Decking screws are specially designed to securely hold the decking together and be weather resistant.
When building a deck the choice of construction materials is very important.
Look for a quality manufacturer from the outset – once built, it is going to be difficult to replace any failed screws and fixings.
Quality, proven manufactures include: Spax, Timco, and Reisser.
Are you thinking, ‘I’ll just use some galvanised nails – they’ll be fine’? Please don’t! – for a spend of a few extra pounds at the build stage you will save yourself a fortune in maintenance costs.
Decking screws normally have a flat head which, combined with reaming nibs, allow the screw to lie flush with the decking.
If your deck is going to be a considerable size, then consider buying an automatic screw gun – you can resell this after you’re finished and screws can be bought on a collated system rather like a nail gun.
How much are decking screws? – About £8 for 200 of them.
It is a good idea to drill small pilot holes for the screws – even though some claim to do this job by themselves (self-piloting), we’ve experienced much better results by drilling first – the screw driving is less effort and the decking will not then split.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ2F7P6OehM
Online suppliers of decking screws in the UK
(please note – we are NOT affiliates of these suppliers – we have used their service as the customer and are satisfied by their prices and levels of service)