Garapa decking boards visibly screwed

CONSULTATION » Decking boards » Terrace screws

How do I screw decking boards together?

The visible screwing of the terrace boards with terrace screws is the classic and well-established method of fastening the boards to the substructure. Here you should work cleanly and countersink the decking screws evenly and screw them in a row to create a harmonious overall picture.

The material

Use stainless ones BioMaderas deck screws for a long service life of your wooden terrace. Use one Bit made of stainless steelto prevent oxidation spots on the planks. If you work with base metals, sweep your decking carefully after assembly to avoid oxidation spots.

Material stainless steel decking screws
Distance screwing points terrace boards

Positions of the screwing points

The decking boards with a width of between 75mm and 145mm are each screwed to the underlying substructure with two screws. In the case of narrower planks, screwing with just one decking screw per intersection of decking planks / substructure is sufficient. The position of the screw should be 1,5 cm to 2,5 cm from the edge of the board. At the joint (where two board ends meet), the screws should be 2,5" to 8" from the edge.

Pre-drill decking boards and substructure

Pre-drill the holes before screwing (at BioMaderas decking screws with a drilling diameter of 4,5mm), since all of our decking boards are made of very resistant and hard wood. Pre-drilling reduces the risk of splinters and snapping screws. Mill the drill holes with a sinker so that the screw heads can be countersunk flush in the wood.

Pre-drill decking boards

Screw in carefully

Use a cordless screwdriver and not a drill to screw it in. When screwing in, the screws can easily be damaged. This damage does not have to show up immediately, but after a while it can lead to the screw heads tearing off. Great care must therefore be taken with this step.

Differential does not always protect

Cordless screwdrivers usually have a differential that is intended to protect against overtightening of the screws. However, the differential hits the screw head when it is released. Therefore, professionals often work without a differential. There is still a risk of overtightening if you are not careful, but you gain more control over the force when screwing in.

Set the cordless screwdriver correctly

If you want to try the bolting without a differential, you should set the cordless screwdriver to drill power and the lowest gear - often referred to as 1 of 2. With these settings you start driving the screw. Make sure that the speed is reduced towards the end of the screwing process until the screw is firmly seated in the wood. After a few screwing operations, you will quickly develop a feeling for screwing in and thus increase the lifespan and durability of your terrace.

Our accessories for the substructure