---There's Sh1t in it !!!"

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 10, 2018)

hoity toit said:


> Hell of a good looking job on the deck. Congrats !



Thank You HT !!
Appreciate it.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Sep 10, 2018)

@Steve H ---Thank You for the Like.

Bear


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## Ben58 (Sep 10, 2018)

Ah yes, the days of the mosquito fogging. We'd run around in that cloud of DDT fog figuring that the mosquito's wouldn't be interested in us.:eek:


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## Bearcarver (Sep 11, 2018)

Ben58 said:


> Ah yes, the days of the mosquito fogging. We'd run around in that cloud of DDT fog figuring that the mosquito's wouldn't be interested in us.:eek:




Yeah, We felt real brave, and it made up for having to hide under our school desks during the Cold War Drills.

Bear


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