Thread: attaching hardwood decking boards

Originally Posted by Karne

want to do it fairly quickly.

I'd love an excuse.

what timber are you using? The harder timbers will just split

The cheapest way is pre drill and nail... not the quickest though

With nails, it's always a good idea to pre-drill the decking boards. The worst part is that for a good finish, you should punch 'em down a few mm as well. (Oh, my aching back!) With good hammer skills, it's much quicker than screwing. With mediocre hammer skills... forget it. A deck isn't the place to learn. (Ding! BLAST! Ding! DAMN! Thwock! OUCH! )

Screwing is a more secure method (nails can pull out over time) but even then the decking boards should be pre-drilled. Countersinking isn't necessary, but tends to leave a better finish... an appropriately sized countersinking drill bit is a worthwhile investment to combine the pre-drill/countersink in one action.

It's also good idea to have a couple of batt drills to hand, so you're not forever swapping bits. And have spare batteries for both, so there's always one on the charger. Nothing kills production like waiting for a battery to charge.

So... nails are cheaper & (arguably) quicker, screws take less physical effort & are more permanent.

Horses for courses.

I did a hardwood deck a year or two ago and decided to screw it for the reasons given above. If you buy a combination drill and countersink, and as long as you've got two drills - I used a cordless drill for the holes and a cordless impact driver, both makita, for the screws. I also used square head screws from Sachys-Robertson as they don't strip out as easily, although I broke a fair few bits.

It didn't take anywhere nearly as long as I though it would, although you do need decent knee pads! I think they looked great afterwards, and they'll never lift up, which will make maintenance easier.

Recently I've seen Klevaklip which looks interesting, but I haven't used it, so I don't know how long it'd take and I assume it'd be expensive. Bretts at Windsor, QLD, quoted me $151.48 for a box of about 22 linear metres. Apparently you need a special glue too...

I screwed my deck, stainles steel square drive screws, pre-drilled and counter sunk. It took a long time but there's no substitute for quality materisl and workmanship.

Personally I think you should make the time to do the job right, or you may regret it for years to come.

Just use the nails that have the spiral thread on them ? am I correct? and to evenly space each bit of wood use a woodworking pencil

Problems with nails have been listed but one problem I have found is that if it's not done properly the nails can pop or work their way loose. This can be bad for bare feet.

I would take the extra time and money and use screws.

Ah righty o, Screws would always be the best choice but I was just wondering about those special nails.. Hope ur deck goes well

Nails into hardwood bearers/joists work well and they're not as obvious to the eye as screws. The odd one may need to be punched down every few years, but the same is true for internal T&G too.

In softwood, esp. radiata, it's a different matter. There are a few different types of nails beside the spiral nail that're supposed to prevent the nails pulling out, but I think that screws are by far the better choice there.

As I misquoted earlier: different horses for different courses.

I am for screws also. Most nailed decks after some time creek when you walk on them. Nails work out due to stress from movement. when the problem starts it only keeps getting worse. you can re punch them down but they will keep on working loose again. It is more work up front to screw the boards down but worth the effort in the long term.
Regards
John