Starborn Industries - Cap-Tor Screw

Editor's Review: New screws for new decking

Recently, decking manufacturers have introduced a new category of synthetic planks with stronger, more stable outer layers that also allow for deeper grain textures and colors. The trouble with these new cap-stock planks—sometimes also referred to as co-extruded or ultra-low-maintenance (ULM) decking—is that fasteners don’t countersink cleanly through the surface. The head of the decking screw often doesn’t fully cut through the surface (producing a slight dimpled recess); it leaves curled residue that needs to be picked or cut off; or it stretches and slightly discolors the area around it.

Starborn Industries has supplemented its popular Headcote (stainless steel) and Deckfast (epoxy-coated) lines with a new Cap-Tor screw, designed with a thicker shank and a head that Starborn says cuts cleanly through cap-stock decking. Cap-Tor screws are available in 10 Headcote colors and eight Deckfast colors, both for about a 20% premium.

Editor Test Results: