Wood Deck Building in Tacoma, WA

Wood deck building is still the most common way to add outdoor space in Tacoma, and cedar has a long history in the Northwest. A wood deck costs less than composite up front, it feels and smells like wood, and boards can be sanded and refinished instead of replaced. The trade-off is upkeep: in a climate with about 40 inches of rain a year and long, shady winters, wood needs to be kept clean and finished, and it has to be built so water drains off and air can reach it.

Cedar, treated lumber and hardwoods

• Western red cedar: naturally decay-resistant heartwood, light and stable, weathers to silver gray if left unfinished. Angi lists cedar decking at about $3 to $7 per square foot for materials.
• Pressure-treated lumber: the least expensive option and the standard for framing; boards can shrink and check as they dry. About $2 to $5 per square foot for materials.
• Hardwoods such as ipe: very dense and long-lasting, heavier and harder to work, at a higher price.

Fixr puts installed decks at about $15 to $25 per square foot for treated wood and $19 to $29 for cedar.

Building wood decks to dry out

Wood rots when it stays wet. We gap boards so water and needles fall through, keep the bottom of the deck open so air can move underneath, and set posts on concrete footings with standoff bases rather than burying them. Cut ends of treated lumber get an end-cut preservative. Framing is ground-contact rated, the ledger is flashed and bolted to the house, and joist tops get joist tape where boards are fastened. Those details matter in a climate as wet as Tacoma's.

Fasteners and hardware

Modern pressure-treated lumber is corrosive to ordinary steel. Hangers, screws and nails need to be hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel and rated for the lumber they are going into. Near salt water, along Ruston Way or the Narrows, stainless steel is the safer choice. Using the wrong hardware is one of the quieter reasons decks fail early.

Finishing a new wood deck

New cedar can usually be finished once it is dry and clean. New pressure-treated lumber is often wet from treatment and may need weeks or months to dry before it takes stain well; a simple water-drop test tells you when it is ready. A penetrating semi-transparent stain is a common choice here because it protects the wood while letting it breathe. Angi notes that deck stain typically lasts two to five years.

Moss and maintenance

Under firs and on north sides of houses, wood decks turn green fast. A yearly cleaning, keeping gaps clear of debris, trimming back plants that hold moisture against the deck, and refinishing on schedule add years to a wood deck. Seattle Public Utilities notes that pressure washing works for decks; on softwoods like cedar we keep the pressure low so the grain is not torn up.