Installation

Hidden clips vs face screwing — which holds up better long-term?

G
Greg Thornton

I've been doing this for 12 years and I've done plenty of both. In my experience, face-screwed Ipe decks hold up better over 10+ years than clip-installed decks. Clips allow more board movement, which in theory is good, but I've seen more cupping and board rotation on clip decks than screwed decks.

Am I alone in this observation? I feel like the industry is pushing hidden fasteners hard right now, but I'm not convinced they're actually better for the wood long-term.

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