How to Straighten Bowed Joists

By Home RenoVision DIY

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Bowed or warped deck joists can make it almost impossible to get a straight, flat deck surface. In this video, I’ll show you how I straighten bowed deck joists and add blocking before installing the decking. When deck framing is left exposed to the sun, the lumber can dry out, twist, bow, and move. Before I try to force a badly bowed joist back into position, I like to add some moisture to the wood so the dry fibers are a little easier to work with and there’s less risk of splitting the lumber. From there, I use blocking between the joists to help pull the framing back into alignment and keep everything square. If your deck joists are 16 inches on center, your blocking will typically be about 14.5 inches long. For 12-inch-on-center framing, it will typically be about 10.5 inches. Blocking also helps transfer load between joists and reduce movement in the deck framing. Just make sure the blocking is installed low enough that it doesn’t interfere with the deck boards or create a high

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