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Short Summary
Main recommendation: Frame the perimeter of a deck with a picture frame border by using the perimeter boards themselves as a guide for marking 45-degree miter cuts, then screwing the joints together and attaching the frame with hidden screws. The video shows the process for a 14-foot deck surface, starting with an overhang measured from the rim joist.
Key Points
- Set the overhang first: measure back 4 1/4 inches from the outside of the rim joist at both accessible ends, which the presenter says gives roughly a 1 1/4 inch overhang and a nosing even after skirt boards are installed.
- Use the frame boards as the guideline, so small imperfections in the wood do not matter; the board underneath is marked and cut to match.
- Miter the corners at 45 degrees, but expect to need a second or third try, and set the saw angle slightly off 45 (about 45 1/2 degrees) when the wood is not perfectly square.
- Join each miter with traditional screws driven in reverse first, then fix the frame with hidden screws at an angle into the rim joist.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Measure back 4 1/4 inches on the outside of the rim joist at both ends, and cut the finish trim line along the full length.
- Set the saw depth by lowering the blade until it touches the board, then cut along the marked line.
- Lay the perimeter boards and use a square to mark the gap, pushing the square to the outside edge of the board underneath to draw the cut line. Repeat for the inside line.
- Set the miter saw to 45 degrees by lifting the brake lock (the large black lever), and cut to the right of the pencil line so some pencil remains showing.
- Make a test cut about a quarter inch away from the final line to confirm the angle before cutting to the pencil mark.
- Mark the middle of the fishbone spline, then cut the edge off so the joint sits properly.
- Start traditional screws to hold the miter joint together, running them in reverse.
- Drive hidden (Camo) screws at a slight angle into the rim joist underneath, then countersink flush plus a quarter inch so the wood swelling later covers the hole.
- The presenter notes that wood moves (it is wet, dries, and twists), so the approach is to cut slightly long and trim to fit rather than stretch short boards.
- The 14-foot boards are used as a temporary setup, with a screw holding the board in place that is removed when the cut is made in the middle.
- The presenter notes it was a hot day (30-plus degrees), with about 170 to 180 feet of flooring down, and two or three more days to finish the surface, followed by railings and glass.
Bottom Line
Picture framing a deck is mostly a measuring and test-cutting process: mark from the boards themselves, trim slightly long, and verify each 45-degree angle before committing to the final cut.
