Starting any decking project can seem overwhelming at first. Attempting to decide what kind of deck to build can be a challenge in itself. Once that decision has been made, the real fun begins. There are choices between deck fasteners and choices between the many different types of screws and nails. There are choices in how and what type of sealer to use and choices in the gap spacing that is required or desired. This article will help to guide you in the many tools that are available to help make your deck building project easier and faster.

Let’s start with the many types of nails and screws on the market. How do you determine which is best? It’s been proven time and time again that screws will hold tighter and longer than nails, making screws the obvious choice. Always choose a high grade stainless steel screw, especially when installing high end decking materials. Anything less could cause corrosion and stain the area around the screw. Pardon the pun, but, when it comes to the look of your deck, why would you want to screw that up?

Along with the screws, I would recommend a cordless screw gun with an adjustable clutch. An adjustable clutch can save you many tips and screws as it insures you do not over torque the screws during installation.

If installing hardwood decking, I also recommend pre-drilling a pilot hole for your stainless steel screws with a high speed drill bit. This works to your advantage in two ways; It will keep your screws from breaking as they are screwed into the extremely dense hardwood, and it will help to keep your hardwood from splintering in the future when movement is all but guaranteed.

There are many brands of deck fasteners on the market today, but only a few will really hold up. Some deck fasteners require extra tools making installation more complicated than it has to be. Keep it simple. You want to look for a fastener made of quality material; one that will hold the densest of hardwoods. To achieve this strength and for ease of use, I prefer an edge mount system with a stainless steel insert.

Some deck fasteners designed today can be used on either hardwood or composite decking making them quite versatile. These fasteners can be secured and attached by placing a screw right through the fastener and straight down into the joist, which allows composite decking to naturally move on its length. These same fasteners can also be secured and attached by placing a screw at a 45 degree angle through your hardwood and then into the joist, allowing hardwoods to move on its width all the while keeping uniform gap spacing.

There is also help on the market when it comes to straightening warped or bowed deck boards. Board straightening tools do exactly what the name implies. Nothing can be more irritating than attempting to place your next deck board down and realizing that it is bowed beyond use. There are tools that will slip over your joist and by the simple and easy pull of a handle, straighten that board so that it can be more easily secured. One tool was made available just last year that cam locks into place, holding the board for you, giving you a hands free opportunity to work on your deck without any assistance. This tool alone will save you a lot of time and frustration.

Whether you are a first time deck builder or the seasoned professional, there are deck tools available to make any job easier and less time consuming. Following these helpful tips, you too will soon realize installing a hardwood or composite deck does not have to be so frustrating.