What are deck screws?
What are deck screws?
Since wood decks have many thin planks and must withstand harsh environmental conditions, deck screws are designed to accommodate the challenges of this application. They must resist corrosion, drive easily, and lay smoothly against the deck surface, called countersinking. For these reasons, many deck screws are self-countersinking, self-drilling, and coated with materials that won’t rust.
Like other screws, deck screws come in a wide variety of lengths and widths, called shanks. They also use different shapes of driver, the part on the screw head that allows a screwdriver to dig in to the wood and rotate. A popular head shape is a square, because it holds the driver and doesn’t strip as easily as Phillips heads.
Material
Due to the need to resist the elements, a deck screw’s material is the most important feature. Stainless steel is a popular choice because of its resistance to corrosion.
Function
Deck screws are designed to fasten deck boards to floor joists. These screws are designed differently from regular screws–they last longer under high traffic and outdoor elements.
Parts
A screw head, shank (threading) and screw point are the parts that comprise a deck screw
Features
A deck-screw head is typically square (opposed to a Phillips head) to prevent stripping. Shanks vary in length and width, as regular screws do. The screw points are sharp and narrow to enable easy entry into the boards and joists, eliminating the need for pilot holes.
Consequences
Using low-quality deck screws can result in broken screws, installation difficulties and wood complications. This will compromise the stability and life of the deck.
Now let us see some common deck screw:
