Wood – Which is better for deck flooring: 2×6 or 1×6 deck boards

deckflooringwood

My current deck flooring is done with 2x6x10' boards, however they have degraded to the point now where they need to be replaced.

I'm wondering if there are any specific pros or cons for using the same 2x6x10' boards, vs. 1×6 deck boards? Of course I realize that the 1×6 boards wont support the same amount of weight as the original boards, but I think the 2×6's might have been a bit overkill anyway. Besides price, is there anything else I should be basing my decision on?

Best Answer

1X stock is fine if you have 16 inch on center joists, and the joists are themselves sized properly. Using 2X stock over undersized joists does help make the deck feel more solid. If you have 24 OC joists, I'd definitely stay with the 2X decking. An other option if you have wider joist spacing is to add a joist between each one if possible, then you can use 1X wood or even better, composite decking that will last a very long time, low maintenance and you can have your choice of colors and not have to worry about staining etc.