InDepth: Deck Fasteners

Did you know that fasteners can be archeologists’ best friends? For example, nails are artifacts commonly found at historic sites, and the frequency of their occurrence in digs has encouraged archaeologists to use them as dating tools. In fact, it’s one of the common methods used by the archeologists on the History Channel’s “The Curse of Oak Island” to date the age of the various strata they are excavating.

How does it work? The general manufacture type leaves readily identifiable features on nails. Because these features are indicative of the technology used in their manufacture, and because nail manufacturing technology changed over the course of time, those features can be used to date an excavation.

For example, some of the nail types that might be encountered include hand-forged rose head, T-head or downturned, machine cut wrought head, machine cut L head, machine cut side pinched, and machine face pinched. And while there are certainly more types than just these, knowing the era in which each type of nail was made helps identify the age of a dig site.

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Compared to fasteners of old, today’s deck fasteners are uniquely designed, and each type or brand has their own unique features that serve to not simply identify them but also to secure decking to substructure. And it’s through understanding those unique properties that LBM dealers can best serve their customers in a continuing-to-grow deck building environment.

Outdoor living drives demand
As reported in the other In Depth features, outdoor living shows no signs of slowing down. Decks and deck accessories continue to be in high demand, the need for deck fasteners is predicted to stay high, say industry experts.

“Indicators seem strong for outdoor living and deck demand this year, as homeowners may stay in their homes and improve what they have due to tight housing availability,” says Brett Katsma, product management leader for SPAX. “Outdoor living continues to remain a focus for Americans as they look to push the boundaries on their square footage, often blending their indoors and outdoors. Decking additions provide a great choice for homeowners looking to add usable square footage to their spaces for entertainment and relaxation.”

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This isn’t to say that there hasn’t been cause for concern. Rising interest rates and the continued threat of inflation have had significant impact on spending in the decking segment. Nevertheless, with the economic forecasts pointing towards potentially easing conditions, fastener manufacturers are cautiously optimistic.

“I feel this is a segment that will continue to grow,” says Robert Shirley, product marketing manager for Simpson Strong-Tie, “With the higher interest rates, many people are staying in their existing home due to the low mortgage rates they have secured. That decision to stay in an existing home for a longer period generally leads people to invest in it. Customers continue to focus on improving their backyard experience, and the deck is a central part of that equation.”

Explains Nick Thies, category manager for Midwest Fastener, “Generally, we expect 2023 headwinds to continue into 2024, but we do expect 2024 to be a bit better. The federal reserve and most economists expect interest rates to move downward in 2024. Based on this, we expect to see growth in single-family home constructions, and since the percentage of new homes that are built with a deck has remained relatively steady for the past 10 years, more single-family home builds in 2024 means more decks built. Lower interest rates will also increase existing home sales, home equity loans, and other consumer actions that result in improvements to existing homes. Decks have always been a popular home improvement, so this will also drive growth in the deck fastener segment in 2024.”

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Lee Tedesco, marketing director for Grabber Construction Products, agrees with Thies regarding home improvement driving fastener sales growth. “The good news is that the market for remodeling homes is growing, which means more and more people are looking to create beautiful and functional outdoor spaces,” he points out. “Homeowners want decks that are versatile, long-lasting, and tailored to their specific needs. As more Americans seek to add value to their homes by building decks, this trend will likely continue, meaning there will be even more gorgeous outdoor spaces to enjoy!”

Roderick Kabel, marketing director for DeckWise, also sees improving economic conditions on the horizon. “Although there is still uncertainty, inflation and interest rates are going down. We see this as a positive predictor for the warmer building season upon us,” he explains. “Although it’s going to be imperative to stay informed about these factors throughout the year and adapt strategies accordingly. As for deck fastener growth, it is doubtful the demand will decrease and it should stay steady.”

Elevated aesthetics lead trends
When it comes to trends for deck fasteners, much of the product development is being driven by the continued homeowner interest in outdoor living and creating spaces with refined aesthetics.

“Composite and PVC deck manufacturers continue to develop an increasing variety of board colors and textures, as they refine the composition of the board materials,” says Simpson Strong-Tie’s Shirley. “Simpson Strong-Tie provides a vast array of Deck-Drive DCU Composite premium decking screws to match these board color schemes, providing a means of installing face-mounted fasteners to the deck boards while blending the fasteners into the board finish.”

