Timber scaffold board
A timber platform unit, either a system deck with steel end fittings or a loose board laid across ledgers or tubes.
Also called: scaffold plank, wooden scaffold board, timber deck, system timber deck
Timber boards are where scaffold decking began: long before steel and aluminium system decks, planks were laid across tubes. Today you meet them in two forms. The system timber deck has galvanised end fittings with claws and is hooked in like a steel deck. The loose scaffold board simply rests on ledgers or tubes, as on a tube and fitting scaffold. Both form the working surface. Loose boards are also handy for corners, for closing gaps and as load-spreading sole boards under base plates.
Timber is pleasant to walk on, is less icy than steel in winter and less slippery in the wet. In exchange it ages faster and needs care.
Sizes
- System timber decks: solid or glued timber, usually 0.29–0.32 m wide and about 45–48 mm thick. Two side by side fill a 0.73 m scaffold, three a 1.09 m bricklaying scaffold. A 3 m timber deck reaches roughly load class 3, shorter ones considerably more.
- Loose boards: softwood graded for scaffold use, often 0.24 or 0.28 m wide and 45 mm thick, with metal bands on the ends to stop splitting. In the UK, boards graded to BS 2482 are the familiar reference.
Board thickness, width and the load class together decide how far a loose board may span; the permitted support spacing comes from the system instructions or national guidance. On modular scaffolds, intermediate transoms are added so that the span stays within the limit.
Laying boards correctly
- Inspect every board before use: no splits, no rot, no large knots running across the section.
- Lay loose boards either butted, with a support under each board end, or overlapped with the required minimum bearing.
- Keep gaps small; openings over about 25 mm are not acceptable.
- Secure boards against lifting and sliding before the side protection is completed.
Checks and common errors
Loose boards do not brace the lift. Where a system relies on hooked-in decks for stiffness, a scaffold boarded with loose planks needs horizontal bracing instead. Rot, fungal staining, deep lengthwise cracks and worn-through patches are reasons for rejection, and a board that springs or cracks underfoot has no place on a scaffold. Never cut a board down or nail two together. Check rivets, claws and end bands too.
When you buy used, judge each board individually; timber is a natural product. Weight and sound often tell you whether it is dry and sound. Stack boards airy and dry on bearers; wet boards piled on the ground are often ruined after one winter. Used boards are listed under scaffold boards. More on this in checking used scaffold decks.