Fasteners for Meranti or Mahoghony decks
I am about to put down 1 by 6 mahogany decking and need to make a decision about what fastening system works best. I have considered the Tiger claw but as I have already installed my posts, I am reluctant to remove them in order to use the Tiger Claw. Also it will cost about $180 to buy the necessary amount.
I am also considering nails and screws, though it seems a shame to spoil the look of nice wood this way. Another concern is warping and cupping with this kind of wood.
Third concern I have is with Tanin staining. The last two jobs I did with stainless steel ring sharks left some awful looking black streaks in both fir and mahogany 1 by 4s after about a month. Can these stains be cleaned. No stains on the my pressure treated deck, for which I used ordinary hot dipped 10d galvy.
All feedback and comment welcome on any of the above.
Handy Dan of Boston
Replies
What type of stainless were those that caused stains?
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
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Griptite ring shanks....thanks Dan
I know what to stay away from for sure now!I use GRK
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
i have done a bunch of mahogany decks, cambara though, 1x4, 5/4x4 5/4x6. i am sure the same can hold tru for both species. we ALWAYS use 2 1/4" square drive trim head screws, scorpion brand. predrill with a 7/64 drill bit. buy a couple because they dull quickly in the mahogany. we really enjoy the stainless screws because they sparkle in the sunlght. also we turn the heads to be aligned square with the deck boards. the untrained eye probably wouldn't care but we do. also we ALWAYS uses Messmers UV to treat the boards. it keeps them looking that beautiful mahogany color and doesn't let them tun gray. we haven't had any problems with streaking.
thanks lockmiter. That is very helpful information. How do your decks look by year 2,3,4 and so on. How are they to maintain? Also do you sand before applying the Messmers? thanks Handy Dan
we do sand all sides with 100 grit. year 2 they still look great. most decks aren't that old yet. they say to reapply the messmers after three months and then the deck is good for two years give or take depending on the expossure to the sun. something i forgot to mention is we seal all the ends with anchorseal. it is a liquid parafin solution that helps keep the ends from splitting. we have done railings with the same materials and methods and they seem to be hold up just fine.
Edited 3/28/2007 9:31 pm ET by lockmiter
Hi again lockmiter
I googled Scorpion brand screws and got nothing. Does the manufacturer have another name? thanks Dan
handy dan
i found their website http://www.scorpionscrews.com. but it is not very informative. that is just the brand my lumber supplier carries but i really like them because they have VERY sharp self starting tips and and trim heads that self countersink. the self countersinking helps eliminate most of the problems with fraying at the top of the hole. just another tip... if the wood is dry the countersinks work better, if you get prefinished decking which can sometimes be wet like pressure treated you will notice that the countersinking frays the top of the hole. i prefer to use the 5/4x4 non treated cambara mahogany. treating it youself gives the wood a more uniform cloloration. anyways, any similar fastener should do the job. just test out what you have available. good luck.