You should know that although hardwoods expand and contract on their width, composite boards expand and contract on their length. You not only want to make certain that you are following the manufacturers suggested gap spacing between deck boards, but you want to make certain that you have allowed adequate room between your deck and any structure. The last thing you want to see is buckling and cupping issues because you built your deck right up against a structure. Then when it starts to move, it has nowhere to go.

When installing hardwood deck boards, you place a screw at a 45 degree angle through the Ipe Clip® fastener, through half of the deck board, and then down into your joist on just one side of your deck board. So as your deck board expand and contract, one side is always firmly attached tight to your joist. You wouldn’t want to use this same method with composite decking. As mentioned above, it moves on its length and you need to allow it to do so. When installing Ipe Clip® fasteners in composite decking, you will want to place the screw at a 90 degree angle straight through the Ipe Clip® fastener and right down into the joist. This allows the deck board to stay in place yet allow it to expand and contract at will.

By following the guidelines above, your Ipe Clip® brand fasteners can be used on a broad range of decking products and are quite versatile.

Maxwell Blake

Although hardwood decking tops the list as the most used decking material, recently there has been a burst of interest shown in PVC decking. Although we, at Ipe Clip®, still prefer a beautiful hardwood Ipe deck, the interest shown in PVC decking is certainly cause for review.
PVC decking is installed quite similar to hardwood decking. You want to start with a ground clearance of at least 12” to allow for adequate air flow. We recommend that joist spacing not exceed 16” on center when perpendicular to joists and no more than 12” when deck boards are positioned at a 45 degree angle.

There are major differences between hardwood deck boards and PVC deck boards:

1.     The movement each makes over time is different. While hardwood decking will naturally move on its width, PVC decking will naturally move on its length.

2.    Hardwood deck board’s movement is primarily dependent upon moisture content while PVC deck boards are primarily dependent upon temperature changes.

3.    Ipe Clip® hidden deck fasteners are installed with the screw at a 45 degree angle, through half of the deck board, and then down into the joist. PVC decking will be installed using the very same Ipe Clip® hidden deck fasteners except the screw will be driven straight down through the fastener and into the joist allowing for the natural movement on its length.

Don’t be intimidated by all the choices that are now available for your decking needs. PVC decking can be installed just as easily as hardwood decking. There are no additional tools or equipment required. Ipe Clip® makes a hidden deck fastener for each decking project no matter the type of decking. Just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you choose the right products for your decking needs.

Introducing the latest deck fastener from the Ipe Clip® Fastener Co., The Extreme4™.

Finally, a hidden deck fastener for everyone!

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have attempted to take an order from a customer that had no idea what type of decking they were using. Sure, it’s easy enough to know if it’s hardwood, composite, or pvc; but when it comes to hardwoods, many customers don’t know if they have air-dried or kiln-dried decking.

I am more than capable of helping our customers choose which hidden deck fastener is best to use when they know exactly what they have. How then, can we help them choose when they don’t know? There lies the challenge. Should we recommend the Ipe Clip® Extreme™ for air-dried decking that will contract after installation? Or should we recommend the Ipe Clip® ExtremeKD™ for kiln-dried decking that will expand after installation. See the dilemma? What most customers do not realize is that depending on the moisture content of the wood, it can either expand or contract after installation.

The Ipe Clip® Fastener Company has just released the answer with the new Ipe Clip Extreme4™! This new deck fastener works with all types of decking and automatically spaces deck boards at a 4mm (5/32”) gap spacing. The Ipe Clip® Extreme4™ is made of the same quality and workmanship as the Ipe Clip® Extreme™ and the Ipe Clip® ExtremeKD™ including the stainless steel insert for reinforcement. By combining elements used to create our previous Extreme™ line of fasteners with this unique gap spacing, we can now offer a single fastener that can allow for the proper expansion and contraction associated with all hardwoods. The Ipe Clip® Extreme4™ can be used with the following types of decking:

• Air-Dried – allows contraction on the width of air-dried hardwoods
• Kiln-Dried – allows expansion on the width of kiln-dried hardwoods
• Composite – allows expansion/contraction along the length of composite decking
• PVC – allows expansion/contraction along the length of PVC decking

The Ipe Clip® Extreme4™ will help to solve some of these major issues by working with all 4 types of decking. So if you or your customer choose to build your deck with kiln-dried hardwood and you wish to have tighter gap spacing than typical or you choose to build a deck with air-dried hardwood and wish to have a larger gap space, then the new Extreme4™ is the perfect option for you.

It truly is the best of both worlds!

Mushrooming is one such deck problem that happens when composite decking is first installed.

How does mushrooming occur?

Screwing vertically into a composite deck board can sometimes bring up some of the plastic material. They look like mounds. Even though the industry term for this effect is “mushrooming,” I find that it’s there is a better way to picture what this could look like. Imagine insects burrowing out of your composite deck boards and I can bet you’ll quickly understand why it’s one of the more unsightly and unattractive drawbacks to installing composite decking.

Clearly, repairing composite deck boards that are mushrooming can be quite time consuming.

So, how do you repair composite decking that has mushroomed?

Research shows that there really isn’t a one-sized fits all solution. Most composite decking companies claim that the material can be chiseled or sanded off. While that may work for a while, it’s important to remember that composite materials will still expand and contract throughout the years. In fact, most people who solved this issue often found that the mushroom effect came back.

How to prevent mushrooming on your composite deck?

Using the ExtremeKD™ deck fasteners from the Ipe Clip® Company will great reduce this nasty and annoying defect from occurring. These hidden deck fasteners are specially made for composite decking and will greatly reduce the problems that many homeowners have when they used face screws to install.

Common problems that you can avoid are:

• Nail Pops – Because wood decking grows and shrinks, overtime, the deck board can actually lift up the nail. Using hidden deck fasteners just might keep you from getting sued since the likelihood of someone tripping over an exposed nail is virtually impossible.
• Rot and decay – Every single time it rains, water enters the area where the surface screw entered. As time goes on mildew can build up and the deck board can end up rotting.
• Deck splits and cracks – Just as painful as a nail pop and even more annoying is getting a splinter in your, or a child’s foot. Nothing makes a party end more abruptly than a child with a bloody foot hysterically crying because the homeowner opted to save some money and decided not to use a deck fastening system.
• Mushrooming – If you want to build a composite deck, listen up. If you screw into the top of composite decking, you could end up having your deck look like there are a row of mushrooms due to the composite materials rising above the deck board and around the screw hole.

Building a deck is an investment into not just your home, but also the future memories you can have. Doesn’t it make sense to make sure that you give your deck the best possible chance of having a healthy life while it also gets a chance to look good for decades to come? Also, given that some of these common deck installation problems can lead to bodily harm, doesn’t it also make sense to ensure that you, your loved ones, and your guests are safe?

If you want to ensure that you build a deck that is safe, we have two kinds of deck fasteners that are perfect for your specific decking choice:

• Extreme™ Deck Fastener – Perfect for Air-dried wood decking
• ExtremeKD™ Deck Fastener – Perfect for both composite decking and kiln-dried wood decking

No matter what decking fastener you choose, be sure to use the best deck tools to give your deck a lengthy lifespan without tons of maintenance.