It is easy to believe that a wood screw is just a wood screw. If you can fasten a couple of 2 X 4’s together with one wood screw, why can’t you use the same screw to put a deck together? The simple fact is that not all wood fasteners are created equal. In fact, there is a good reason why there are so many options to choose from where wood screws are concerned. Namely, the different wood fasteners exist because they are ideally suited for specific applications. Deck screws are an excellent example.
The most obvious thing that should come to mind when thinking about deck fasteners is that they are used outside and exposed to the elements. Water and corrosion will cause metal objects to rust. Decks will become stained if the deck fasteners used during their construction are not specifically designed to be weather resistant. For this reason, deck fasteners tend to be zinc coated and called galvanized. Other corrosion resistant deck screws may be made out of stainless steel or
copper.
Deck fasteners have been specially designed to make the process of building a deck as quick and efficient as possible. This is why deck screws have a specially hardened tip and shallow threads. That way, the screws are self-tapping. In other words, you do not need to pre-drill before using a screw. This design feature saves a lot of time during construction.
In addition to being self-tapping, deck fasteners are also self-countersinking. This means that they will sit flat against the surface of the deck once fastened into position. Without this design advantage, a person would have to countersink every single deck screw in order for them not to stick out above the surface. In truth, a deck would be dangerous to walk on if a person had to worry about tripping over the deck fasteners holding the structure together.
When deciding on the particular deck fasteners to use, be sure to know the thickness of the boards you intend to fasten together. You need the wood screws to completely penetrate the top board while not completely going through the other board being fastened to. A good rule of thumb is to buy fasteners that are 50% longer than the thickness of the top board. That way, you should get adequate penetration on the board being fastened to.
In the end, deck fasteners are specially designed wood screws that will make the construction of a deck easier and less time consuming. While other wood fasteners may adequately penetrate and hold boards together, they may not be weather resistant, self-tapping, or self-countersinking. Therefore, never take any chances when constructing your deck—always use specially designed deck screws to make sure the job is done right and as efficiently as possible.
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