“Today, many consumers are seeking outdoor living spaces that are sophisticated, customizable, and comfortable,” says Grabber’s Tedesco. “They want spaces that are versatile, long-lasting, and high-quality. The decking industry benefits from these lifestyle changes as consumers continue investing in their outdoor spaces. Timber decking remains a popular choice for enhancing outdoor spaces with its warm and inviting ambiance. Offering durable, high-quality products is key to supporting these growing trends.”

As a method of achieving that refined aesthetic, hidden deck fasteners continue to be a strong trend as homeowners value clean looking decks boards, much like the floors inside their own homes, says fastener manufacturers.

While hidden fasteners have often only been an option for engineered decking, fastening systems like those from GRK Fasteners and CAMO enable builds using wood decking to achieve the same seamless appearance. Along with these trends also comes the use of new product categories in the deck fastening arena.

“We find that dealers, contractors and homeowners are focused on the composite decking story, but often left out of the conversation is the substructure of the new deck,” SPAX’s Katsma points out. “SPAX Deck Joist and Beam Tape provides the added peace of mind for homeowners knowing that they are optimizing the life of the deck to ensure a long-lasting, professional installation where the fasteners and wood are protected from water damage. This product carries significant importance in longevity to the deck structure, given the extreme and unprecedented weather of 2023 into 2024, especially moisture issues in coastal regions. The joist and beam tape combined with the SPAX (4-in-1) Deck Spacer provides consistent spacing and drainage between deck boards for added protection.”

Broader adoption of new decking materials is also bringing about the development of new types of fasteners.

“We have seen hints of new products out there with the use of steel framing instead of traditional wood frame decks, and have started to see a shift in structural composite lumber for deck framing which is a brand new item to this category,” explains Mike Engle, senior director of product management for PrimeSoure Building Products.

“The most exciting emerging product isn’t necessarily new, but is gaining quite a bit of ground,” says DeckWise’s Kabel. “Thermally modified softwoods (Ash, Pine, Red Oak, and Spruce) being installed for decking and cladding is extremely exciting. DeckWise has aligned with a few of the heavy hitters in the industry and developed a hidden fastener system for these woods.”

Deck fasteners are also adapting to the specific needs of mass timber construction, says Pan American Screw Fastener Group’s Lail.

“Our Big Timber product line has recently merged all of our stainless steel decking screws to be made of marine grade 316 grade material,” he says. “With the small cost difference between 304 / 305 and 316 grade, we decided to consolidate our offering to just the premium 316 marine grade to make it an easier choice for our customers and save shelf space in their stores. We continue to see growth in mass timber and cross laminated timber applications. Once it was prominent in only a select few geographical areas of the country, but we are seeing that market expand quickly across the U.S. and Canada. Sales of our Big Timber BTX and STX construction lags screws were up over 35% last year and we are seeing growth from North Carolina to California and all points in between.”

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Work smarter, not harder
As everyone is no doubt painfully aware, the need for labor in the construction and remodeling segments remains very high. According to a proprietary model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024 to meet the demand for labor. Deck fastener manufacturers have taken note and are developing new products to help ease the labor situation.

“Simpson Strong-Tie dedicates significant resources to innovate and create new products to help contractors, installers and remodelers perform their tasks faster, safer and more ergonomically, while providing stronger, more durable solutions,” says Simpson Strong-Tie’s Shirley. “Quik Drive auto-feed screw driving systems provide a means of doing just that. Tasks that require repetitive fastening can be accomplished faster, safer, and more ergonomically. Contractors find that these solutions are not only a benefit during the installation process, but also provide a cost savings by reducing time-associated labor costs.”

Pan American Screw Fastener Group’s Lail also sees labor being a valid concern for deck builders. “We are seeing more end users interested in products like our pneumatic Mantis clip installation tool. As the labor market shrinks, tools like this help the deck builder finish products faster and more efficiently using less labor hours. One of our newer designed products is a composite fascia board screw that routs its own hole larger than the shank of the screw to allow for expansion and contraction and the larger head covers the hole for a finished modern look. No separate drill bit needed as it routs and finishes in one easy step.”

Working smarter, not harder, to keep costs down when building decks or other remodeling projects is key, says Jacek Romanski, channel marketing director for ITW Construction.

“Contractors continue to work smarter, not harder, to keep their costs down when building decks or other remodeling projects. They are looking for products that improve their productivity, allowing them to either finish faster and move to the next job or put money back in their pocket. For example, our new GRK Fasteners AugerBolt Fastening system saves contractors 50% or more during the installation of 6″ x 6″ post to beam connections by allowing them to drill and install code approved through bolts in one easy operation.”

