Why We Don’t Use Deck Clips Anymore
Hidden fasteners sound great on paper: no visible screw heads, a cleaner-looking deck surface. In practice, we’ve seen this “better idea” fail consistently enough that we stopped using deck clips entirely.
The problem shows up at the ends of boards. Decking absorbs moisture through end grain, and concentrating multiple fasteners there — especially a pointed clip tip — cracks the board width-wise. Cracks pull in more moisture, and as the wood dries and shrinks around them, they widen further, exposing untreated grain and accelerating rot. It works fine in the middle of a board. It fails where the fasteners cluster at the ends.
Under-mounted strip fasteners have a different failure mode: refinishing sands the exposed screw tips, leaving a pattern of black stains on the surface — especially visible on red cedar — and the tops of joists deteriorate over time from repeated fastening along the same grain line.
What actually works: pre-finish decking before installation so it isn’t expanding and contracting as much, seal end grain with waterproof epoxy as you build, and touch up afterward. If you prefer screws, countersink them before installing, then plug the holes with a tapered plug cutter and waterproof epoxy. Either way, the goal is the same — keep moisture out of the end grain and you keep rot out of the deck.
Want to see how we build decks today? Visit our deck design services page.
