When you are planning a decking project, you’ll have lots to think about. You’ll need to decide exactly where you want to position your deck as well as which wood species and finish will work best for you. When it comes to the detail, you’ll need to start thinking about how you will fit your deck or how you will ask your fitters to fit it. There are essentially two main ways of fitting your deck and that’s with screw fixings or hidden fixings.
Hidden fixings for decking are a neat way to enable your deck boards to be perfectly spaced, secure and free of screw or nail holes. Once in place, hidden fixings are pretty much invisible and give a really neat finish to your decking project. There are different types of hidden fixings, some of which are screwed directly to the joist and others that are screwed at a 45-degree angle through the tongue of the decking board. Both options are effective, quick and easy to install. At Wood and Beyond we offer many different types of hidden deck fixings which will enable you to fit your deck without having to drill holes into your decking boards. Which you choose will depend on the decking option you select and your budget.
The main advantage of hidden fixings for decking is definitely the end look. There’s no getting away from the fact that a deck without nail or screw holes is very easy on the eye. That said, anyone with small children or babies will also appreciate the fact that hidden fixings mean that there’s no risk of either protruding nails or screws, or sunken nail or screw holes in which little fingers might get trapped. Add to this, the fact that when the time comes to re-sand and re-treat your deck, you won’t need to worry about countersinking any protruding nails or screws and you start to see why so many people are now choosing to fit their deck with hidden fixings.
Screw fixing for decking is the original and traditional way of fitting a deck. When using a screw fixing method, it’s important to fix your decking board to every joist and you need to take care not to screw your board too close to the edges. The general consensus is that you should leave at least a 25mm space between the screw and either the edge or the end of your board. You should also make sure that your screws are countersunk into the surface of the deck to avoid the risk of injuring bare feet.
When it comes to spacing your decking boards using the screw method of fixing, you’ll need to measure and maintain the gaps either by using a spacing tool or working by eye. Ideally you should leave a gap of anywhere between 6 and 9 mm between each board. Once you’ve fixed your deck using the screw method, it’s well worth checking each season that your screws remain tight.
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FAQ
What are the two main ways of fitting a deck?
The two main ways of fitting a deck are with screw fixings or hidden fixings.
What are hidden fixings for decking?
Hidden fixings for decking are a method that allows your deck boards to be perfectly spaced, secure, and free of visible screw or nail holes. Once in place, hidden fixings are nearly invisible and provide a neat finish to your decking project. They can either be screwed directly to the joist or at a 45-degree angle through the tongue of the decking board.
What are the advantages of using hidden fixings for decking?
The main advantage of using hidden fixings is the neat end look, free of visible nail or screw holes. They are also safer for small children as there’s no risk of protruding nails or screws. Moreover, they make the process of re-sanding and re-treating your deck easier as you won’t need to countersink any protruding nails or screws.
What is the traditional way of fitting a deck?
The traditional way of fitting a deck is using the screw fixing method. It involves fixing your decking board to every joist and ensuring the screws are countersunk into the surface of the deck.
How should I space my decking boards using the screw method?
When using the screw method of fixing, you should measure and maintain the gaps between the boards either by using a spacing tool or working by eye. Ideally, you should leave a gap of anywhere between 6 and 9 mm between each board.