hidden fasteners
 we
are now offering and endorsing the cortex hidden screw plug
system ,by far the best option in the marketplace. available for
all the colors of azek decking and the best method for fastening
and conceling the fastener possible, without any of the drawback
of other systems mentioned below.
after the screws are installed with special tip, which drill
perfectually sized plug holes, the plugs can be tapped in to be
almost completely invisible, but if the need be can be removed
to access the screws. this system has all the benefits of face
screwing for maxium adheshion, spacing,and strength, but is
repairable with dissasembling like other hidden faster
systems, it;s the best of both worlds.
Dozens of companies are flooding the market with a bevy of
hidden deck fastener systems. Each one convinced that their
product is the most innovated and special, and a "most have" for your deck
project. They are trying to sell you their often very costly
bits of plastic metal or composite materials We feel all these
systems are compromises and will briefly touch on
some of the points why we feel your deck budget is best spent
elsewhere.
Price: Right off the bat
there is the price issue, many HF deck systems can add
considerable cost to a project (into the thousands) with the
cost of the actual fasteners and the extra labor to install. In a time
where quality materials are expensive enough this can easily
break the budget. We would rather see you get a larger or more
lavish deck for that money.
Spacing: Most hidden
fastener systems force the deck spacing (of course they bill
this as a
feature) but most of the systems
force a rather large
spacing, maybe too large for comfort, this includes the systems
with hardware between the boards and also the angled screw jigs.
We like to see a proper deck spacing (enough for drainage and
expansion) but not soo large as to see the framing (and hidden
fasteners?) and large enough where things may get stuck (like a
women's high heel in our example).
Repairability:
Does it make sense to construct as outside project with no
provisions for repair? with most HF systems if a decking board
gets scratched stained or damaged in some way, you would have to
dissect the deck, pulling up decking from one end all the way back to the
board to be replaced, rather then just unscrewing the one board
to be replaced. This could make a few minute repair a huge
undertaking.
Buckling: here is one of
the real serious issues with hidden deck fasteners, by putting a
 object
(metal clip or plastic cleat) or whatever the fastener is,
between the boards you virtually eliminate the ability for the
decking (wood or composite) to expand and contract with season
temperature and humidity levels. In minor cases there may be a
board or two that become uneven and form a trip hazard, in
severe cases the entire deck can buckle and have to be
completely rebuilt.
Strength: there is
no question that "face screwing" or "through screwing" in by
far the best possible method of mechanical fastening for your
deck. Properly spaced and correctly
 recessed
quality screws will undoubtedly last the lifetime of the decking
itself. You will be able to replace any single board at any time
easily, the wood can expand and contract freely, and the decking
will remain firmly held fast and snug to the framing with no
raised or buckled boards. The angled screw systems have inherent
deficiencies as severally angled screws do not hold as well and
can actually split of chip off the corners of the decking.(see
sidebar illustration)
Floor patterns/versatility: with face
screwing there is a world of possibilities with floor patterns
as you are not held back by the limitations of the fastening
system. Almost all HF decks have boring straight decking
patterns,does straight decking will no screws looks more
impressive then a custom floor pattern (like a herringbone
pattern) with perimeter boards with proper screws? we certainly
don't thing so .
Ascetics: we
are used to seeing fasteners in our deck, in fact decks without
visible fasters can look naked our somehow missing of somthing.
By
seeing the screws (properly recessed) we get a felling that the
deck is strong and held together correctly, not haphazardly
thrown together and waiting to fall apart.
Failure:
Plastic clips and under deck fastening systems are sure
to fail, and even the better
metal cleats with their angled smaller screws are likely to have
problems long term, extreme wood like Ipe are pretty stable but
when a rogue board does twist or cup if has amazingly strong
properties and could easily defeat a hidden faster. grooved
boards and cleats are only holding a fraction of decking, again
a cause for concern. Just look at some of the accompany pictures
of various hidden fastener systems, are these confidence
inspiring? Anyone who stands behind there product knows face
screwing is the only sure thing and the only way to fasten Ipe.
Point if fact, most hidden deck
fasteners, if not all, require starter boards to be face screwed as well as perimeter boards and other special
circumstance where the systems fall short or can not
accommodate. So even hidden fastener systems are just mostly
hidden. These systems are a series of compromises, and we feel money better spent
elsewhere. As our tagline states "decks built to last a
lifetime" we just could not trust compromising the integrity of
our decks to a "maybe will hold it" decking fastening system.
We will stick with the no compromise track proven and time
tested method of face or though screwing our decks to be
confident your deck will be built to last!
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| TYPICAL HIDDEN
FASTENER IN GROOVE WITH ANGLED SCREW |
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ONE OF THE ANGLED SCREW JIGS |
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WILL THONGS OF METAL CLIPS HOLD |
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PLASTIC CLIP IN IPE DOES NOT INSPIRE CONFIDENCE. |
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OVERALLY LARGE SPACING WITH HIDDEN FASTENER CLEATS |
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DOES THIS ANGLED SCREW LOOK LIKE IT WILL HOLD LONG TERM? |
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MISSING SOMETHING? |
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HIDDEN FASTENER BUCKLING |
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