Terrace professionals advise how to choose wood screws for the terrace
How to choose wood screws for the terrace?
Terrace professionals advise how to choose wood screws for the terrace, what types of fasteners to use for different structures. The terrace is an open outdoor room in our house, and the floor and structure of the terrace are usually made of wood. Therefore, in our Lithuanian weather conditions, outdoor floors receive everything – wind, rain, sun, cold, and snow. It is not surprising that the Achilles heel of our terrace is the planks and their fixing.
The most common types of fixings for deck boards
Nails.
Standard wood screws for securing boards by turning them over the top of the board.
Invisible fastenings – various blocks, plates for installing terrace boards in a hidden way between the boards or at the bottom of the boards.
Invisible terrace fixings CAMO, designed to install the boards in a hidden way, screwing self-tapping screws into the boards at an angle.
Nails. Today, with technology and installation techniques so advanced, nails are rarely used for decking. Unless shot for mounting speed. Be that as it may, the tree in the field (and not) moved and will move, so due to constant changes in dimensions, the nails are pulled out and they will need to be constantly re-fastened. True, if you see nothing wrong with it, it is a reliable (longevity-wise) and cheap way to install decking boards. Nails for terraces should be special – ringed or twisted, and preferably hot-dip galvanized or, even better, stainless steel.
Standard wood screws for terraces . If you don’t mind the decking fixings being visible, this is the most reliable way to install the decking. Standard deck screws come in a variety of finishes, with anti-corrosion coating or stainless steel. Plain steel anti-corrosion coated screws are mostly used for soft wood species, e.g. pines, but turning larch with such is already risky, unless it is a narrow board. Only stainless steel fasteners are recommended for hardwood, and it is best to drill the boards first.
Invisible fasteners – various blocks, plates. These are often relatively expensive fastening elements, and their installation is more complicated and takes longer if the fastening is designed to be screwed to the board from below. Standard blocks called “Clips” are a more convenient solution if the boards have notches on the sides. In both cases, if you need to remove a board from the middle of the installed terrace, you will either have to unscrew all the boards up to it, or cut that board. From an aesthetic point of view, this installation method is of high quality, because the floor will already be without visible screws and closer to the aesthetic appearance of the interior floor without screws, only with gaps.
Concealed mounting type CAMO , designed for terraces and facades. This type of fastening is universal and stands out for the fact that it is possible to install practically any decking board so that the decking screws are not visible. The technology, like most good innovations, is based on the simplicity of driving a specially designed decking screw sideways into decking boards with the help of a special CAMO tool. This way, the screws are not visible, and if you need to remove any of the deck boards, it can be done as easily as screwing without damaging the entire deck. Click here for more about CAMO – CAMO AFFIRMATIONS.