In addition, inflation continues to be a challenge for deck builders going into 2024. Not only are they experiencing inflation with the building products and fastener costs, they have no choice but to pass on their inflationary labor costs as well, unless they improve their own productivity.

GRK Fasteners is excited to introduce AugerBolt Through Bolt Fastening simplifying code approved through bolt installation by combining the drilling of an auger bit and the installation of a through bolt all in one easy step for greater productivity. The patented recessed tip revolutionizes through bolted installation simplifying the notched 6×6 connection for Pro deck builders.

Says Midwest Fastener’s Thies, “We believe material cost will continue to be a challenge for deck builders and their customers. Although down from their record highs in 2021 & 2022, inflation has kept building material costs up significantly in many areas from where they were pre-pandemic.

Lumber has come farther back down to earth than many other material segments, which is a relief for deck builders, but overall construction costs have still jumped significantly over a relatively short 3-year time period. This jump has been a tough pill for homeowners to swallow, leading to more price conscious mindset when shopping around for a deck builder or comparing bids. We have a variety of value-priced deck fasteners including our new BuildRight Contractor Pack line that we developed to help these price conscious builders and consumers get a quality product that checks the most important boxes at a very competitive price point.

Part of effectively dealing with the challenges of cost and inflation is understanding real value on the part of both the LBM dealer and the end user, say manufacturers. Initial purchase price is, of course, an important factor in the purchase decision, but it’s one that is often too focused upon, leaving issues like labor savings, callbacks, and warranties out of the conversation. “You continue to see major brands pushing for the ‘system sell’ and providing more of a warranty,” laments PrimeSoure Building Products’ Engle. “The problem with that is these brands don’t understand the fastening space, and the complexities of supply chain in this category.”

With myriad deck board choices on the market, it’s more important than ever for LBM dealers to be able to point their customers in the right purchase decision, one that best works with the decking product being used.

“Knowing the products and their characteristics is important when choosing the proper fastening method,” DeckWise’s Kabel points out. “We have seen and heard some upheaval in the market over screw snapping, or not holding in place properly.”

Product knowledge equals success
To overcome these challenges, manufacturers recommend specific strategies, the top of which is product education and training (which should come as no surprise), not just on product features and benefits but also about codes and building requirements.

“Education is still the key to helping your customers make the right decisions,” says Pan American Screw Fastener Group’s Lail. “Making sure all of your critical structural fasteners are code approved by a third party testing agency is necessary to reduce liability and make sure your customer is using the right fastener for the job. You may be surprised how many brands represented in our industry are not approved, which could cause problems with certain building inspectors.”

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DeckWise’s Kabel agrees, pointing out how the deck industry is seeing some changes with the popularity of different materials becoming available. “Product knowledge and training is the most important resource a LBM dealer can provide to their customers,” he recommends.

“Ensuring that all staff members are well-trained and knowledgeable—or at least know where they can get the proper information—on all the different products that are out there, is key. It is vital that LBM dealers are capable and able to support their customers with the most up to date information especially when it comes to what is actually on their shelves for sale.”

Hand in hand with all that product knowledge is being able to effectively offer and present deck fastener solutions in adequate square feet of selling space—a best practice that ITW Construction’s Romanski says is often overlooked during the busy season.

“Put the work on your distributor and manufacturer partners to help you measure your planograms to focus on top movers while working through/discontinuing any products that are not selling or meeting your inventory turn targets,” he says. “This allows dealers to make room for more of what is selling and gives space to try the newest products. Optimizing your planograms in this way will lead to better productivity for your store and less inventory to count at the end of the season.”

If there’s one word that can be used to sum up the deck fastener segment for the next twelve months, it’s innovation. The products shown in this in-depth look are just a fraction of what’s now available to the industry, and by putting into place the advice given here from industry experts—which won’t leave you digging for answers like an archeologist—LBM dealers should be able to expect wins when it comes to sales. As ITW Construction’s Romanski puts it, “The decking segment will stay steady. Due to the rising interest rates, many homeowners are deciding to stay put and instead invest in their homes which in theory will counter rising inflationary prices of restoring a deck. Updated decks allow them to add value to their homes so they are ready to sell at even more of a premium once interest rates settle back down.”

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