Lisa,
If you want the most permanent deck, screw the boards down...skip the clip.

steve

Lisa, if you want the most permanent deck,screw the boards down... skip and forget the clips.

John

Thanks Steve and John.
We will be screwing the boards down... skipping and forgeting the clips.
What do you think of Shadoe Track? Is screwing the boards "up" the same?
Thanks Lisa

Lisa,
The only way that I fasten decking is by screwing down. To me, any other method would be "screwing up". In all fairness, I don't know shadoe track, but as a deck builder, I can't go beta test a new system on a client deck. I go with the one method that I'm sure of. I usually hide the screws by plugging with Ipe plugs. If my client opts out of plugging, I use 2.25" or 2.5" Headcote stainless steel trim head screws. They are a good (cheaper) alternative to plugging.

steve

HI ya Birgit!! by now I am thinking your project is Looking Goooood.

Lisa,,,, just trust us on this one, both Steve and I,dont use the clips or the track systems for a lot of reasons. You might do a search on this site and find what we have been thru already with the clips and the under deck fastings things. John

Hi John! My project is going sloooooow ... I think we've got about 20 of the 400 boards down. Take, for instance, last week, where they only worked one day because of weather. It's kinda discouraging. Not to mention that I seem to have selected a banker-builder (one who works less than 6 hours a day) ... his reference warned me he was slow, but I'm still surprised. Thank god I got a fixed-quote bid. He told me he estimated 6 weeks for the job. He started in late September. It took him 6 weeks to FRAME the deck. I'm thinking it'll be done in May.

But, whining aside, I LOVE the way the Ipe looks and I'm happy with the design ... though I will admit that 1,250 sq. feet looks a LOT bigger when it is framed than it does when it is spray paint on the ground. My husband and I have looked at each other several times and said "what have we done?". :-)

I'll post some more pictures when it looks a bit more exciting.

Birgit

Well I can't thank you all enough for making our last few decisions easier and made with the confidence that they are the right ones.
I have to tell you- we were sent to this web site from Sean @ipedepot/ to answer some more of our questions.... little did I know that it would offer hours and hours of entertainment for us (me- my hubby had to drag me outside this beautiful sat.am of 80 degrees in Santa Barbara) I have spent hours on line the last few days, and have appreciated all the real knowledge and tips that has taught me tons, but also the laughing caused by the numerous "cat fights" and ego bashes.
I am amazed at the time that several of you busy working guys put in to help us clueless 1st timers.
You guys ROCK!!!
Our guys arrived at 7 this am, and we have the assemblance of a deck frame up. This is going to be a really "stylie" deck and I look forward to showing it off! Thanks to yall' it will be done right! more later Lisa

John, Steve,

Not wanting to beat a dead horse but at the same time, wanting to research... Can you please let me know the exact problems you've experienced with hidden fasteners and/or clips?

Sorry, I've been searching this forum using "hidden fastener" "ipe clips" "ipe fastener" and combinations of all three phrases but my searches have only uncovered messages to go "search" this forum...

If the deck is already built with fasteners, can one simply screw down the board after the fact if the boards start to buckle?

In other words, I'm assuming that the problem is with the IPE boards slipping out past clips and working loose with no "damage" to the boards. If true then can't someone at that time simply predrill and screw down the boards to the sub-structure?

Apologies in advance for not being able to successfully finding any of your older messages.

-Alex

wolf mon,

As I said above, I have no firsthand experience with hidden fasteners...any of them. I'm not testing any "new technology" on my client's decks...at least not hidden fasteners. I do know Ipe, and it's best to screw it down. First of all, air dried decking will shrink when you lay it in the sun. So if you use any if the clips or biskits that are set in a groove, they will be exposed, and maybe even lose contact. At best, you'll have a creaking deck. at worst, you'll have to reset your boards. add to that, some systems require a wide gap to start with. when those boards shrink, you'll be falling thru the gaps. I set my gaps at 1/16". and they open to a fat eigth...with Ipe.

now, those track systems require screwing from below. That means you have to use a small screw that has to pierce Ipe without splitting it, or breaking...and that small screw has to hold Ipe from moving, which it'll want to do...especially if you had to bowrench that warped board into place.

uhuh...not me. I'll just screw them boards down from the top (missionary style), 2 per joist...and hide them with plugs...that's my hidden fastener system, and my humble opinion

steve

Alex,
I went round and round the forum also. Here are my hints. At the "porches & decks forum", scroll down to the bottom search ( don't use the top search), where you can search "this forum only" and use
"ipe under deck fasteners" and you will get 20 or so postings with hours of reading, info and pics. It was enough that we are not using the clips.
Hope that this helps... Lisa

I really dont have any more to say then I alrady have,we went thru that L bracked thing until it got a little silly, same with the clips.

For a quick rundown> Clips- say nothing goes wrong, the ipe is completly straight,it dosent shirnk at all, a person uses the ss clips and runs the screw perfectly every time, the preasure treated frame dosent move at all,the contractor makes sure there is enough cross vintalation in the frame,if the material is not pre grouved the carpenter gets the plate jointer to work perfectly every time, ya know things like that after your all done spending all that $ and time you still see the clip and the screw and most of the time the decking is not fastened to the frame, ghesssssss is that crazy or what?? I understand all these guys want to make a few bucks intruding in our Trade but really for the no fastener look just order T&G material from the George and be done with it for a whole lot less money and time and down the road problems.

L chanell>>> this thing is so labor loaded for such foolish results, I am sure a person can find what we have already said about that system, I even put us up a vision of what it would take to install with that L metal.

For the no fastener look go with T&G material installed corectley over a 16'' on center frame,or plug the screw holes. Both are less money and labor,the decking is actually fastened to the fame,and you have done it the way the Steve and I have learned to do it after a lot of years of wood working and building. J

I wish I had consulted this forum before my IPE deck was built with underclippings. It is cupping badly. Two pieces of decking has raised themselves about 30 degrees off the deck! And other boards are more subtly cupping.

The Deck is 13.5 feet wide and 6- 8 feet deep. It is 4 feet off the ground off my kitchen so it is attached to the back of the house for 9 feet. It is only ventilated on a 4 foot side where it faces the stairs to the basement. There is no front ventilation.

The deck cascades down to the ground with 3 treads the the entire perimeter of the deck HOw can it be saved (It is very pretty)

l. Would adding ventilation slits (and how deep -- 1/4 inch?) all along the risers below each tread provide the necessary cross ventilation under the deck?

2. Is it too late to screw the decking boards onto the joists? Will that stop the cupping?

3. Should the IPE have been sealed on all sides. It was sealed on the top with UV MEssmers but not underneath or on the ends.

Any other advice??

Many thanks.

Robin

Robin,
Cupping can be a problem with 1x6 ipe if it isn't fastened down the right way. Unfortunately, you found out the hard way that using clips is the wrong way. You might be able to screw down the slightly cupped boards, but probably not the severely cupped ones...they might split or break the screws.
Sealing all sides might have helped, as would more ventilation. Maybe you can pull up the decking and flip the boards over. Ipe always wants to cup up, so it might just straighten the boards out...maybe not. I've never had to fix a problem like yours...so i'm just guessing.

those damn clips...

steve

Steve,

We will definitely add ventilation -- although the builder HAD worked with IPE, he isn't an expert on it. -- I will talk to them about pulling up the decking and flipping the boards amd screwing them down.

I am also seeing the wood surface doing something like peeling on some of the riseer -- is that what checking is?

Steve,

we will be adding two large ventilations areas on the left front and left right of the deck and ventilation on the top. The underboards were sopping when we pulled two upl

I am going out to get a small fan. I could not fit my dehumidfier underneath, unfortunately.