I build a fair number of decks, and every one seems to have a couple of joints that want to open up. The sun and the weather pop out wood plugs over lag bolts, and toenails creep out until their heads stand proud. The drawing shows how I use aluminum gutter spikes driven in opposing directions to solve problem joints with readily available tools and hardware.
I start by cutting the head off a steel gutter spike with a pair of bolt cutters. The cut end of the steel spike works like the cutting edge of a drill bit, allowing me to use the spike to bore pilot holes for the aluminum spikes, which have a slightly bigger diameter. Holes drilled, I drive home the aluminum spikes, cut off their heads and countersink them with a piece of the steel spike. I fill the resulting hole with a dab of urethane caulk.
The aluminum spikes are barbed and hold tenaciously. They are small enough in diameter for me to use several alongside one another in a staggered pattern, and they are long enough to reach just about any part of a joint.
John Trim, Nashville, TN
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