Installation of larch terraces
Tomas Sakalauskas, the manager of MDS terasos, shares his insights and useful advice on the installation of larch terraces, the selection of larch boards, quality installation and other nuances. What to do and what not to do in order to ensure that a larch deck lasts for a long time and remains stable.
Installation of larch terraces
“I want to share a story about terraced larch boards . I recently overheard a conversation in which a client was discussing with his colleagues his wooden deck that had been installed some time ago. I listened and thought – this is what experiences, impressions, the work and competence of masters shape people’s attitudes and habits. The essence of the conversation is that the man had a terrace built in the fall – a wooden one, made of larch, and after the winter (after five months had passed) it was not only completely distorted, but also turned gray. “Jesus, what did she look like,” he said. Listening to this conversation, I realized that one of the tasks of us deck professionals is to properly educate about the installation and maintenance of decks, because in my opinion, both wooden and WPC decks can be great, regardless of who installed them, how they installed them and how they maintained them. Although we have been focusing on the installation of terraces for many years and we talk and educate a lot both on our Facebook account, on our YouTube channel and on our website, there are still quite a few examples of incorrect work.
What is the most important thing to pay attention to?
So, I’ll share my insights on what are the most important aspects to consider when installing a larch deck. One should not think that the larch tree is an eternal tree, gifted by nature. Yes, it is denser and denser than Lithuanian pine and spruce, naturally, and more durable. It is also beautiful and capricious, especially if it has not been dried, then it can show its true character and make every effort to “free itself from the shackles of attachment”.
How to fasten the terrace structure?
When working with larch, we recommend fixing the terrace structure/loungers every 40 cm (like a ceiling structure). The first plank, on which the ends of the terrace boards will be attached, must be doubled or retracted by 10-20 cm. In this way, you will control the curling of the ends of the larch and the distortion of the entire terrace. We also usually choose and recommend to our customers to choose larch boards with a width of 120 mm, because they are easier to install. 143-150mm boards are also workable, but it’s important to know what you’re buying. If the wood is of good quality, installing boards of this width should not be a problem. If you are fixing the boards from above, only screw with stainless steel wood screws. If you are using the CAMO hidden fastening system, we recommend A2 type screws.
Do you need oiling?
To prevent the larch from turning gray, the boards will have to be oiled. Choose a high-quality oil, because larch wood is extremely capricious and doesn’t get along with anything. Paints or transparent dyes are not suitable for larch. Will peel off after winter. To prevent the larch from turning gray, you need to use terrace oil with color, because only the pigment protects against UV rays. What is more important – if you choose larch and oil it with colored oil, in nine out of ten cases the terrace will have to be re-oiled every year – this is the only way to preserve the beauty of the terrace. Unless the terrace is under the roof, then you don’t need to oil so often.”