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We all know that little things make big things happen. In decking, the smallest material Screw makes the project successful.
Therefore, choose the right size of the screw because it ensures the durability and safety of your project.
The process of decking involves several steps with installing beams, stairs, and railings.
You can’t join each part with one size of screw. So, the obvious question arises: What Screws Should I Use for Decking?
You need different types of screws for individual parts of your deck. Since each part like post beam, framing, and railings need various dimensional woods.
So, you need to choose a screw size for decking by remembering the wood deck dimension and where to use it.
Types and Sizes of Decking Screw
Deck Screw is a crucial and essential part of decking. A deck screw has five basic parts: Drive, Head, Shank, Thread, and Tip.
On the basis of those basic parts, deck screws are found in different types and sizes.
Types of Decking Screw
Before you install your deck, you need to determine how all the wood decks come together.
The only method to attach those pieces is using screws. Here are common types of screws for decking.
- Composite Deck Screws: Composite deck screws are generally used to install a deck from the side or underneath.
These screws usually have a heavy-gauge steel construction with increased torque performance.
- Wood Deck Screw: Wood deck screws are a perfect choice for fastening timber deck boards.
According to toolsaction Corrosion-resistant ones are the Best Screws for Decking.
Therefore, you must make sure the wood deck screws you’re getting are made of stainless steel.
Sizes of Decking Screw
The size of the decking screw mostly depends on the dimension of your deck. You need to use various types of screw head sizes in different parts installation.
Here is some most common size of decking screw use that is frequently used.
- Gauge: Gauge is the broadness of the screw. The larger the size screws, the higher the gauge.
The most common diameter of deck screws is 8 or 10 gauge. To be more accurate, 8 gauge is roughly equal to 4 mm diameter.
- Length: The minimum length of the deck screw is 2.5 inches. If you want extra holding power across the upward force, you can use a 3 inches screw also.
Experts suggest using a 3 inches screw while attaching railing, stair, and stringers.
What Screws Should I Use for Decking?
Now, you know there are differences between various types of screws. Therefore, there is no one-size-fitted screw for your entire project.
You have to use different types of screws on attaching different parts to decking. Let’s investigate and find out what type of screw you should use on different parts.
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Screw sizes for joists and decking
The most essential part of decking is fastening the deck board to joists. The joist gives the structural frame of your deck.
Therefore, it needs a heavy kind of stainless-steel screw around 2.5 inches. Many experts suggest Simpson SDS 2.5 inches screw for structural wood fastening.
What Screw sizes for Decking Stairs
Building the stairs is a daunting task because it needs dimensional calculation. The collaboration of stringer,l tread, risers makes stairs successful.
Though it needs the same kind of wood decking as decking, therefore 3 inches screw is enough to build the stairs properly.
What Screw Sizes for Ledger and Flashing
It is very important to use the proper size and type of fasteners to install the ledger and flashing.
Because it will carry the load of your entire decking. Therefore, installing a ledger and flashing using the standard galvanized lags bolts and 3.8 inches structural screw is pretty common.
What Screw Sizes for Railing
The railing is the most sensible part of the entire decking project. It needs to be attached perfectly with the deck material.
Generally, railing posts require 0.5 inches diameter galvanized or stainless-steel screws. And railing needs 3.5 inches of coated screws.
Things to Consider Before Choosing Deck Screw
One of the biggest mistakes people often make when building a deck is to save money with low-quality screws.
Besides, many people don’t know what to look for before getting a screw. So, here we have cataloged three factors that will help you to make a quality purchase.
Corrosion Resistance
Decking screw must come with an extremely class 3 rate and corrosion resistance as per Australian Standard.
Therefore, it is recommended to use 304 stainless and 316 stainless steel screws. Otherwise, getting the wrong screw may cause severe damage to the quality of your deck.
Length of Screw
The length of the deck screw should be an important consideration. The correct length of screws depends on the type of material you are using.
You should choose your standard deck screws that are long enough to connect two boards properly.
You can also use deck clips in the process of making deck framing and deck joist.
Galvanized and Non-Galvanized Screw
Galvanized and non-galvanized can make a huge difference in the durability of your decking project.
Since it is an outdoor project, therefore there is a possibility to decay the quality of screw over time. For that reason, you should go with a galvanized screw.
Conclusion
Despite being the smallest material, the screw is the key component to complete the decking process successfully.
Therefore, you should choose it wisely. Choosing a reputed manufacturer is your best chance to get the right screws, and Bolt Dropper is one of them.
Getting a quality screw will release you from further worry about your decking project.
We hope, you have got a vivid concept about What Screws Should I Use for Decking and enjoyed this article. If you have further questions, feel free to comment below.
