A trim piece that was cut from a length of square-edged decking hides unsightly board ends.
Capped composite decks are often finished with a picture-framed border so that the ends of the boards aren't visible. This requires a lot of blocking.
Installing a trim detail is faster and less expensive than installing a border. The trim is ripped from nongrooved decking, then glued and either screwed or nailed in place.
Deck boards are installed long and then cut in place along a straight line so the trim will lie flat once it’s attached. A track saw, like the Festool TS55REQ shown, is ideal for the job.
The trim can be cut on a table saw, but using a circular saw equipped with an edge guide is probably easier. The advantages to using a cordless circular saw are that it’s lightweight and it has enough power for this cut. A 20-foot length of square-edged Fiberon Horizon decking yields 40 linear feet of 3/8-inch-wide edge trim; the author sometimes uses a different width, depending on the brand of decking he’s working with.
Loctite Power Grab adhesive is spread onto the back of the trim prior to installation. Power Grab dries clear, so if any squeeze-out is missed during cleanup, it’s usually unnoticeable.
Robert Shaw of Colorado Deck and Framing installs edge trim on a deck in Colorado Springs, Colo. Eighteen-gauge stainless steel finish nails hold the trim in place until the glue dries. One nail per deck board is more than enough.
