Hi All,

Just wanted some advice on the fixings for my decking frame work. Can you used BZP plated coach bolts or do they have to be Green corrosive ones? Also i have found some A2 graded stainless steel rods can i use these instead with stainless steel nuts and washers as i can source these alot cheaper than the bolts.

My screws are going to be stainless steel as well. The through bolts on the ledger do they have to be stainless steel or can they be the zinc plated ones?

Regards

Ian

BZP bolts will be fine as they are not in view, so if they do go rusty over time it does not really matter. But if you want rustproof ones you can get galzanised bolts.

You can use the stainless steel studding if you like but it will be much more work.

I would not use stainless steel screws for the deck as they are very weak and snap easily. You are much better off using dedicated decking screws that are coated to prevent corrosion.

Normal through bolts should be fine as they are coated to prevent corrosion.

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DIY | Donnas dream house

Hi there thank you for your response. The stainless steel screws are for fixing the joists together i will be using proper decking screw to fix the boards down with. Would you not recommend stainless steel screws for fixing the joists together?

green coated decking screws are made for purpose, as UHM says stainless steel are weaker and I have had a few snap on me last week when removing battens attached to an external wall. I found some green screws here: http://goo.gl/aGxHW

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- Dave
http://www.pamperhouse.net
http://www.invertedcircle.co.uk

Timberlocks for me (or similar) for fixing joists together.

S/S screws have a tendency to be rubbish.

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One day it will all be firewood.

Timberlok screws are very expensive and i would need over 300. I have souced some Green screws that are 4.5 x 100mm. Would sqew screwing 3 of these into the joists be storng enough to hold it?

Nails! Good old fashioned 4 inch whack them in with a 20 oz hammer. Been holding together frames of all sizes for centuries. Guard dog (?) deck screws are excellent. Be wary of cheap green screws from the likes of screwfix, I've had some rubbish ones.

Use joist hangers with twist nails where the joists meet the ledger or a beam, bolts where a beam attaches to a post, or by right Where it sits on a post, and expansion bolts for the ledger. You can even cover the head of the bolt in silicone to give some rust prevention.

It wasn't very clear as to what and where you wanted to fix together.

If joists are overlapping or being doubled up then coach bolts or timberlocks are best.

If you are fixing perpendicular to a ledger plate then jiffy hangers or 4" galvanised wire nails are best - no need for screws - in fact most modern screws are a poor choice for anything structural like this - being hardened they have a tendency to snap rather than bend if under stress.

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One day it will all be firewood.

cheap fixings are cheap fixings whatever job your doing. try ebay see if you can get a decent brand, cheaper on there