I'm ordering decking for my deck and I'm wondering how much extra I should order to allow for the variation in length of the supplied decking? For example my deck is 4100 x 4500 and the decking timber is 90mm wide. So if all lengths of the decking timber were exactly 4500 I would need 207 lineal metres. Should I add 10% to this or 15%? The timber is being milled for me so it's important I order enough.
How much extra decking to order to allow for offcuts
deckdecking
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Based on questions answered in chat you have a case where the contractor didn't measure the deck properly, and built it too high, could not flash properly under the door frame, and performed a "some genius" move putting a transition strip (meant for interior use) over top of the door frame and the vinyl, with caulk under neath.
Stupid.
Two options: 1 cheap and temporary, 1 expensive and proper.
Cheap: Use proper caulk (props to @tester101)
Option 2 - and the door is old so this isn't actually a terrible idea.
Replace the door. In the process, raise the rough opening of the door frame half an inch or so - however much is necessary to be able to put a proper piece of flashing under the door frame and over the vinyl.
You will probably have to custom order a door to fit your new rough opening, but at least you can seal the door area properly.
And props to @bmitch for pointing out that flashing needs to run the entire width of the deck.
I agree with Ecnerwal entirely. But, absolutely screw the deck boards down & don't use nails, unless you like them popping up & ripping your foot or catching a shoe or high heel. Screwing the boards down is structural, for mostly just the boards...it spreads the stress instead of snapping a board from a fatboy standing between joists.
Definitely, use the tar-paper & bravo on doing it in the past...almost no-one around me does it & laughs at me when I do it or point out it's missing. Their decks last maaaybeee 15-years & mine last easily 30+.
Go with stainless steel screws! Square-Drive like the old screws is fine, but mostly Star-Head is all I find anymore. I think chamfering the bottoms will only trap more debris on top of the tar-papered joists, this will also cause water to travel to the meat area rather than just the edge. Simply hosing, brooming or putty knifing out the new gaps annually should be greatly successful.
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Best Answer
Ordinarily, I'd get 10% extra for a job like you describe. Given the custom setup, I'd seriously consider 15%, and maybe maybe if it wasn't outrageously cost-prohibitive, going for 20%. Splits, knots, and if you live in my world, mis-cuts happen. It would break my heart to have to go back for one more stick...
Plus, if you get way too much, then you'll have the fun of figuring out a project on which to use the scrap. Bench seating? Table? Quadcopter? (Okay, maybe not the last...)