Choosing The Best Deck Board For You?

If you’re building or thinking of building a backyard deck using treated wood for the floorboards, it’s important to know about what types of lumber are available. Let’s review some of the most popular backboard boards that are used in outdoor decks today.

Laminated Boards

Laminated boards have traditionally been used for patio floors because they resist splinters and tend to be more resistant to rotting than solid wood. These boards consist of multiple layers of plywood glued together under high pressure using special adhesives between each layer. The glue lines run parallel with stripes that give it an attractive appearance which is often covered by finish stains and sealers. The laminated board comes in just about any size shape or thickness imaginable and they’re available in several different grades of lumber. Unfortunately, laminated boards don’t have a long life expectancy when used outdoors because they tend to absorb moisture and can warp or crack as the wood expands and contracts according to the weather and temperature conditions. You can prolong the lifespan of these floorboards by keeping them covered with an anti-slip finish such as paint or varnish. Another key consideration is that you’ll need special tools to cut through this material, so it’s best to have it installed by professionals if possible.

Lumber Boards

Lumber board is another popular option for patio deck floors because it comes in a variety of sizes, thicknesses, shapes and grain patterns that are often pleasing to the eyes. This material is usually made from southern yellow pine, Douglas fir or redwood and will come with rough edges. There is a special tool called a “moulder” which will allow you to smooth the surface of lumber boards so they can be sanded by hand, but this process takes time and skill and it’s not something for someone who is just starting out in carpentry.

Lumber decking comes in either 2×4 (actual dimensions are 1 3/4″ x 3 1/2″), 2×6 (1 3/4″ x 5″) or 4×4 (actually 3 1/2″ square) shapes in varying sizes that can be cut to fit any project you need. If you’re building your own deck, taking the time to choose the right lumber board is important. The most popular lumber board used in outdoor deck floors today is southern yellow pine which has long straight rows of grain that are easy to cut and sand. You’ll find Douglas fir boards used mostly for commercial or heavy duty applications because it’s stronger and more resistant to insect damage than yellow pine.

Lumber plywood planks are also an option, but they usually require professional installation due to complex cutting requirements and the fact that you need special tools in order to work with them effectively. If you’re looking for a quick solution that looks good right off the shelf, consider the variety of bamboo floorboards available on the market today.

Bamboo Flooring

If you’re familiar with Bamboo flooring, you know that it’s been around for a long time and has always been popular among homeowners because of its hardiness, resistance to damage and relatively low cost. Bamboo is a grass that has been used as a building material in Asia for over 2,000 years and is now being incorporated into many commercial products including floors, furniture, chairs and deck boards. Commercial bamboo boards are made from different species of bamboo such as Moso which are grown in Texas or China. The most popular member of the bamboo family for this purpose is the Phyllostachys edulis (also known as Giant Timber Bamboo).

This particular species thrives in humid environments but also grows well in dry areas where other types of bamboos wouldn’t grow. It can also be grown in a variety of different climate zones, and is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. Bamboo flooring comes in 3 grades: A-class, B-class and C-Class depending on its strength and durability. The type that you choose will depend on what kind of traffic your deck will get and how well you want it to stand up over time against abrasions from footwear or objects like chairs that will drag across the planks regularly.

Bamboo is more expensive than lumber board but can last indefinitely if properly maintained through regular cleaning, sanding (to remove dirt build up) as well as applying an annual coat of oil or varnish to help prevent moisture build up from staining the wood.

Deck builders Orlando Florida.

Overcoming the Top Challenges of IT Project Management

Serious ethnic young woman using laptop at homeThe successful implementation of a new IT system is a critical component to maintaining a competitive advantage in today’s business world. IT projects can be extremely complex and require coordination with many players inside and outside an organization. Although such complexities cannot always be avoided, there are steps that can dramatically increase the chances for project success: careful planning; creating buy-in from key stakeholders throughout the organization; addressing top project management challenges; involving the right resources; tasking those closest to the data to complete their portion of the work first, and conducting thorough testing at all phases of the deployment process before going live.

For most organizations, however, there are other challenges that need to be addressed in order for IT projects to be successful. The following list includes five of the most common obstacles:

  • Lack of executive sponsorship and support—If you don’t have an enthusiastic champion working on your behalf, it’s probably only a matter of time before your project is put on hold or canceled altogether. Senior management support can make all the difference between success and failure when implementing any IT solution.
  • A lack of funding—Many budgetary decisions are based on short-term financial goals rather than long-term business needs. Finding the money needed to fund ambitious IT projects can be a daunting challenge. Underfunded projects may be canceled early in their life cycle, while timeshares, multitasking and other workarounds can prolong projects.
  • Unclear scope—Projects that lack a clear focus are more likely to encounter obstacles than those with an established direction. Setting appropriate expectations is critical to project success. If everyone has the same understanding of the project’s goal, it will be easier to stay on track when issues arise.
  • A vague implementation plan—Many IT projects fail because they have no specific plan for how to reach their goals, or the plan isn’t communicated effectively among all stakeholders throughout the organization. By laying out milestones and deliverables before starting a project and sticking to them once it begins, you’ll have a much greater chance of seeing your plans through until completion.
  • Poor change management—Even the most carefully managed IT projects will hit some bumps along the road. The ability to quickly adapt and revise plans when problems arise is essential for staying on track.

Crop young businesswoman using laptop while drinking tea at homeMany of these challenges can be addressed during the planning phase of a project before deployment ever begins, but if IT projects are already in progress, there are steps that can still be taken to ensure their success. In many cases, it may be necessary to reallocate resources or adjust team members’ tasks if issues arise. A flexible mind-set will make it easier for you to keep your project focused and motivated over time.

In order to address each of these barriers, you’ll need a strategy tailored specifically for your business environment. The key is to start planning early and to communicate your goals clearly throughout the organization. Making sure your project has a champion who will fight for it when necessary can help ensure that you’ll be able to overcome even the toughest obstacles.