Screw-Less Deck Attachment Techniques

Purpose

• Screw-less deck attachment techniques may be necessary or preferred for several reasons. One of the primary reasons is to eliminate the appearance of screws and fasteners of any type to give the deck's surface a clean look. This also eliminates the chance that screws will loosen over time and become tripping or puncture hazards. In other cases, a deck may need a quick repair when screws or a screwdriver are unavailable.

Nails

• Hammering nails into decking boards is one of the simplest and fastest alternatives to using screws. Nails can be used to attach all parts of the deck and can serve as a comprehensive alternative to screws. Nails are available in many of the same lengths as screws and can be installed quickly with a hammer. This represents an improvement over screws, which take longer to insert manually and can only be installed as quickly as nails if you use a power driver.

Clips

• Using metal deck clips is another attachment method that allows you to forgo screws altogether. Deck clips insert into grooves that are cut into the wood before the deck is installed. These clips hold the decking together from below, so they are invisible once the deck is completed. This makes repairs more difficult and adds to the construction time but results in a deck with a clean surface and boards that can be reused since they don't have any holes or weak points due to screws or nails.

Considerations

• Whatever type of fasteners and attachment methods you decide to use, make sure that all of the metal hardware that goes into your deck is galvanized. This means that the metal has gone through a chemical coating process that protects it from rust and weakness over time. The safety of your deck also relies on following your local building codes, which may specify restrictions on deck locations and construction styles. Check with your building code office to determine whether you need permits or must follow any special procedures to build your deck.