Installing Decking Squares

Building a deck has never been this easy. Decking squares’ painless installation process gets the hard stuff out of the way so you can focus on creating the design you want.

1. Preparation

Our decking squares are made from all-natural hardwood, and like all wood products these squares will absorb or release moisture to match the surrounding climate. This causes the wood to expand or shrink, and failing to account for this can ruin your perfect design.

This problem is easily avoided by ordering your decking squares a few weeks in advance and letting them sit in the area where they’ll be installed. Make sure air can flow across every surface during this acclimation period—it may require placing wood scraps between squares. The entire stack should be kept well above the ground during this time; we recommend about 12". Do not cover the squares with a tarp!

Finally, if you want to enhance and preserve the wood’s natural color, coat each side of every decking square with a sealer such as Ipe Oil™. Simply apply the oil with a rag or roller and gently wipe up any excess. Allow to dry thoroughly.

2. The Connector

We highly recommend using DeckWise™ tile connectors. Our decking squares have been specially fitted for these connectors, which will secure your deck and make nailing the details like square spacing easy.

Each connector has several pine tree pegs that fit into the predrilled holes in the backs of the squares. For corners and edges, the connectors can be scored with a knife and snapped apart.

3. Design

From here, finishing the installation is as easy as laying down the decking squares one by one in whatever pattern you choose. Starting in a corner and moving across your workspace in diagonal rows works best. One perk to laying down decking squares is that any furniture can simply be moved as needed.

When you reach the edge of your space, you may have to cut tiles to fit. To cut the tile parallel to the boards, remove the screws securing the boards that you want to cut off, then trim the exposed backing. You'll have to drill a new hole in the corners to receive the deck tile connector. To cut the tile perpendicular to the boards, first remove the center backing piece, then cut across the boards. Remove the backing from the discarded half of the tile and secure it to the part you're going to keep. Finally, replace the center backing, which may have to be trimmed to fit. Because exotic hardwoods are so tough, we highly recommend using carbide-tipped sawblades.

4. Enjoy

The best part. After only a few hours of work, you have a deck that is uniquely you. Should you ever get tired of the design you chose, simply lift a few tiles and rotate them or move them to a different part of the deck. The possibilities are endless!