Composite Screw 02
DIY
February 28, 2023

How to Choose the Right Composite Deck Screws

Whether you’re a custom decking contractor or a DIYer, you already know that materials can make the difference between an ordinary deck and a show stopping backyard space. While your customer may only be thinking about composite deck board colors and grain, you know the right composite decking fasteners can play a starring role all their own.
Featured Video

Why You Need Composite Deck Screws

While it is possible to use traditional wood deck screws when installing composite boards, it's best to use specialized composite screws. They feature better weather- and corrosion-resistance than ordinary wood screws. If you are installing boards with hidden fasteners, you have more options to choose from. Just make sure that the head size of your screw is large enough to secure the hidden fastener but not so wide that it prevents proper gapping between the boards.

Why You Need Composite Deck Screws

While it is possible to use traditional wood deck screws when installing composite boards, it's best to use specialized composite screws. They feature better weather- and corrosion-resistance than ordinary wood screws. If you are installing boards with hidden fasteners, you have more options to choose from. Just make sure that the head size of your screw is large enough to secure the hidden fastener but not so wide that it prevents proper gapping between the boards.

When installing through the face of the deck board, however, screws made specifically for composite decks are the best choice. The typical large heads of wood deck screws can pop out when composite deck boards naturally contract. This may not only cause safety hazards, but it creates aesthetic issues for your clients as well. Other screws can also create an unsightly bulge of plastic around the head because plastic isn’t milled as effectively as wood for a clean, flush finish.

If you select specially engineered composite decking screws instead, you’ll experience the following benefits:

  • Trim head and special shank designs that help prevent cracking or splitting
  • Special threads to manage the plastic shavings from composite decking
  • Countersinking for a clean, flush finish
  • Superior weather and water resistance comparable to composite deck boards

Meet Your Match

Whether your clients’ decks feature composite boards from Trex, Fiberon, TimberTech or other manufacturers, SPAX has the color match for your project. From earth tones to coastal hues, SPAX’s seven shades of composite decking fasteners complement a wide array of color schemes:

  • Dark brown
  • Java
  • Sand
  • Pebble
  • Slate
  • Dark Gray
  • Gray

SPAX also offers an online service to help you find your color match based on your deck board manufacturer, series name and board color. From there, you can select job-ready packs of composite deck screws, available in bulk pails or in project-friendly package quantities, bit included.

With color-match composite deck screws, you can ensure long-lasting beauty and structural integrity for every deck you build. Learn more about composite decking fasteners from SPAX in this short video. Or order a sample pack featuring all seven colors of our industry-leading coated composite decks screws.

Ready to get started? Find a sellerof SPAX composite decking fasteners near you.

Request a Sample Pack

Examine our products up close before you buy. Just locate a SPAX seller near you or order online today.
Request a Sample Pack

Continued Reading

VIEW ALL

Related Products

T-STAR TRIM HEAD HCR® COMPOSITE DECK SCREWS icon
Exterior
Composite Lumber
T-STAR TRIM HEAD HCR® COMPOSITE DECK SCREWS

SPAX® T-STAR Trim Head fasteners with HCR® coating are intended for connections in exterior composite deck board finishing applications when attaching to treated lumber joists. These fasteners are designed with an undercut head for preventing mushrooming and also provide a clean finish into composite deck boards.

#10
Exterior
Deck Tape
DECK JOIST TAPE

SPAX® Deck Joist Tape optimizes the life of the deck and ensures a long-lasting, professional installation by protecting fasteners and deck joists from water damage.  SPAX Deck Joist Tape works on all single board applications including joists, rim joists, ledger board, blocking, etc.  SPAX Deck Joist Tape is compatible with the majority of deck materials including pressure treated wood and composite products.

Exterior
Deck Tape
DECK BEAM TAPE

SPAX® Deck Beam Tape optimizes the life of the deck and ensures a long-lasting, professional installation by protecting fasteners and deck beams from water damage. SPAX Deck Beam Tape is 3-1/4" wide and is designed to work on board applications such as a beam (or a girder) which is a board or a composite of more than one board that serves as a supporting structure for the deck joists, which meet it perpendicularly. SPAX Deck Beam Tape is compatible with most deck materials including pressure treated wood and composite products.

Exterior
Spacers
DECK BOARD SPACER

Four dimensions, one convenient tool—get perfectly spaced boards with SPAX® Deck Spacers.

They’re designed with ease of use in mind, ensuring uniform spaces between deck boards in four common sizes, so you’re guaranteed a professional-looking finish without the hassle of nail or speed squares. And by using SPAX® Deck Spacers, you give deck boards the spacing they require to allow debris and water displacement, and to ensure the space to expand and contract.