In an effort to extend our customer service to local commercial business owners and residential homeowners, we have compiled a glossary of terms often referenced to deck services to help our customers become more familiar with our deck restoration services.
Deck Terms
Beam: Beams, supporting the joists, are the boards that sit on top of the posts.
Cap rail: Cap rail pickets running around the deck and are the horizontal board that runs along the top of all posts.
Decking: The decking is comprised of boards that are secured to the joists to create an outdoor surface extension of your home.
Fascia: Fascia, used for decorative purposes, is the boards that cover the ends of the deck boards and the perimeter joists.
Finishing: Finishing is a coating of paint, varnish, lacquer, veneer, coat, stain, wax, shellac, enamel, or glaze for example, to complete the manufacturing or decoration of a material or object to enhance the surface’s appearance and/or provide additional protection.
Footing: Footing provides the main support for the deck, which is any concrete base embedded in the ground.
Guardrail: A guardrail is a lower, horizontal board that runs over the railing posts.
Joists: Joists the supporting boards for the decking boards.
Joist Hangers: Joist hangers attach the joists to ledger board that are metal fasteners.
Ledger Board: The ledger board attaches directly to the existing structure or to the lateral joists.
Piers: Piers, usually 6 inches high, are the concrete blocks found above the footing.
Porch: A covered projecting entrance to a house or building that is opened or closed.
Posts: Posts, most often built from 4×4 pieces of lumber, are the vertical supports that rest on piers and support the beam.
Post Anchors: Post anchor brackets that connect the piers to the posts that are comprised of metal.
Pressure Washing: Pressure washing is the application of pressurized water spray to remove loose paint, mold, grime, dust, mud, chewing gum, and dirt from surfaces and objects such as buildings, vehicles and concrete surfaces; often used during refinishing deck surfaces.
Railing Post: Railing posts, which are the vertical posts, hold the rail.
Restoration: Deck restoration includes many steps starting with inspecting and repairing, removing stains, cleaning and sanding to finishing with sanding, staining or painting and sealing.
Rim Joist: Rim joists, also referred to as perimeter joists, are the joist which runs up against the joist ends. They are generally found away from the house, on the far side of the deck.
Rise: A referenced measurement used for the height of a step.
Riser board: The vertical board attached to the front of a step, between treads.
Run: A referenced measurement used for the length of a step.
Sanding: Sanding is the process to smooth or polish a surface with sandpaper or a mechanical sander.
Stringer: The end pieces that hold the stairs and steps together that are attached to the treads.
Top rail: Running between the railing posts, the top rail is the upper, horizontal board.
Tread: Making each step in a stairway, the tread is the horizontal board.
Deck Painting, Staining, Repair, Restoration & More in Ojai, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Los Angeles, Burbank & Ventura, CA
If you are looking for deck repairs or maintenance services for your home, contact McKay’s Painting and let our experts get started!
