Hidden Fasteners for Composite Decks - Are They Worth It?

More and more homeowners today are choosing to have their composite decks built with hidden fasteners. With hidden fasteners a composite deck can be built without using unsightly screws or nails. But are hidden fasteners worth the added expense, and extra labor, needed to install them? Our company sells a large amount of Evergrain brand composite decking every year. At the point of sale each customer is afforded an opportunity to purchase either screws, or hidden fasteners, to attach their decking. In spite of the fact that we sell the lowest priced hidden fasteners available, and the only ones that are made for specifically for composite decking, over half of our customers purchase screws. When asked why, the answers are almost always the same: hidden fasteners are either too expensive, too time consuming to install, or both. But let's look at those responses in their proper context.

How many homeowners would be satisfied to have the screws visible in the drywall of their homes? How many houses do you find with the siding "face-nailed"? Or, how many wood floors have the screws or nails out in plain view? Imagine how much money could be saved if the drywall installer did not take the time to hide the screws. The siding on a house would be much stronger, and easier to install, if it were faced-nailed. And, wood floors could be installed for much less money if the boards were not all tongue-and-groove. People go to a lot of trouble, and expense, to insure that the fasteners on these surfaces are not visible. They expect that these fasteners will be hidden. But when it comes to decking the story seems to change.

It seems that many people expect to see the fasteners on their deck. They expect it because that is the way decking has always been installed. But things are changing quickly. More and more people are realizing that their new composite deck does not have to have exposed screws or nails. And that the added expense of hiding the fasteners is worth every penny. The reasons are obvious to anyone who has ever seen a composite deck built with high quality hidden fasteners. In fact, in the not too distant future, it is likely that hidden fasteners will be the rule, not the exception, for composite deck construction.

There are many types of hidden fasteners available. Most will fall into one of three general categories: those that require a biscuit joint, or groove, in the side of the decking, those that use prongs driven into the sides of the decking or those that use brackets attached to the sides of the joists. A unique hidden fastener made specifically for composite decking is the Aphano hidden fastener. Like any product, the advantages, and disadvantages, of each particular item must be carefully considered. But when it comes time to build a composite deck, hidden fasteners should be considered as a very viable option.

Jeff Van Fleet works for largest fence/deck contractor in the state of Montana. He is the leader of the Aphano hidden fastener project. Aphano fasteners are the only hidden deck fasteners designed for the unique characteristics of composite decking.

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