Best Hidden Deck Fastening System

Our company has been trying out a lot of different options for a safe and durable decking installation.

What we seen most of the time in Indonesia are either screw or nail down systems.

When we look at those systems using a 90 degree angle to screw the boards to the joists the stress on the boards over time leads to loosening up, the wooden plugs come out and the boards become unstable and stick out (see example below).

This in return provides for safety risks with exposed screw or nail heads.

Also in terms of aesthetics the wooden plugs don't look great especially when they are done poorly. But worse when they become loose and expose the screws.

PS: If you are an architect, wood/composite supplier or contractor you can also just scroll to the end to see our special offer

Not all screws used are stainless, so rusty screws can also cause discoloration on the wood, often there is also a chemical reaction between the steel and wood.

A modular installation system prevents some of the surface issues, but again due to the 90 degree angle the stress on the boards will lead to loosening up of the boards and this in return will increase the risk of cupping and uneven surfaces with potential safety risks.

An additional risk of the screw/nail down or modular installation are cracks were the boards are weakened on the top or bottom and small cracks and splitting will most likely spread from there over time.

Clip systems have been around for a while and there are many options available globally, with various results.

After trying out a few of them we found that the best way to go for ultimate holding power is a 45 degree angle with the screw going through the side of the board into the joist/batten.

Again when using wood we also have to take into consideration expansion and contraction along the width (for composites along the length) of the boards due to humidity and climate, therefore it is important that the wood is able to do this naturally.

Enables Contraction on the Width of?Air-Dried Decking

The method of 45 degree screws hold the decking tight to the joist, while allowing one side of the deck board to remain free to contract.

Enables Expansion on the Width of?Kiln-Dried Decking

The method of 45 degree screws hold the decking tight to the joist, while allowing one side of the deck board to remain free to expand.

Enables Expansion/Contraction Along the Length of?Composite/PVC Decking

Running screws straight down with composite/PVC decking allows these materials to naturally move on their length.

Fixing the boards without allowing them to expand or contract will have an increased risk of cracking and splitting (cupping for composites).

Another consideration for us was also if a certain installation system will require pre-grooving or special processing of the timber, which generally would limit its application for us.

We have seen a few systems that actually only work with very special processing of the timber and therefore actually limit flexibility on site and client choice.

When trying some of the best clip systems in the market (Tiger Claw) we also found there was a flaw as they used a 45 degree angle, but were only screwed into the joist/batten and not through the actual board, which really weakened the holding power for dense timbers like Ironwood and old Teak and Bengkirai, so the wood movement was too dramatic for them to keep the boards in proper position.

Due to the position of the clip it also only works for limited board widths and still carries too high risks in our experience given the tropical climate and strong movement of the timber.

These sort of clips prove utterly useless as soon as the thickness of the board is above 20 mm, as the actual clip/claw holding power will only be on the lower part of the boards, not in the center were it should be.

So after many trials we finally discovered the IPE Clip Extreme 4/S from Deckwise USA.

This clip system offered us a real solution for any condition, type of timber and even for composites.

We have since used it for over 30 projects and also supplied the clips to property developers for their own application.

We have successfully applied IPE Clips Extreme 4/S on board thickness 18 mm up to 40 mm, which really tells you something about the quality.

Some of our projects using IPE Clip include Main Deck @ Manarai Beach Club Sofitel Nusa Dua, main pool deck @Soori Resort Tanah Lot, all decks @Sanchaya Resort Bintan, Selong Selo Lombok, Uluwatu Surf Villas, Suzy Hutomo Villa Sanur, Villa Sea Shanti Candi Dasa, etc

At this villa you can see how the deck looked like using screw down method, so basically we took off the decking boards and replaced the joists/battens and than re-installed the old decking boards with the IPE Clip system.

Soori

Manarai Beach Club 40 mm thick Ironwood boards

Villa De La Vie

Villa Mark & Richard

Sanchaya Resort

For more examples of projects using IPE Clip you can visit one of our partner installer website above.

If you are a wood or composite decking supplier or a building contractor and you would like to offer extended warranties on your work get in touch with us, we will offer you best price, technical support and training to ensure your clients get 100% satisfaction. We also will list partner installers on our website and refer clients to them. Below a short instruction video.

If you are an architect or designer who wants to offer a quality solution for your clients no matter the wood or composite material you can now specify the installation system and ensure that your customer will be happy long term, as IPE Clip will improve the durability and reduce maintenance.

For the technical specifications and drawings, you can find them on the website following the link below under "Specifications" tab.

To wrap up

Key Benefits:

Extreme Holding Power up to 3 times stronger compared to other systems (much more durable than vertical screw down or screw from bottom, or standard clips with 90 degree screw angle, and tested against similar clip systems)

Flawless surface aesthetics on smooth and rustic deck surfaces

Fast and Easy installation

Allows wood to expand and contract naturally as the board is locked on 1 side and free on the other, yet held in place by the clip

Reduced risk for cracks and splitting as no screw holes through the boards, where cracks normally start to form, and also because the wood is able to expand and contract naturally, so much less risk compared to nailed or screwed boards

No Safety Risk from exposed screw or nail heads

Deck board spacing is more consistent at 4 mm, smaller gap spacing is possible with slight modification on site

Plastic cover of the clip prevents wood from reacting with steel and potential staining, and provides additional UV and chemical resistance of the installation system

Corrosion resistant, black oxide stainless steel insert increases hold down strength and eases installation by helping to prevent over-driving of screws

Calculation example of clip usage:

The wider the decking board and the joist/batten spacing the less clips need to be used, fixed length will also require less clips than random length boards

14cm wide boards and 40cm joist spacing requires ~25pcs per m2

?9cm wide boards and 40cm joist spacing requires ~35pcs per m2

Why the contractor bucket? Most economical!!! But we also can supply loose clips

Additional 90 spare stainless steel screws

6 Gap Spacers

5 3.2mm Highspeed Drill Bits

5 T15 Star Driver Tips

We currently offer the IPE Clip Extreme 4/S Contractor Bucket in Black and Brown Clips, other Deckwise products are available for pre-order. Ready stock ex Bali.

For more information you can contact our Team via WA