Air-Dried Wood

Buy the Right Deck Fasteners for Air-Dried Wood

If you are buying wood that needs to be air-dried and are wondering what hidden deck fastener to buy, this guide is for you. If you don’t know why air-drying wood is even worth mentioning, let’s take a look at the purpose of air-drying wood.

The process of “seasoning” or air-drying decking basically means that you allow the pre-cut decking to dry outdoors until its moisture content is equal to the relative moisture content of the surrounding area. Wood is air-dried to:

• Boost dimensional stability. Wood contracts (shrinks) across the grain when it dries. If you cut your decking before it has acclimated to the surrounding air-moisture content, it will contract as it dries and will end up being smaller, thereby throwing off your deck plans altogether.
• Reduce or eliminate the chances of decay & sap staining. When you let your decking dry below 20% moisture content, you increase the chance it will end up decaying and getting sap stains.
• Give your decking a diet. Seriously, by allowing your deck to air-dry, it will be a lot lighter. The process of seasoning decking means that you can reduce the weight over 30% just by allowing excess moisture to be removed.
• Make your decking stronger. Air dried wood is stiffer, harder and stronger. In fact, most species of hardwood decking are around 50% stronger so long as the wood has a moisture content of roughly 15%.

OK. So, now you know about air-dried decking. But the question now is: What deck fasteners go with Aid-dried wood decking?

The Extreme™ deck fastener made by the Ipe Clip® Company was specifically designed to work best with air-dried wood decking. The Extreme™ is a hidden deck fastener that:

• Allows your the decking to shrink normally without giving way and warping the boards
• Works great with pre-grooved or regular decking
• Provides maximum holding power
• Features a stainless steel insert to make the fastener virtually unbreakable
• Holds perfectly in extreme hot, or bitter cold weather
• Available in brown, black, or gray to match your decking

Learn more about the DeckWise® Extreme™ ExtremeKD™ or the Extreme4™ and why it is the best deck fastener for air-dried wood decking.

The Deck Fastener Buyer’s Guide:

• Kiln-Dried Wood
• Composite Deck Fasteners
• How-to Install Deck Fasteners
• Deck Problems