Hidden Deck Fasteners
Information on Deck Fastening Systems & Decking Products

Face screwing a hardwood deck is not all it's cracked up to be.

One of the misconceptions about using deck fasteners that they are not as strong as conventional face nailing or screwing of deck boards. When one stops to think about this statement, it can easily be seen as false.

One of the thoughts behind this misconception is that when face securing deck boards, you have more strength because the screw or nail is going straight into the board and into the joist. What most people do not realize is that studies have proven that a screw ran at an angle has more holding strength when compared to one ran straight down. So when using a hidden fastener like the Ipe Clip^® Extreme™ where the screws are run at a 45˚ angle through the deck board and into the joist, you will have more holding strength from that screw.

Also think about this, when running screws and you want more holding strength or area, you can simply add a washer to achieve this. When installing an edge mount hidden fastening system like Ipe Clip^® the same principles can be applied, the more area you are holding down, the stronger it will be. An edge mount hidden fastener like Ipe Clip^® has much more hold down area than the head of a screw or nail so again the hidden fastener should win in a head-to-head competition.

Now that we know that the initial installation using hidden deck fasteners is more than strong enough to hold your deck boards, let’s think about what happens a few years down the line…you guessed it, when face securing your boards you get those cracks, or checks, everywhere a screw or nail penetrated the surface. This happened because water seeps into the holes made by the screw or nail when face securing. Now that there are cracks, even more water can soak into the boards causing mold, mildew, and even rot. Obviously everyone realizes that having rotten boards will weaken your deck dramatically.

An easy solution to prevent this problem? Use an edge mount hidden deck fastening system. Since there are no screws in the surface of the decking, the water cannot penetrate them and won’t cause you those problems in the future.

There you have it, with just a little thought and reasoning, you can come to the conclusion that the ideal way to fasten your next decking project is by using an edge mount hidden deck fastener such as Ipe Clip^® brand fasteners. They will give you the strength and durability you want so you can enjoy your beautiful deck year after year.