There is more to a deck than just the boards that you see. Tropical decking is a major investment, so you want to do it right with the best fasteners, sealants, and finishes. We often assemble complete packages for our customers to include all of these accessories, but we can also supply just the accessories. We are an authorized DeckWise Dealer, and we carry their full line of decking accessories.
Hidden fasteners rely upon grooves in the sides of your decking boards that the clip fastener will ride in. The clip is screwed down to the joists, leaving your deck boards securely fastened without visible screws. The Ipe decking we sell is an air dried product, so we stock both the Standard and Extreme variety of Ipe Clips in brown to match our Ipe and Cumaru products.
Extreme Clips: provide a 3/32″ spacing between deck boards which has proven to be a nice compromise of close spacing yet enough room for additional expansion as the seasons change. Additionally, they have metallic inserts in the screw hold making for a more robust clip that can stand up to modern impact drivers during installation.
Standard Clips: provide a 3/32″ spacing between deck boards like the Extreme clip but do no have the stainless steel insert. These clips work great but extra care must be taken during installation as a high powered drill driver turning a 3″ deck screw can break through the clip. Use a drill with a clutch so you can set it to disengage before splitting the clip.
Oil
Ipe and Cumaru can be left untreated, and they will weather to a silvery gray color. If you want to retain the color, then an oil finish must be applied once a year. The best treatment is an oil containing UV blockers which will penetrate the wood. Ipe Oil has a good combination of both, and it is very simple to apply. Give your deck a good hosing down, then let it dry. Roll on the Ipe Oil, then come back and wipe off the excess. Expect about 300 square feet of coverage per gallon of Ipe Oil.
End Sealer
Tropical decking is an air dried product, so depending on the seasonal changes, it can lose significant moisture which can cause end splits. End sealer is necessary to prevent these splits. This waxy like barrier coats the end grain and slows the loss and absorption of moisture, preventing drastic swelling and shrinking of the wood fibers.
Hardwood Wrench
The Hardwood Wrench is an extremely useful tool that acts as a third hand while laying down decking boards and holding them securely when installing either clips or face screws. The wrench references off the joists and levers the deck board tight up against the spacers or clips then locks to hold the entire board. For more information and to watch a video of the Wrench in action visit www.hardwoodwrench.com
Screws
We can supply stainless steel screws with or without painted heads to match your decking. These are top of the line #8 screws with star drive heads and are available in 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and 3″ lengths.
Plugs
We can supply 3/8″ tapered plugs in either Ipe or Cumaru to match your decking species. Just sink your screw, drop a dab of an exterior glue in the hold, and hammer in your plug. Plugs can be flushed with the surface using either a sander or chisel.
Post Caps
Available in Ipe only at the moment. These add a finishing touch to your decking posts and can be made to fit your posts. Just apply a bead of silicone around the inside of the cap and slip it in to place.