Hey John, You missed an awesome Blues Festival this weekend! Music, art, food, drink, and gorgeous Victorian architecture, and magical natural setting - COME ON DOWN anytime! You may know we're a little different here - quirky, liberal - sometimes referred to as "Mayberry on Acid" or just Freaky Eureeky." We're waiting to hear back from builder, so I may give you a ring in a few days. He recommended we build a sunroom/screen porch instead of open deck but we've decided that would darken the living room too much so plan is to possibly screen the PT deck which is already under the planned upper deck. Railing yes, but no stairs from this deck. The stairs are from different areas and we'll probably use the PT wood we'll have plenty of.

You are putting down shims or furring strips, not joists. I do not think the 3/4" thickness of PT is going to hold the screw. Ipe likes to move, and it's really strong. The short screws will pull loose from the soft thin PT wood. I have built roof top decks with 2x4 furring strips, and that holds the Ipe just fine, but I use 1 3/4" or 2" screws. You say the step is 6-8" right now. Is that a slope, or are you estimating? A step should be near 6" much less is a trip hazard. So if you have 8" now, you could build a deck with 2x4 furring strips and 3/4" decking, making the step 5 3/4" would be OK. You still need to ensure good ventillation on at least 3 sides for a deck this low, whether it gets lots or rain or just occasional.

First I'd like to thank everyone for the info on this site. Second this is an update to my Ipe deck project. I finished the back deck, except for the step, and am working on the front deck now (pics of that someday). Check the link below to see my photos. Weedy, how exactly do you post the photos directly in this message? I don't see any obvious way to do it. I guess you have to write some (fairly simple) html? This project is taking me forever, being a weekend warrior, having 3 young kids, and 2 unfinished bathrooms inside the house. So the staining will have to wait until next year. Should be ok, right? So right now I am having some concerns with the quality of the Ipe I got. Seems ok, but who knows, this is the one-and-only Ipe deck I have ever built. Some pieces are real dark, some are real light. Some are really really hard (dark boards), some are softer (light boards). Some are clear, some have a tiger-like grain to them. Some seem a bit rough when you run your hand up one way, then smooth if you rub the other way. 3 or 4 boards have lots and lots of checks, almost the whole 15 foot length of board. Most of the boards have no checks. I have one board that looks like it will destroy your foot if you walk on it. I think I'll have to replace that board, I don't know how I did not notice it, when I put that board down. It looks like the grain is sort of lifted, and could cause nasty splinters in your foot (See pictures 10 and 11). 3 or 4 few boards seem fine, but have knots in them (pics 13 and 15). Will these spots worsen over time? I bought 1725 linear feet of boards. There are probably six 15-footers that I probably should toss in the dumpster. Maybe six others that are usable but not the greatest. Not really sure about the rest, if it is so-so, good, great, top quality or not. Of course I was assured that the Ipe was top quality, all heart wood clear Ipe, blah blah blah. Would anyone expert here want me to mail them some scrap cuts to examine? Or even better, stop by and look at my deck? Just kidding… The railings. I chickened out on the Ipe railings. No way I get the project done this year. So I did the shiny PVC rail, and put an Ipe rail on top of it. I like it, I think the front deck I will do the same. The pics in that gallery are hi-res, so you can view full screen, or better yet download them and zoom in real close to see the detail. Any info appreciated, Jim. Here is a link that might be useful: Ipe deck gallery

Hello RumRunner, You are wise to consider moisture before constructing your deck. Standard decking and T&G will react the same to moisture. T&G is a beautiful option in a covered porch. Your slope and ventilation will be fine. Be sure soil under deck is packed smooth without large ruts. Cover with plastic with large rocks on top to secure it. I read this on a BWDepot.com blog, used it several times and have only happy customers. Congratulations on your new deck.