I have lots of 1x4 IPE that I am using for deck and was hoping to use 1x4 for fascia to surround 2x8 treated rim joist. Any thoughts on using 1x4 for fascia?....... I thought of either rabbit edges of boards so that lip of one board covers the board underneath or cutting tongue and groove edges on boards to join them. Any recommendations on either method?...... I have read in some deck books that recommend using spacers between rim joist and fascia. Is this a good idea? ...... If so, what material makes a good spacer? .... I have though of using (a) Hardi-board cement siding (b) 1x4 IPE with ^ cut on top (c) treated plywood
I am starting to screw deck from rim and wanted to frame in deck with top of fascia board even with top of deck. Is 1 x 4 fascia too thin of material for fascia to frame in deck?
Need to resolve questions above before I can start screwing the deck. Need your input on above questions. Thanks, Rick (I posted a question about fascia before but had more questions and wanted more feedback)
Replies
Two 1x4 edge-to-edge do not equal a 2x8. edge joining and ripping will be a pain. Ipe is hard to mill and hard to glue. Buy some fascia the right width. It will cost a little, but save a lot of annoyance and time. I space the fascia with steel drywall furring vertically every foot or so. Lets air circulate so fascia doesn't cup. Doesn't shatter like hardiboard and bugs won't eat it. Any wood spacer will wick moisture from the PT rim joist into the fascia and make it cup. Flash over the rim and down onto the fascia. Overlap the deck boards a little and cut a drip groove on the bottom. Finish both sides of the fascia before attaching.
Bob, Never thought of using metal drywall strips- but wonder if they rust?.... Regarding flashing over the rim and down onto the fascia, what type of flashing do you recommend and how much of the metal shows over fascia? ........ How much do you recommend to overlap fasica with deck board that is grooved underneath?......
I flash everything. On top of the joists, the ledgers, beams, etc. Not strictly necessary, but it can't hurt. A lot of the finger jointed trim is not so great as far as water resistance, so I try to keep it dry. I just have maybe a quarter inch of flashing bent over which is visible. The stuff thats white on one side and brown on the other. You can pick which is best as you go. As far as the blocking wicking water, that depends on how wide it is. If you make it thin, no it won't wick much. But, then its not as strong either. The steel furring doesn't rust that I;ve seen because the water doesn't get to it. It does have some sort of real thin galvanize on it. Have not seen problems with it over 10 years or so. Overhang just need to be an inch or so for the deck boards. Enough to be visually interesting without being a structural problem. Kerf the bottom maybe an eighth deep and a quarter back. Keeps most of the water from running down the fascia. Just drips off the edge.
If I had to do a fascia trim board with 1x4 I would cut it shiplap style to shed water.
I use 3/4" blocks to shim out behind. Idealy, I install the deck first and with I cut off the overrun, the sscraps that fall of off cuts are long enough to re-cut on a chop saw to become said blocking. I disagree with the prior statemnet that the blocks will wick moisture fromn the frame to the fascia and cause cupping. Without the shims, the fascia is in solid contact which wicks even more moisture, With blocks to shim out, some air can flow to the back and keep drying even on both sides, while allowing a drip channel that will shed water faster instead of trapping it.
Excellence is its own reward!
Thanks for response. How far apart do you space the spacer blocks? ... If I am planning on attatching post for railings around the rim of the deck, is there any problems other than having to use longer bolts in attaching fascia with a space between rim joist and fascia?
If using at 3-1/2" width, I space them at about 16" OC. Sometimes, the spacing works better to be even at around 12" to 14" OC and I then ripp them down to 1-3/4"w.
Doesn't really affect anything with post bolted to outside rim. I usually have inside post location and run fascia smooth past outside. ( I also usually use GP prime trim painted for face material)
If you are bolting a 4x4 to outside, you are likely going to dado off 1-1/5" of it to notch over the rim joist, leaving 2".Cut the overhanging deck boards off at the same 2" (memory tells me I am usually at 2-1/4" OH) and the shim plus face will fit under that. The facia cuts butt tight to the post that way..
Excellence is its own reward!
We sand a 45 degree bevel on the preimeter edge of the deck when it is complete then we install 5/4x10 TK Cedar fascia just below the beveled edge.
Fascia is usually painted to match the trim color of the house.
I have installed 1x8 ironwood fascia and it will cup baddly if it isn't screwed every 8" .
You could use 1x4 Ironwood fascia below the bevel then hardie board fascia below that which IMHO would look sharp.
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
Thanks for response. Do you use spacer between rim joist and 5/4 fascia board? ... IF so, what wood/plywood or ??? do you use for spacer material?
Your idea of combining IPE and hardie board sound interesting. I am not sure how this would work with attaching post for railing to rim of deck because IPE and Hardie boards would have different thickness- any thoughts on this? ....
Normally we box frame our posts into the deck before the decking is installed. We do not use spacers of any kind between our rim and fascia.
If you are installing the posts to the outside of your deck the fascia should be installed between the posts after they are installed. The different thickness of the fascia will not matter because it will be between the posts. "Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob