November 2007
Beyond nails: New fasteners
Just as you now have several alternatives for deck material, you have more than one proven way to fasten the planks in place.
Here’s a rundown of the principal choices you’ll have:
TRAPEASE Two types of threads hold synthetic decking in place.
NAILS AND SCREWS
The original fasteners. Nails and screws are low-cost, easy to handle, and suitable for nearly any material. But nails can pop loose over time. Screws are more permanent. TrapEase is one brand of special-purpose screw intended for use with plastic and composite decking. It has coarse threads at the tip to bite into the deck’s supporting joist and finer threads toward the head to stop the decking material from bulging out.
Nails and screws show, so neatness counts. Galvanized or stainless-steel screws won’t leave rust streaks over time. Ceramic-coated screws come in several colors, which helps them blend in.
POINTED Clips attach invisibly to deck joists. Prongs grip the decking planks.
Low-cost and suitable for wood or plastics. We’ve seen three types: metal clips, with sharp prongs that dig into the deck planks and the joist; elliptical wafers that fit into a slot cut into the sides of the planks and held with a screw driven into the joist; and strips that fasten to the joist and underside of the plank. When all the planks are in place, the fasteners don’t show.
LOCKDRY Sections of the aluminum decking we tested interlock; rain won’t drip through.
SNAP-IN-PLACE FASTENERS
Easy to install, but unique to specific brands. The LockDry aluminum decking snaps together, much the way tongue-and-groove flooring does. The Brock Deck vinyl snaps in place over metal clips screwed onto the joists.
